Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends
Phone companies are in a unvarying dogfight for the limelight , and prominent designs remain fundamental to that following . OnePlus , which has antecedently toyed with unusual yet fascinating concepts , is now revivify the use of metallic element in phone invention . The OnePlus Nord 4 is launching on July 16 , and the company has already begun beleaguer its next release .
We already move over you apreview of the approaching OnePlus Nord 4with a metal back , while earmark our last review until the announcement next week . But ahead of the launch , I speak with OnePlus President and COO Kinder Liu about the exciting look of the new design and the company ’s commitment to what it claim is the “ best - ever fluency ” on its devices yet .
Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends
First, let’s talk about that design
Our conversation commence with the design , which sparks a ponderous back breaker of nostalgia . phone with metal bodies eclipse the latter half of the 2010s , but were eventually phased out in favor of glass or charge plate attires , leaving enthusiasts like me mightily unfulfilled .
I enquire about what led to the selection of cloth . Liu say me the route back to metal was urge on chiefly by four qualities it brings , namely “ durability , beauty , permanence , and strength . ” Understandably , alloy phones do n’t as easy succumb to hard drops and are strong to break . While the beauty of a elegant metallic element surface may be subjective — and rightly lies in the optic of the beholder — they are inarguably more resistant to the effects of metre , such as micro scratches , that educate on chicken feed sound after constant utilisation .
Metal also improves execution , with the kayoed eubstance act as an effective surface to dissipate estrus generated during tasks such as gaming . While that may mean your phone is likely to palpate hot while you apply it , it will also cool off down faster than most methamphetamine back phones . By preventing high temperature from being immobilize inside the dead body , it will also prevent damage to the interior components over prolonged usage .
So , what led to the ousting of metal phones and the laterality of spyglass as the preferred stuff for bounty telephone set ? I asked Liu , who respond , “ Metal phones were all the fad before 5 chiliad networks . But as 5 chiliad gained popularity , smartphones needed more antenna . ” Compared to just four antenna on the OnePlus 3 tonne , the OnePlus 12 has more than 13 .
The tumid number of antennas lead to challenge with accommodate more within the eubstance . Meanwhile , metallic element body would intervene with the combined signals from these antenna , and that is why companies began to prefer glass or charge plate , while the exercise of alloy remained limited to the side rails .
This made me rum about what change now and how OnePlus was able to accomplish a metal build without affect 5 G signals . Liu informed me of overhauled antennas that are now 50 % smaller than before . More importantly , OnePlus redesigned the motherboard and place these antennas strategically , so the Nord 4 ’s body does not hinder cellular signal . In addition , the telephone set has moldable inserts in places such as the bottom of the back to reinforce signaling strength .
Besides ensuring signaling specialty , OnePlus has also created a metallic element design with microscopic ridges that come along like bumps , but result in a plain surface . That is something glass suffers a lot with , even on the most premium headphone and despite the strong Gorilla Glass — or likewise strong — protective level .
A new record for OnePlus software updates
But the OnePlus Nord 4 is about more than just a design change geared for endurance . The software system plays a crucial role , too . In fact , it make out with the hope of the “ longest - ever software program accompaniment software ” from OnePlus .
Liu support the OnePlus Nord 4 set about four years of Android updates , launching with Android 14 and survive up to Android 18 ( or equivalent ) . to boot , OnePlus will supply two more years of software support for crucial feature updates , including security measure patches . That get the full reenforcement to six years , which is tenacious than any OnePlus phone in the past . This is a step up from the OnePlus Nord 3 , which was promised three years of Android updates and an additional class of security department updates .
This is in air with other mid - range devices , such as theSamsung Galaxy A55 , which also promises five years of total software backup , including four Android update . The only midrange Android earpiece to top it is theGoogle Pixel 8a , for which Google reserve a seven - year update window .
Extensive testing to back mighty claims
I ask if other OnePlus phones , specially previously establish flagships such as theOnePlus 12 , would get the same treatment . regrettably , I did not get a concrete reply .
alternatively , our conversation pivoted to Liu iterating that it ’s not just about sheer promises on the numeral of years a earpiece will receive update . I was told that the telephone set ought to “ remain fast and fluent for a foresightful time , and its battery [ should ] also [ be ] in it for the long haul . ”
To ensure that run as planned , OnePlus roped in German examination authority TÜV SÜD to run a 72 - month eloquence test , which the company claim to have nail . This test copy all-encompassing and grueling test , copying dozens of gigabits worth of files and delete them in quick succession to stress the storage , installing and delete one C of apps , and launching and closing various apps — all while time the launch .
The test certifies that the OnePlus Nord 4 will be as fluent after 72 calendar month ( six years ) of usage as it is on day one . In addition , the battery has been level and drained repeatedly to check longevity . OnePlus bump out the battery stayed in top - notch health despite 1,600 charging cycles .
These assurances should instill a sense of peace among emptor . Toward the end of our conversation , Liu remarked that a phone without these assurances is “ like a strong home without unassailable foundations . It looks good on the surface , but you really do n’t want to live with it . ”
