OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Who's the winner?

Comparing the OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a entails examining both phones' specifications to determine which one is right for you. The OnePlus Nord 4 is not available in the United States, but it can still be purchased in Europe. If you're hell-bent on having one in the U.S., you can also import it but it will cost you more money and the phone won't work on CDMA carriers.

In contrast, the Google Pixel 8a is readily available in the United States and is a standout mid-range Android phone with great specs and software. Both phones have excellent specs, but only one can come out on top. Let's see what they have to offer and which specs are more appealing.

OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Design

Both phones have a unique look, but how different are they?

The OnePlus Nord 4 doesn't have the camera bar you find in its competitor; it features a metal body made of aluminum with a dual-tone finish like the one found on the Pixel 3 XL. It also has a laser-engraved texture and a compact antenna design. The three-position slider on the side makes it easy to control your notifications and not miss out on anything important. Its IP65 rating makes it dust-tight but not waterproof enough to resist dropping it into the tub.

The Nord 4 is available in Obsidian Midnight, Mercurial Silver, and Oasis Green and measures 162.6 x 75 x 8mm. It's intended to be the first 5G phone with a full metal body that is 8mm thick and weighs around 200 grams.

The Google Pixel 8a, on the other hand, can easily be identified with its recycled aluminum for the camera bar and side frame. You get a matte composite back; both camera sensors are to the left cutout, and the LED is to the right. The Pixel does have a higher IP67 rating, meaning you can submerge it in one meter of water for 30 minutes.

The chassis has rounded corners and you can choose from colors such as Aloe (green), Bay (blue), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (white). It also has a matte-textured rear that is a great anti-smudge addition.

OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Display

There is a clear difference between the two phones when it comes to the display. The OnePlus Nord 4 has a bigger 6.7-inch 2772 x 1249 AMOLED display. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,150 nits, and the display supports HDR10+ and 10-bit color depth. The Nord 4 also has the Aqua Touch feature found on the OnePlus 12. The Aqua Touch feature lets you easily use your phone when your fingers or screen are wet.

The Google Pixel 8a has a smaller 6.1-inch OLED display with a 1080 x 2400 resolution, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, HDR support, Now Playing, a 20:9 aspect ratio, an Always-on display (AOD), and a full 24-bit depth for 16 million colors. It also features 2,000 nits of brightness and scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Hardware

The OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a comparison reveals that both devices have various hardware differences. The recently released OnePlus Nord 4 has a Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset with an Adreno 732 GPU and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. You can choose from storage options such as 128GB and 256GB with UFS 3.1 and UFS 4.0 storage speeds, respectively. If you live in the UK, you can also buy a variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The Nord 4 packs a massive 5,500mAh battery capacity and supports OnePlus' 100W SuperVOOC charging. Unfortunately, it does not come with wireless charging.

On the Nord 4, you also find a dual camera with a 50MP wide lens (Sony LYTIA) with an f/1.8 aperture alongside an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture, which is also a Sony sensor. You can take all your selfies with the 16MP selfie camera and record videos in 1080p, but you can only use the rear camera to get 4K video. The OnePlus Nord 4 has a USB 2.0 Type-C port and dual stereo speakers.

The Google Pixel 8a, nevertheless, features a Google Tensor G3 chipset and a smaller 4,410mAh battery. The Pixel does pack more pixel power with a 64MP f/1.9 primary camera but falls short with the 13MP f/2.2 selfie camera with OIS. You also get stereo speakers and two microphones. The Pixel takes longer to charge since it only comes with 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging, but you do get the newer USB 3.2 Type-C port.

It can also record in 4K, with the front camera recording at 30fps and the rear at 60fps. Unfortunately, the Pixel 8a has a slower UFS 3.1 and no expandable storage.

OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Software

The OnePlus Nord 4 features OxygenOS 14.1 and offers AI features such as AI Summary, AI Writer, AI Eraser, and AI Best Face, which lets you fix closed eyes in group pictures. The phone is guaranteed to receive four years of OS updates and six years of security updates.

In contrast, the Google Pixel 8a offers AI features you would find on flagship phones, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, such as Circle to Search, Best Take, Magic Editor, Live Translate, Gemini Nano, and Audio Magic Eraser. With this Pixel, you get more updates since it's promised seven years of system and security updates and Android 14 out of the box. With Google's phone, you will get the updates first and for a more extended period.

OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Google or OnePlus?

Whether you get the OnePlus Nord 4 or the Google Pixel 8a depends on where you live since OnePlus is not selling the Nord 4 in the United States. But if you have access to both phones in your region, you'll have two phones with different strengths, such as one having more years in updates than the other and the other having more RAM and storage capacity.

The choice comes down to what specifications you need a phone to have. Both the OnePlus and the Google phones are good mid-range phones. The former wins in terms of battery and charging whereas the latter wins in the photography and software update arena. Make a wise decision based on your type of smartphone use and needs.