Are you looking for the ultimate mid-range phone? Well, the new iQOO Neo 10R could be the one thanks to its potent Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, and impressive price tag.
But wait, you simply cannot ignore the immensely popular OnePlus Nord 4. It’s a stylish smartphone that packs a capable Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chip.
So, which one delivers the best bang for your buck?
Design
Starting with the iQOO Neo 10R, you can instantly see echoes of the iQOO 13 thanks to that off-centre camera island.
It's a familiar design, no doubt, but this phone is entirely made of plastic, so it doesn’t quite deliver a premium feel in hand.
Our review unit comes in this "Raging Blue" colour, which is more lavender than blue by the way. It has a dual-tone look, which unfortunately is a bit awkwardly executed. It’s nowhere as funky as last year's iQOO Neo 9 Pro.
I'd pick the available single-tone Grey any day over this colour.
The Nord 4 takes a completely different approach. Honestly, it looks nothing like anything else on the market today. Reminiscent of the older Google Pixels, it's made out of aluminium, topped off with a bold, large glass window around the camera island.
In hand, the Nord 4 feels fantastic—cool, premium, and solid, making the iQOO feel plasticky in comparison.
OnePlus has also included the fan-favourite alert slider on the Nord 4. There are rumours that this alert slider will be replaced by an action button next year, and I’ll be really mad at OnePlus if this rumour comes out to be true.
In terms of durability, both phones are evenly matched with IP65 ratings, so minor splashes and dust shouldn't be an issue.
But for display protection, the iQOO's screen gets Schott Xensation Up glass.
Display & Audio
Okay, when it comes to displays, both phones hit the mark, albeit in slightly different ways. The iQOO Neo 10R has a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, although realistically, you'll mostly experience a 120Hz refresh in regular use. The full 144Hz only kicks in during gaming sessions.
On the flip side, the Nord 4 offers a slightly smaller but still impressive 6.74-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
In everyday scenarios, both displays excel. Brightness, sharpness, and colour vibrancy are top-notch on both phones, making them ideal companions for binge-watching your favourite shows or scrolling endlessly through social media.
Audio-wise, the stereo speakers on both devices deliver loud, clear sound with surprisingly decent bass and clarity.
Performance & Software
Under the hood, the iQOO Neo 10R rocks a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, which slightly outpaces the Nord 4’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3, at least on paper.
But, just a reminder, that both these chipsets are almost the same in terms of their core architecture.
The iQOO edges ahead in Antutu, scoring 14.86 lakh points compared to Nord’s 11.76 points. However, interestingly enough, the Nord 4 snagged a higher peak score in 3D Mark, but the iQOO still maintained better stability.
Gaming enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear both phones handle BGMI at 90fps effortlessly. Extended 30-minute gaming sessions resulted in barely any frame drops.
However, the Nord 4’s aluminium body heats up quickly while gaming. So, this is something gamers might want to consider seriously.
On the software side, both devices run Android 15 but differ slightly in skins—Oxygen OS 15 on the Nord and FunTouch OS 15 on the iQOO. Oxygen OS feels slightly cleaner with fewer intrusive apps compared to FunTouch OS, which comes loaded with more bloatware.
OnePlus also edges ahead in software support, promising four years of OS updates and six years of security updates, slightly better than iQOO's three years of OS and four years of security support.
Note that out of the four promised Android updates, the Nord 4 has already utilized one with its Android 15 update.
However, the Neo 10R is still flagship grade fast in day to day use, and so is the Nord 4.
Both smartphones pack some neat AI enhancements in gallery and notes apps.
Cameras
Please watch the video to see camera samples.
The numbers are similar here. Both get a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide.
In short, the Nord 4 wins the main camera battle, while iQOO Neo 10R shines in the ultrawide department.
Breaking it down, the main camera on the iQOO captures slightly cooler-toned images, which look decent but fall short against Nord’s punchier shots. The Nord 4 also wins in dynamic range and notably excels in low-light photography, producing cleaner, more detailed shots at night.
If portraits are your thing, the Nord again takes the win here as iQOO has a tendency to artificially brighten skin tones.
However, when you switch to ultrawide, iQOO takes the lead with more consistent image quality across various lighting conditions.
But unfortunately, neither phone excels in video recording. Both suffer from noticeable electronic image stabilisation jitters. The iQOO has unstable main camera footage, while the Nord has unstable ultrawide footage.
For selfies, I’d pick the iQOO for its better dynamic range and detail.
Battery & Charging
Now let's talk about battery life. The iQOO Neo 10R is an absolute beast with a massive 6,400mAh battery. With moderate use, it's comfortably a two-day battery smartphone, easily delivering around 11 hours of screen-on time.
On the other hand, the Nord 4 also packs a solid 5,500mAh battery. You can expect around 9.5 hours of mixed usage, still plenty good enough for most users.
Interestingly, Nord takes a slight lead in charging speeds, offering a 100W vs iQOO’s 80W. Thankfully, both chargers come included, which in today's world, honestly deserves a little round of applause.
Verdict
Well, if gaming dominates your smartphone wishlist, the iQOO Neo 10R should undoubtedly be your go to. It's a gaming powerhouse, offering excellent performance coupled with truly remarkable battery endurance.
However, for anyone seeking a more balanced smartphone, the Nord 4 could be a better option. It all boils down to your priorities.
