Which of the two sub-30k phones should you go for?
The Rs 35,000 phone segment was given a right royal shake up in July. First came iQOO, with its Neo 7 Pro 5G, which brought the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset to a new level of affordability. Right on its heels came the OnePlus Nord 3 5G, which pushed its Nord series into a new price zone, complete with a powerful processor and a flagship-level camera. Both phones start at under Rs 35,000, both come from major brands, and each phone has its own (very significant) strengths. So if you are in the market for a super phone and have a budget in the vicinity of Rs 35,000, which of the two should you go for – the OnePlus Nord 3 or the iQOO Neo 7 Pro? Let us try and work that out for you.
Table of Contents
Design and appearance: Back to basics
Display: Resolving on the basis of resolution
Processor: Chipping away
RAM and storage: Memories with byte
Gaming and multimedia: Set for the game and match
Cameras: Colour vs Detail
Software: Breath of Oxygen or a Fun Touch?
Battery and charging: Which to charge – SuperVOOC or Flash?
General usage: Everyday stuff
Price: Battle of nearly the same bucks
Verdict: Which one to go for?Design and appearance: Back to basics
The two phones are students of very different design schools. The Nord 3 has the slightly understated minimalist design that OnePlus prides itself on, while the Neo 7 Pro has no qualms about looking flashy. Both phones sport tall displays in front with tiny bezels and have plastic frames, but everything else is different. The Nord 3 sports the straight sides that are trending these days, while the Neo 7 Pro sticks to the curved side convention. Both phones have curved backs, but the one of the Neo 7 Pro is more pronounced. On the subject of backs, both phones have two types – the Nord 3 has a Misty Green option with a glossy finish and a Tempest Gray one with a matte finish, while the Neo 7 Pro has a Fearless Flame in vegan leather and a Dark Storm in glass.
The cameras on both phones are very different too. OnePlus has gone with two large spheres housing the cameras, emerging right from the back, whereas the Neo 7 Pro has a dual-toned square-ish camera unit that protrudes from its back. At 162 x 75.1 x 8.2mm, the Nord 3 is more compact than the 164.8 x 76.9 x 8.5mm iQOO Neo 7 Pro (the vegan leather variant is 8.9 mm thin), although both weigh almost the same – the Nord 3 weighs 193.5 grams and the Neo 7 Pro weighs 194.5 grams for the vegan leather variant and 199.5 grams for the glass one.
The button arrangement is slightly different on both phones – the iQOO Neo 7 Pro has the volume buttons and the power/display button on the right, while the OnePlus Nord 3 has the power/display button and its iconic alert slider on the side, and the volume buttons on the left.
The OnePlus Nord 3 is a smart device, but is no match for the iQOO Neo 7 Pro in terms of catching the eye, no matter which version of the device you go for. The orange shade of the Fearless Flame will grab the most attention, while the Dark Storm has a quietly classy look to it. The Nord 3 does come with an IP54 rating, which the iQOO Neo 7 Pro lacks, but resisting splashes of water cannot make it overcome the iQoo in this round.
Winner: iQOO Neo 7 ProDisplay: Resolving on the basis of resolution
Both the iQOO Neo 7 Pro and the OnePlus Nord 3 come with AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rate.
