The OnePlus Nord 4 is a throwback to the era when metal unibodies were the most premium smartphone design. These days most phones have glass backs (and some have plastic), even the ones without wireless charging.
So, the Nord 4 doesn’t do wireless, but it does have a large 5,500mAh battery with fast 100W wired charging (100% in 28 minutes). The aluminum unibody is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance. It houses a 6.74” 120Hz OLED display (1,240 x 2,772px) with a 16MP selfie camera. On the back, a 50MP main camera (1/1.95”, OIS) and 8MP ultra wide. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset and OnePlus promises 4 OS updates and 6 years of security patches.
The OnePlus Nord 4 is currently on pre-order and you can put down ₹2,000 to reserve a spot in line. There is a ₹1,000 coupon that you can claim too. If you pre-book now, you will have to complete the purchase by July 31 (the initial ₹2,000 will show up in your account as either an Amazon Pay balance or a gift card).
Why wait when the Realme GT 6T is available now and it costs basically the same? It uses the same Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, but this time paired with an LTPO display for a variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz). And it has Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The phone has a glass back but no wireless charging. The battery capacity is the same at 5,500mAh and it supports 120W wired charging. The phone is rated the same IP65 and the cameras are similar enough.
The Oppo F27 Pro+ is around the same price, but the Dimensity 7050 (a 6nm chip) is no match for the Snapdragon. Also, there is a 64MP camera on the back and not much else – not even an 8MP ultra wide like on the Nord or GT phones. And the selfie camera is only 8MP, making the 16MP and 32MP selfie modules on the other two look good. The battery is also a step down at 5,000mAh capacity and 67W wired-only charging. The one thing that the F27 Pro+ has going for it is its tough build – the phone is rated IP69 (so it can survive hot water jets, not just submersion) and is MIL-STD-810H compliant. Also, it uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front.
Moving on, the CMF Phone 1 is generating a lot of buzz with its unique-looking design. The 6.67” FHD+ 120Hz OLED display is another one of the highlights, as is the Dimensity 7300 chipset, which allows it to outperform pricier phones. There’s no NFC, which isn’t a huge deal in India, the lack of OIS on the main camera and the basic IP52 ingress protection are a bigger issue. The 5,000mAh battery is not removable, unfortunately, but it offers great battery life and the 33W charging is decently fast.
The Oppo A3 Pro is in the same price range, but uses the weaker Dimensity 6300 chipset (6nm vs. 4nm, A78/A55 vs. A76/A55 cores, Mali-G57 vs. Mali-G615). Also, the 6.67” IPS LCD has only HD resolution. This one has a 5,100mAh battery with 45W charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack (which is missing from the CMF).
Like the CMF and Oppo, the Lava Blaze X was announced this month. It’s cheaper than the A3 Pro but uses the same Dimensity 6300 chipset and it has a 6.67” 120Hz display with FHD+ resolution. The battery is comparable at 5,000mAh capacity and 33W charging.
The Redmi 13 5G is another cheap option with next-gen connectivity, thanks to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE chipset. And despite being the cheapest phone yet, it’s the only one with a 108MP camera. Also, it has a large 6.79” IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 3.5mm jack too and a 5,030mAh battery with 33W charging. Note: Xiaomi is promising 2 OS updates and 4 years of security patches.
The Realme C65 5G is cheaper still and it uses the Dimensity 6300 like some of the others on this list. Unfortunately, the resolution on the 6.67” 120Hz IPS LCD is only HD+. There’s a 50MP camera on the back and a 5,000mAh battery inside that supports only 15W charging.
The Poco M6 Pro 5G may be a year old, but that only means that it’s cheaper. And yet, its 6.79” 90Hz IPS LCD has a higher resolution (FHD+) than the Realme and it uses a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, similar to the Redmi 13 5G. The 50MP camera and 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging are more basic than what the Redmi has, but not unexpected given the price difference.
We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
