OnePlus Nord 6 hands-on review
The state of OnePlus
It's difficult to discuss new OnePlus products at this stage without discussing the state of the company itself. Things just started snowballing at the end of last year, with one rumor after another stating that the company is either shutting down entirely or at least greatly scaling back its operations outside of China.
OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu quickly refuted some of these claims, stating that they were unverified and that (at least) OnePlus India's business operations are continuing as normal. Fast forward to March, and Liu is nowhere to be seen, as he quit his position and went back to China to pursue personal passions and projects, whatever they may be.
More recently, OnePlus India announced that customers of OnePlus smartphones in the country will now be able to service their smartphones in existing Oppo service centers. On one hand, this confirms that the brand will continue to support its existing and future customers over time. On the other hand, one has to wonder, why would it be merging its service centers with its sister brand if it didn't foresee potentially not being around in the future?
Meanwhile, the rumors haven't abated. Most recently, we learned that OnePlus could be shutting down in select global markets, including the US, the UK, and the EU. The Chinese market should remain unaffected, and the Indian market could see itself limited to mostly budget devices. This time, there has been no response from the brand.
For those considering buying the Nord 6 or other OnePlus devices in India, we do not foresee considerable challenges in the future. However, we will not extend that prophecy to regions outside of Asia, as things do not look good for OnePlus at the moment.
Conclusion
The OnePlus Nord 6 is a strong offering from the brand. The combination of that Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and a 9000mAh battery is incredibly potent, making it a deeply attractive option in the INR 35,000 - 45,000 segment. So much so that it cannibalizes OnePlus's own 15R in our opinion, as we do not see any especially compelling reasons to spend extra for it.
The competition is strong; there are phones in this price bracket with better cameras, better design, and even perhaps a better software experience. Not to mention, with less uncertainty around their brand's future. However, the Nord 6's brute force approach to giving maximum performance and battery life in the segment is really hard to look away from. It is so far ahead in these aspects that all of those other advantages start to fade in comparison. Add to that a sturdy build, and you have yourself a proper workhorse of a smartphone that will serve you for a long time.
