Very recently the Chinese firm OnePlus made official in Spain its new devices, the OnePlus Nord 4, OnePlus Watch 2R, OnePlus Pad 2 and OnePlus Nord Buds 3. It has been a while since the manufacturer opted to get out of its beastly high ranges and try with smartphones cheaper smartphones, while also boosting their accessories. Today we put two of its best new products to the test.
Why yes: these past few weeks, I’ve had both the OnePlus Nord 4 in my pocket and the OnePlus Watch 2R on my wrist. They have been my smartphone and my smartwatch The idea behind these devices is to offer a good set of features and great design at a relatively affordable price. The idea behind these devices is to offer a good set of features and a great design at a relatively moderate price.
And so it is. For instance, the OnePlus Nord 4 is positioned as the smartphone mid-range premium from OnePlus at a price of 499 euros in Spain. The OnePlus Watch 2R goes to cost. 249 euros, about 50 euros less than the standard Watch 2. A price that we already anticipate that it is tremendously competitive for what these devices offer.
OnePlus Nord 4
The couple is crowned by the OnePlus Nord 4, the mid-range phone par excellence that the company brought to Spain already a few days ago. And the first thing that stands out out right out of the box. is its exceptional design. OnePlus has decided to throw the house out the window in this regard, and has given this phone an aesthetic and finishes simply exceptional.
When we say exceptional, we also refer to the unusual construction. The phone mounts a full metal chassis that is divided into two shades; one textured and the other one glossy at the top, where the cameras are. A design somewhat reminiscent of the first Pixel that in this case fits like a glove to the OnePlus Nord 4.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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Our unit has been the white one, which offers a slightly different feel on the back with a patterned design, although there are other variants such as a greenish blue and black. No argument here; the OnePlus Nord 4 is one of the most striking and aesthetically pleasing phones we’ve been able to test. We loved its design, and it sets a differentiating precedent that many other brands should follow.
The great aesthetics of this phone don’t come alone, as it’s topped off with a superb build. Yes, the frame doesn’t feel particularly premium, but the rest of the device is. While it’s true that it weighs almost 200 grams, the OnePlus Nord 4 is a pleasant phone to look at, touch and feel in the hands. Anyone who places importance on this aspect will be satisfied on all levels.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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However, and oddly enough, the strength of the OnePlus Nord 4 is not in its construction, but in its screen, which was by far the most positive aspect of the phone. It surprised us too, and in a very good way. The untrained eye will love this screen and the expert will see in this panel a huge potential. And we are talking about a cell phone of just 500 euros price.
In terms of specifications, the panel has a diagonal of 6.74 inches in 1.5k resolution of 2,772 x 1,249 pixels. It has a 120 Hz refresh rate, a maximum peak brightness of 2,150 nits and support for HDR content, as it has HDR10+. Don’t be fooled; this is one of the best screens on the market in this price range.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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The definition is very high and the color calibration very accurate. In addition, the brightness is more than sufficient for viewing content of all kinds under high light conditions. On the other hand, the screen borders are very well used, something I really appreciate. We really liked its viewing angles, its use of the front side of the screen and its integrated fingerprint reader, which is very fast.
And it doesn’t stop there. OnePlus has seen fit to give its Nord 4 with a massive 5,500 mAh battery, powered with 100 W fast charging, which gives 5 hours of battery life with 5 minutes of charging. In fact, it is possible to fill this battery with just 28 minutes of charging. We were also pleasantly satisfied with the autonomy, without a doubt.
OnePlus Nord 4 with ‘Hearthstone’.
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In our tests, we’ve been able to extend the Nord 4’s usage over several days at a stretch by playing games, watching YouTube and Netflix, and squeezing the most out of the phone, with GPS and lots of photography in between. The user who uses the phone intensively will not have to go through the charger at least in a full day of use and if you do not need it too much, can use it for at least two days.
Another aspect that is also no slouch is the power and the hardware itself of the phone. The memories, in its minimum configuration, are divided into 12 GB of Ram and 256 GB of ROM, at UFS 4.0 speeds. All this vitaminized with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3, the best chip for the mid-range of the North American company.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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The OnePlus Nord 4 is a high-end phone disguised as a mid-range. The gaming The most extreme shows the weaknesses of the 7+ Gen 3, as in super-demanding games such as Genshin Impact o Zenless Zone Zero we will see a little pull when the phone is at full throttle all the time. Otherwise, the Nord 4 does not perform: flies.
