OnePlus Nord 6 quick review: Back with a bang?

OnePlus has launched the Nord 6 in India. Like the Nord 5, the Nord 6 has one job: to offer the fastest performance at its price point. India Today Tech has spent some time with it and here our first impressions of the OnePlus Nord 6.

In Short

• OnePlus Nord 6 launched in India
• It promises super-fast performance 
• OnePlus also put a 9,000mAh battery inside it

OnePlus has launched the Nord 6 in India. For the most part, it is looking like business as usual. What business is that? Let’s take a step back. The Nord 5 – launched last year – was an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a high-performance affordable mid-ranger. If we go back further, performance has been in the DNA of these phones since OnePlus first came out with the Nord series. With the Nord 6, the story is not different. It, too, focuses heavily on providing slick performance from the get-go.

In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that the Nord 6 is one of the most powerful phones you can buy at its price. That is thanks to a top-tier Qualcomm chip that promises to bring oodles of performance to this phone. Adding more firepower to the mix is a super-sized battery that is just shy of hitting the 10,000mAh mark. Looking at the hardware, it won’t be wrong to say that the Nord 6 could be a gamer’s dream phone – but we’ll see.

India Today Tech got early access to the OnePlus Nord 6, and we have spent some time with it. A full review will take some more time, here we bring you first impressions to get you up-to-speed with the new Nord 6.

The OnePlus Nord 6 has been launched at a starting price of Rs 38,999 in India.

New design, same feeling

Starting with the unboxing, the OnePlus Nord 6 comes in the brand’s signature bright blue box. Inside, you get the Nord 6, the usual paperwork, a matching silicone case, an 80W charger, and a SIM ejector tool, all neatly packed.

The first thing you notice once you take the phone out is the design. Over the years, OnePlus has made noticeable visual changes to the Nord lineup, not just small tweaks, but proper design shifts, and it has maintained that shift with the Nord 6 as well. This time, the company moves away from the pill-shaped camera module and introduces a more squared-off camera island. It’s new for the Nord series, but not entirely new for OnePlus, as it aligns with the design language we’ve been seeing in recent OnePlus flagships including the flagship OnePlus 15 and 15R.

The Nord 6 comes in three colour options — Holographic Quick Silver, Fresh Mint, and Pitch Black. The unit we have here is the Fresh Mint variant, which looks clean and minimal without too many visual elements. The Quick Silver option, on the other hand, adds a bit more flair with its almost reflective finish and subtle border detailing, which gives it a bit more character.

In terms of design and in-hand feel, this is a fresh look for the Nord series, though it still carries a slight bulk. At 8.5mm, it doesn’t feel particularly slim in the hand. Primarily, the Nord 6 is made of plastic, but it is built solid. OnePlus has added IP66, IP68, IP69 ratings.

A day in the life with OnePlus Nord 6

I’ve been using the OnePlus Nord 6 for a few days now, and while you will have to wait a while for the full review, here’s how the experience has been so far.

One of the key upgrades on the Nord 6 is the display. OnePlus has bumped the refresh rate up to 165Hz from 144Hz on the Nord 5. On paper, it’s faster, and in real-world use, it does feel incredibly responsive. That said, do note that in regular apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or even system apps, the phone doesn’t really push the full 165Hz. To truly test its capabilities, I’ll be trying it out with some high-end games and will share how it performs. For now, with casual titles like Asphalt 9 and Minecraft, the display looks vibrant with bright colours, and performance has been smooth without any noticeable lag or heating.

That brings me to one of the biggest upgrades: performance. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 makes the device feel closer to a flagship. It is handling multitasking with ease, and so far, I haven’t noticed any stutters. The phone feels fast, fluid, and capable in everyday use.

The phone runs OxygenOS 16, and for the most part, it delivers the clean experience we’ve come to expect from OnePlus. Yes, there are a few pre-installed apps, but most of them can be removed.

The battery is another highlight. OnePlus has packed a massive 9,000mAh unit here, and it’s genuinely impressive. While it's not the biggest battery pack currently seen in smartphones, it is still on the big power side.

I unboxed the phone at 85 per cent, and after around three days of casual use, it’s still at about 36 per cent. I haven’t pushed it to its limits yet, but for everyday usage, this easily feels like a multi-day device. Plus, you get an 80W charger in the box, along with 27W reverse charging support.

As for the cameras, my initial shots in daylight look sharp and detailed. I did notice that colours tend to lean toward slightly warmer, and portrait mode has some misses around edge detection. But it’s too soon to give the vinyl take. I’ll be testing the cameras more thoroughly before drawing any conclusions on its full capabilities.

OnePlus Nord 6 first impressions

So far, so good. It feels like a step up from its predecessor and a promising option in this price segment. It’s fast, the display looks great, and the battery life is easily the highlight. Overall, the Nord 6 does feel like a solid upgrade. But is it the phone you should actually buy at its price, or a worthy upgrade from the Nord 5? We’ll save that final verdict for the full review, so stay tuned.

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