Hello everyone, welcome to another tech analysis. Do you remember when OnePlus used to be the best flagship killer? It seems like those days are fading away quickly or has it already faded? Today, I’m looking at the OnePlus Nord 4, a phone that is giving a mixed vibe to many fans. I’ll tell you why the Nord 4 may not be as good as you thought.
Stay tuned to the end to know the Oneplus Nord 4 Review.
Heavy in Weight and Metal Body (Prone to Dents)
Let me tell you how the phone looks. The Nord 4 has a strong metal body which sounds really good. But there’s a problem, metal gets fingerprints easily and can get dented more easily than your grandpa’s aluminum siding if it falls down even for once. Also, the phone is heavy and might make your hand hurt after playing games for a long time.
No External Storage and No Headphone Jack
Let me present you with another confusing thing, the Nord 4 doesn’t have a slot for a memory card to add extra storage. So, the storage might fill up quickly with all those annoying pre-installed bloatware apps. When I talk about things that are not included then I need to say goodbye to the headphone jack. It’s time to use wireless earbuds or buy a new adapter.
Display Issues
The screen on the Nord 4 is not very good. Although it has a fast refresh rate and it is prone to showing flickering lines. The colors are basic and there is no fancy LTPO panel for smooth scrolling. Oh, and there isn’t a notification light to tell you about missed calls and messages, so good luck keeping track on your own.
Brightness (Misleading Numbers)
OnePlus has a very bright screen with a peak brightness of 2100 nits. Sounds good, but not really. In real life, the screen isn’t that bright in sunlight if I compare it with the competition.
A Not-so-Good Camera
The camera system has good and bad parts. It takes good pictures when it’s bright outside, but the pictures can be too sharp (over-sharpness problem) and the pictures don’t look great in low light with a lot of grainy spots. The main problem is that Nord 4 doesn’t have a telephoto lens, which many other competitive smartphones have considering its cost. This is a big disappointment for people who love using Zoom.
Confusing and Old-Fashioned Design Choices
The Nord 4 design doesn’t seem very creative or original. It’s big and not as smooth as other similar products. Additionally, it has a cheap quality protective case in the box and the phone’s tendency to have problems with signals because of its metal body make me worried about how long it will last.
Underwhelming Processor for Gaming (Underoptimized)
The Nord 4 has a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor that is not well-optimized for playing high-quality games with advanced graphics. This means the game doesn’t run smoothly and the picture quality gets worse, especially in games like COD Mobile (don’t expect the game to run at 120 frames per second).
Irritating and Unnecessary Bloatware
The Nord 4 comes with lots of apps already installed on it. I’m talking about games that you don’t want and annoying ads that show up when you search on the global search. This not only takes up important storage space but also makes the phone slower. Get ready to spend a lot of time removing these unwanted visitors.
No FM Radio
The Nord 4 doesn’t have some important features that many people need, which can be a big problem for them. It is surprising that there is no FM radio, especially for people who like to listen to local stations.
Software Troubles: OxygenOS 14.1 with Warnings
The Nord 4 uses OxygenOS 14.1, which is based on Android 14. While it offers good software and updates for four years, some users have found problems with bugs and inconsistencies. The problem with bloatware makes the software experience even worse.
Battery Life: A Mixed Bag
The Nord 4 battery life is not consistent. Some people say their device stays charged all day with moderate use, while others say the battery runs out quickly. This problem could be caused by either the software not working well or the phone’s processor using too much power.
A Good Alternative To OnePlus Nord 4
Not impressed by the OnePlus Nord 4. You’re not the only one. The Nord 4 has a big size and doesn’t have extra space for storage. It also doesn’t have an FM radio. The processor is not good for playing high-quality games.
You don’t need to search anymore because the iQOO Neo 9 Pro is a better phone that fixes these problems and is a more attractive option if we just look at the price range. The Neo 9 Pro has a strong processor (Snapdragon 8Gen 2) for good performance, and it has FM radio for entertainment on the go.
It also has a nice design and one of the best displays in the market without any flickering. It also has a great camera with a zoom lens and an easy-to-use UI. Its battery lasts a long time. The iQOO Neo 9 Pro is a phone that can handle all your needs and can entertain you.
The Final Verdict: Should you buy or Not?
So, is the OnePlus Nord 4 a complete disaster? Not necessarily. It offers a decent display, a capable (but not spectacular) camera, and promises future software updates. The phone has some concerns like it is big and doesn’t have important features like extra storage and a not-so-good camera.
Some important things to think about before you buy OnePlus Nord 4
- Are you okay with a heavy phone? If you want something easy to carry, you should consider other options.
- Do you need expandable storage or an FM radio? Sorry, it doesn’t have either of those.
- Are you a serious gamer? This phone might not be able to play the newest games with the best graphics.
- Do you value a clean software experience? If you do, get ready to remove any unnecessary software.
The Nord 4 seems old-fashioned. There are other phones that are just as good or better for the same price so it’s tough to say that this OnePlus phone is the best choice. We suggest you look around because you can find better choices for your money. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of OnePlus and you really need a metal phone then you might like the Nord 4.
That’s it for now.
Thanks for reading.