OnePlus Nord 6 is more than just a powerbank built into a phone
OnePlus has been in the news for various reasons in the last few months and one of them talks about its unexpected demise in many regions. On the other side, you have the brand launching the new Nord 6 model in India which can claim to be one of the more rounded and well-priced devices in the current market for buyers.
It has a Snapdragon 8 Gen chipset, features one of the biggest batteries in the market, and you have the reliable OxygenOS available out of the box. So what do we make of the OnePlus Nord 6 model and does it really stand out from a crowded market where value could be the missing ingredient these days.
The Turbo Touch
The Nord 6 ditches the vertical cameras in favour of the usual square module at the back but you will easily notice other changes that have been made this year. The dimensions have actually gone up which means you get an 8.5mm plastic frame while the weight has been marginally cut down to 210 grams. But when you factor in the huge battery inside, these figures look impressive.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
However, the balance of the body makes it easy to use but won’t say it will be comfortable using it with one hand. There is a definite change in the durability of the Nord 6 which comes with IP68 and IP69K dust and water resistance along with MIL-STD military-grade protection.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
The whole body is still made of plastic and that might be an issue for some people but on the whole you won’t notice it much. It is fair to say the OnePlus has borrowed a lot of design elements from the Turbo series.
More Display Oomph
OnePlus has made it a 6.78-inch screen with an AMOLED 1B colour panel that now gets up to 165Hz refresh rate which only works in some conditions and for some games. The brand is also offering its own Crystal guard for screen protection and you have HDR10+ along with peak brightness up to 3600 nits available.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
The display is clear, crisp and bright enough for most conditions, and you will have no trouble viewing it under direct sunlight. The in-display fingerprint sensor works effectively and we didn’t notice any false touches.
The Power Punch
OnePlus going with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset on the Nord 6 might sound incremental but for the price, this chipset delivers on all fronts, which includes gaming. You get it with up to 12GB RAM but the storage maxes out at 256GB this year. What you get is a device that can handle everything and deliver almost flagship-level performance.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
The regular tasks are handled with ease, power users will like how it manages multi-tasking and gamers will like its versatility across titles where the 165Hz refresh rate comes to fore. This is a Nord device that can stand well alongside the regular OnePlus models. Having said that, there are instances where the phone gets slightly warm but nothing that can be termed as a deal breaker.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
The OxygenOS impact is also clearly visible and you get the right balance of hardware and software with some pre-loaded apps now making their way to the Nord lineup. It is still smooth, not cluttered like some of the UIs you find in this range and flexible with the regular stuff.
What About The Cameras?
The Nord 6 has a 50MP main sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide angle lens. All the talk revolves around the primary unit and even though OnePlus has skimped on the hardware, the results have somewhat gotten better. Images shot in regular light came out with rich details and even in low light we didn’t see a lot of notice which was surprising.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
These improvements could be linked to the chip being used and how it processes images with different sensors. That said, the 8MP shooter doesn’t offer much in terms of quality and just about manages to keep the details.
The Marathon Runner
OnePlus has bumped up the Nord 6 battery in a massive way from the Nord 5. Now you get a 9,000mAh unit which is a huge upgrade on the 6,800mAh that you got last year. The charging is still the same 80W speed but what you get is a device that can run, run and run some more.
OnePlus Nord 6 review
The first clear sign of its workhorse endurance was evident when the PCMark battery test got 28 hour 56 min which is one of the best we have scored for a long time. Most tests have garnered over a day and half juice with some left in the tank. Nord 6 will make sure you can do everything, and still keep going.
And the large battery is up and running by charging for over an hour, which is better than most phones you get. You even have 27W reverse charging supported that doubles up our powerbank claims.
OnePlus Nord 6 has a refined design and is made more durable. The hardware has been upgraded to meet the demands of power users, the software does its tricks too. The camera is decent but nothing more. However, it is the battery that takes all the attention and you have a power bank running on a phone which delivers good value in this market.