Navigating OxygenOS with Android 14 is an absolute delight. Everything opens super fast, no jerks, no problems with software. I have found myself flowing through the system on several occasions, moving from one app to another almost without flinching. Few users will be able to distinguish this performance from a high-end processor.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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Finally we move on to one of the aspects that most often cut manufacturers when it comes to reducing the price: the cameras. No triple sensor; the OnePlus Nord 4 mounts a set of two sensors signed by Sony, with a normal 50-megapixel sensor LYTIA LYT-600 and a wide-angle of 8. More than enough in our opinion, but which does not give spectacular results.
The photographs of the OnePlus Nord 4 do not stand out above devices like the Pixel or the iPhone, but they do remain high in the photographic ranking of this price range. The sharpness is good, the color calibration is quite achieved and the processing of the shots is not overly pronounced, which we like.
It is not without its problems; like many other phones, the Nord 4 tends to over-saturate the colors of some photos in order to make them more eye-catching when uploading them to social networks. It’s not a drama, not at all; the biggest problem the user will face is the absence of a telephoto lens, being limited only to a wide-angle lens.
The secondary sensor is the Achilles heel of the Nord 4. Not only do we lose sharpness, but the wide-angle turns out to be inferior in all aspects; resolution, dynamic range, colors… in good light conditions the wide-angle will know how to do a decent job, but as soon as the sun goes down, it will show its most important shortcomings.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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What about the camera selfie 16-megapixel selfie? The feeling is practically the same. The resulting photos from this sensor are average. Colors are still a bit more saturated than usual, which we don’t love, but in good light it will still produce some good shots.
OnePlus Watch 2R
The Nord 4 has been accompanied at all times. of the OnePlus Watch 2R, the new version of the second generation of the Chinese company’s watches. Of course, a smartwatch powered by WearOS, and that knows how to redeem itself in terms of features from what we have seen in previous models.
OnePlus Watch 2R.
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It is a hybrid watch, which is devised for both the most sporty users and casual enthusiasts. Sample of this are its 100 hours of battery life promised by OnePlus, to which must be added a dual-frequency GPS system and two internal chips, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and the BES 2700. On the most intense days, the manufacturer promises up to 48 hours of autonomy without having to go through the charger.
The first thing to note about the OnePlus 2R is WearOS. No weird experiments here, as OnePlus has decided to play it safe and offer Google’s operating system with all the good stuff that comes with it. FastPair for better settings, Google services like Google Play are good examples.
OnePlus Watch 2R.
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It has 32 GB of storage for apps and music and the latest in connectivity, with sensors to measure VO2 Max, heart rate and blood oxygen. Sport is also very present; the OnePlus Watch 2R picks up the baton from watches from other manufacturers and supports more than 100 different modes, which are seasoned with real-time health tracking and performance metrics. And yes, the watch can also monitor sleep.
Logically, the watch uses OHealth as the main platform to run on, allowing us to see all sorts of metrics, data and reports about our health and the device itself. For the rest, the Watch 2R is quite simple to use, thanks to its two buttons and OLED touchscreen.
OnePlus Watch 2R in full sun.
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Day-to-day use of the OnePlus Watch 2R has been very satisfactory. The 1.43-inch screen has enough brightness to be able to use it during the day without major inconveniences, and its good construction has endured even in the hottest and most intense days. The watch has endured my jogging without any problem, showing a high degree of quality in performance.
The Watch 2R is a very balanced device, which knows how to meet the needs required by the user at certain times with a good balance between software and specifications. Health monitoring is one of its strong points, as the sensors provide accurate results that allow the user to to monitor exactly what is going on with their body.
OnePlus Watch 2R.
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The only negative point of the watch, in our opinion, lies in the strap. It is not bad per se, but in the early stages of use, it’s not very responsive and it’s a bit difficult to fasten it. to adjust the watch to the wrist. It is well built, of course, and gives a nice feeling in the arm. But it’s going to be a bit of a hard nut to crack at first.
Shall I buy them?
The OnePlus Nord 4 comes on strong, without a doubt. It has been postulated as one of the best mid-range mobiles. premium of the moment, boasting a bulky set of functions and features not seen in other devices on the market. If we take into account the price of 499 euros that it will have when it is launched in Spain on August 8, we are facing an assured purchase recommendation.
OnePlus Nord 4.
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Something very similar happens with the OnePlus Watch 2R, although having a much tougher competition. It starts from 249 euros thanks to its discount of 30 euros available in the store, which also includes in the pack a series of gifts by OnePlus. There are cheaper watches, of course, but with rather more serious cuts in aspects such as the display or the strap.
There are users in Spain who are governed by the colloquial saying of the three B’s: “good, nice and cheap”. The last B of this saying is not fulfilled to the letter in either case, but if we remember the bulky table of features they boast. If that is your case, have no doubt; you will be very happy with these two devices, especially with respect to the OnePlus Nord 4.