OnePlus' newest smartphone takes a leaf out of the OG Pixel's playbook

OnePlus is joining the ranks of Android OEMs moving away from the standard glass sandwich design that’s become commonplace on smartphones these days. But, instead of exploring something new, the company is going back to a tried and tested design with its latest mid-range smartphone — the OnePlus Nord 4. Check out our hands-on review for our initial verdict.

OnePlus has revived the metal unibody design with the Nord 4, almost eight years after offering the last phone with a metal case — the OnePlus 3T. The new design resembles early Google Pixel models, and it features an aluminum body with a section of glass around the camera modules. It comes in three unique finishes: Obsidian Midnight, Mercurial Silver, and Oasis Green.

The device features a dual-camera setup on the back with a dual-LED flash, OnePlus’ iconic alert slider on the left edge, and hardware buttons to control the volume and power on the right edge. It has a USB 2.0 Type-C port at the bottom, dual stereo speakers, an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and includes support for two nano-SIM cards.

OnePlus Nord 4 specifications

On the inside, the OnePlus Nord 4 is a premium mid-ranger that promises to give buyers a taste of some flagship features at an affordable price. It packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip, which promises 65% faster CPU and 130% faster GPU performance than the regular Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.

The SoC is paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage to ensure fast and smooth performance regardless of the workload. You also get a 5,500mAh battery with support for OnePlus’ proprietary SuperVOOC 100W fast charging, which will charge the phone from one to 100% in around 28 minutes.

OnePlus has not made any significant changes on the display front. Like its predecessor, the Nord 4 features a 6.74-inch display with a 2772 x 1240p resolution that refreshes at 120Hz. It’s a flat AMOLED panel that offers Ultra HDR support and has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. However, the company has made some changes to the camera system on the new model.

The Nord 4 features a 50MP Sony LYT600 main camera with OIS. This is a minor downgrade compared to the 50MP IMX890 sensor offered on the Nord 3, and it shares the same specifications as Sony’s IMX882 image sensor. You also get an 8MP ultrawide camera with a 112-degree FoV, but OnePlus has not included a third sensor on the new model. For selfies, the device still has a 16MP front-facing shooter.

On the software front, the OnePlus Nord 4 offers two noteworthy upgrades. It runs Oxygen OS 14.1 based on Android 14 out of the box and is eligible for 4 Android upgrades and 6 years of security updates. That’s the longest software support OnePlus has offered to date, and it even surpasses the software support offered with the flagship OnePlus 12.

In addition, OnePlus has bundled a couple of new AI features on the Nord 4. The device features what OnePlus is calling its Trinity Engine, which utilizes machine learning to optimize CPU, RAM, and storage performance. OnePlus has also included user-facing AI features, like AI Audio Summary, AI Note Summary, and AI Text Translate, and the device even uses AI to optimize network connectivity.

OnePlus Nord 4 price and availability

The OnePlus Nord 4 will be available at a starting price of £429/€499 (~$544) for the 12GB+256GB variant, while the premium 16GB+512GB model will be available for £529/€599 (~$653). It will go on sale through OnePlus’ website and other retail channels on August 8.