OnePlus is back: Nord 4, Pad 2 and other products unveiled

We had to wait a long time here in Europe for new products from OnePlus. The manufacturer withdrew attention for a while due to patent disputes. The manufacturer's latest coup is a mid-range smartphone with a metal casing, the OnePlus Nord 4. The line-up also includes accessories and a tablet.

You can pre-order all devices from OnePlus from today, 16 July 2024. They will be delivered throughout Europe from 8 August. In Switzerland, however, sales are still a long way off. The devices will not be available in our shop for the time being.

OnePlus Nord 4: metal casing and 6 years of support

The design of the OnePlus Nord 4 is exciting. The casing is made entirely of metal. According to OnePlus, the back and frame were milled from a single block of metal. The antennas are still visible to ensure good reception. OnePlus had to make them more compact as they now had less space in the housing than on the OnePlus Nord 3, but the device is still just eight millimetres thick.

Wireless charging is not possible due to the metal housing, however. The generous 5500 mAh battery should be able to play YouTube for over 17 hours until it is empty. It can then be fast-charged with 100 watts - in less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, the battery is said to be long-lasting. OnePlus speaks of 80 per cent of the initial capacity after four years of use.

The 6.74-inch display achieves a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. The regular screen brightness is 1100 nits, with a maximum of 2150 nits possible. The display features OnePlus' familiar Aqua Touch technology. This means you should be able to operate the Nord 4 in the rain without any problems.

OnePlus has opted for the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chip.
The camera setup is as follows: 50 megapixels for the main camera, 8 megapixels for the ultra-wide angle and 16 megapixels for selfies.

OnePlus is generous with the update periods. The smartphone receives four Android updates and six years of security patches. This means it is even better positioned than the current flagship OnePlus 12, which receives one year fewer security updates.

You can get the OnePlus Nord 4 in Europe in black, silver or dark green. The price is 499 euros for the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB flash memory version. The version with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB flash costs 599 euros.

OnePlus Pad 2: larger successor with 3K display

The OnePlus Pad 2 is an almost 12-inch tablet with an IPS panel. The resolution is now 3K, while the previous OnePlus Pad model still had a 2K panel. The refresh rate is up to 144 hertz and the brightness reaches up to 900 nits.

The centrepiece is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, plus 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash memory. The battery has 9510 mAh. The main camera has 12 megapixels for quick photos and document scans. For video calls, you get a selfie camera with 8 megapixels.
There is also plenty of sound: OnePlus has installed six speakers in the Pad 2.

OnePlus is upgrading the software with various AI functions. Recording summaries, support for document scanning or photo editing modes. Multitasking is also possible thanks to the Open Canvas software.

A stylus and keyboard cover are available separately. The stylus recognises a full 16,000 pressure levels and is designed to simulate ink as realistically as possible. The keyboard cover has received minor improvements such as an additional row of keys with shortcuts and a larger touchpad.

Overall, the predecessor model, OnePlus Pad, only partially convinced me. In theory, OnePlus seems to have made improvements with a higher resolution, brighter display and better cameras.

The OnePlus Pad 2 is available in dark grey at a price of 549 euros.

OnePlus Watch 2R: 100 hours of battery life

The OnePlus Watch 2R is very similar to the OnePlus Watch 2. At least in terms of features. However, the new model has a different design: the bezel is labelled and the frame appears flatter. According to the manufacturer, the Watch 2R is also 25 per cent lighter than the Watch 2.

The battery life of the OnePlus Watch 2R is said to be up to 100 hours. This is thanks to the combination of Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and the BES2700 co-processor. There is also 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash memory.

The round AMOLED display measures 1.43 inches and achieves a brightness of up to 1000 nits.

The features are the same as most smartwatches, with GPS or heart rate measurement, for example. There are also Google functions such as navigation or operating your smart home. New is the cooperation with Strava. The programme is used to record your workouts, for example, and shows you an overview via the app on your smartphone.

The OnePlus Watch 2R is available for 279 euros.

OnePlus Buds 3 Pro: fine upgrades

The headphones are an improvement on the Buds 2 Pro according to the Community. Accordingly, there is better noise cancelling of 49 dB in total. This is roughly equivalent to a normal conversation

OnePlus has also boosted the bass without compromising the mid-range. Without the ANC, the buds have a battery life of up to 44 hours. Nice upgrade: Bluetooth 5.4 is also on board.

The musical accompaniment will cost you 79 euros in turquoise or black