The Google Pixel 4a and OnePlus Nord have both made budget smartphones fashionable again. We pit them against each to find out which one is the best for you.
The Google Pixel 4a and the OnePlus Nord have both achieved the nearly impossible by making budget smartphones exciting again. While they lack the sizeable price tags of their premium counterparts, they manage to offer many of the features you’d expect to find on a Pixel 4 or OnePlus 8. The Pixel 4a boasts a camera that’s every bit as capable as anything on a flagship Google device, while the OnePlus Nord offers 5G support and strong battery life. They’re both great phones, but which one is best? We break down their specs and compare how they perform across a variety of categories, which will hopefully help you decide which one offers you the most value for your money. The Google Pixel 4a improves noticeably on the design of its direct predecessor, the Pixel 3a. Gone is the outdated forehead bezel — in its place is a more pleasing edge-to-edge display, featuring a corner-mounted punch-hole selfie camera. The OnePlus Nord also sports a tidy edge-to-edge display, although in its case, it features a dual-lens selfie camera in the corner. This is less discreet than a single-lens camera. However, the potentially negative impact on the Nord’s look is balanced by slightly narrower borders around the display. It also features Gorilla Glass on its rear, whereas the Pixel 4a makes do with cheaper — and less attractive — plastic. The OnePlus Nord houses a larger,6.44-inch AMOLED display, in contrast to the 5.81-inch OLED screen of the Pixel 4a. Compared to the 4a’s resolution of 2,340 x 1,080, the Nord’s is slightly bigger at 2,400 x 1,080. That said, the larger screen means that it actually packs fewer pixels per inch, at 408 instead of 443. This may make it seem a little less vivid in practice, although the difference won’t be that significant. One advantage the Pixel 4a has over the OnePlus Nord is its size and weight. It’s just over 40 grams (over an ounce) lighter and is also thinner and less tall. Most users are, therefore, likely to find it more comfortable to hold and to use, although the Nord is hardly a pain in the wrist. Lastly, both phones lack an IP durability rating, so it’s hard to say which will last the longest. We’re going to declare this round a draw since both phones are pretty in their own ways and both provide satisfyingly vibrant displays. Winner: Tie The Pixel 4a is powered by the Snapdragon 730, while the OnePlus Nord comes with the Snapdragon 765G under its bonnet. The difference between the two processors is slight, with the 765G having improved GPU performance, meaning graphics and visuals will be rendered more quickly by the Nord.
