Comparing OnePlus Nord 4 and OnePlus Nord 3: how is the new Nord different from its predecessor?

The OnePlus Nord 4 has been launched in India as the successor of the OnePlus Nord 3, but interestingly at a cheaper price tag. It comes with a new design and AI technology and brings considerable upgrades to the hardware specifications department over its predecessor. If you’re planning to upgrade to the OnePlus Nord 4, consider checking out this comparison to find out what upgrades you get over the OnePlus Nord 3. 

Table of Contents

• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: specs at a glance
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: price in India
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: design
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: display
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: performance
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: cameras
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: battery and charging
• OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: software
• Verdict

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: specs at a glance

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: price in India

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: design

The OnePlus Nord 4 features a metal body with a dual-tone finish. With each shade, you get a different finish, offering a premium look. The Obsidian Midnight edition has a dark black and grey colour with textured, the Medcurial Silver has a 2D laser-etched design in silver tone, and the Oasis Green variant has a matte-like finish in light green and a vibrant shade of dark green. 

On the other hand, the OnePlus Nord 3 (review) has a glass rear with a glossy or matte finish depending on the shade. The Tempest Grey colourway has a matte finish giving it a sophisticated look and hiding fingerprints well, while the Misty Green edition has a glossy finish making it a fingerprint magnet. 

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: display

OnePlus hasn’t completely refreshed the display specifications with the Nord 4, as you get an identical screen as the Nord 3. It still offers a 6.74-inch sized AMOLED panel with support for a 120Hz fresh rate and a 1.2K resolution, offering a clear and smooth viewing experience. 

However, the Nord 4 comes with a 2,150 nits peak brightness compared to the 1,450 nits peak brightness of the Nord 3. This should help you see the content better in HDR. However, the Nord 3 featured Dragontrail Glass, offering protection against scratches, which you don’t get with the Nord 4. 

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: performance

While we’re yet to test the OnePlus Nord 4, we have a good idea of how the device will perform. It packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC under the hood that you get with the Realme GT 6T (review). During our testing, this SoC managed to secure 14,50,949 points on AnTuTu, 1,826 points in the single-core test with 4,544 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench. 

On the other hand, the MediTek Dimensity 9000 SoC at the helm of the Nord 3 scored 8,45,270 points on AnTuTu, 984 points in the single-core test and 3,284 points in the multi-core test on Geekbench. 

The OnePlus Nord 4 should deliver better performance than the OnePlus Nord 3 based on these benchmark results. 

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OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: cameras

Both devices feature a 50MP main and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The OnePlus Nord 4 comes with a new Sony LYTIA primary sensor compared to the Sony IMX 890 sensor that you get with the Nord 3. We’re yet to test the camera performance of this new sensor so wait for our in-depth review to learn more about it. However, you can expect similar if not better camera results with the Nord 4 as it also has a 50MP shooter which should deliver high-resolution and detailed snaps. 

However, the Nord 3 had an additional 2MP macro snapper that lets you take close-up shots of small subjects. Moreover, both phones feature a 16MP selfie shooter at the front, so expect a similar result. 

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: battery and charging

The OnePlus Nord 4 has a slightly bigger 5,500mAh battery capacity and supports a faster 100W charging speed than its predecessor’s 5,000mAh cell with 80W charging. In our testing, the Nord lasted for 13 hours and 50 minutes in the PCMark battery test and took around 50 minutes to fully charge the device. You can expect a slightly better battery backup and faster refuel time with the OnePlus Nord 4 compared to the Nord 3. 

OnePlus Nord 4 vs OnePlus Nord 3: software

The OnePlus Nord 4 runs on the latest Android 14-based OxygenOS out of the box, while the Nord 3 boots Android 13-based OxygenOS, but can be upgraded to the latest version. OnePlus promises four years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches with the Nord 4. In comparison, the Nord 3 will only get three major OS releases and four years of security updates.

The Nord 4 will get OS updates until Android 18, while the Nord 3 will only get software releases until Android 16. Besides this, you also get a few camera and photography-released AI features with the OnePlus Nord 4. 

Verdict

Overall, the OnePlus Nord 4 offers considerable upgrades over its predecessors, making it worth upgrading. It has a better display, superior SoC, bigger battery, and faster charging speed, and offers more software updates than the OnePlus Nord 3. However, the OnePlus Nord 3 still offers respectable hardware specifications with better display protection and an additional macro shooter.