OnePlus Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Unleashing Superior Performance


Recently two of my connections had purchased OnePlus Nord CE 4 & a POCO X6 Pro. Now, with the arrival of the OnePlus Nord CE 4, priced just Rs. 1,000 lower than the POCO X6 Pro at Rs. 25,999, the question arises: is the extra thousand rupees worth it, or should you opt for the Nord CE 4 instead? This comparison aims to provide the answer to that question. So, which phone emerges as the superior choice? Let’s delve in and find out.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Box Contents

Both devices offer a rich unboxing experience, providing everything you need right out of the box. This includes fast charging adapters, cables, and a solid silicone case for device protection. Additionally, essentials like a SIM ejector tool and paperwork are included.

It’s worth noting that both phones come with a pre-applied screen protector, reducing the immediate need for additional protection. With these in-box contents, both phones cater well to the user’s initial needs.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Design and Build

One side we have the Nord CE 4’s Celadon Marble variant, which features a blend of light green and white hues. In contrast, the POCO X6 Pro is in the Spectre Black color option.

The Nord CE 4’s marbled color variant immediately catches the eye with its distinctive appearance. However, it’s important to note that while we have the jet black color of the POCO X6 Pro, there’s also a striking bright yellow vegan leather variant, which exudes a more premium look and feel. In terms of the in-hand feel and aesthetics of the vegan leather variant, the Nord CE 4’s standard offering doesn’t quite match up.

Further, the vegan leather variant holds the same price similarly to the regular plastic back options for the phone. This material provides a great grip on the phone and ensures that scratches are less likely to appear on the back.

When it comes to the Nord CE 4, there’s no such variant available, and while the color option is attractive, it’s still plastic. During my detailed Nord CE 4 review, it was noticed that this color option was a magnet for scratches, so using a back cover for protection is advisable.

The Nord CE 4 is also quite slippery, but if you opt for the vegan leather variant of the POCO X6 Pro, this issue is mitigated. However, the plastic-back variant of the POCO X6 Pro is also slippery. In terms of weight distribution, the POCO X6 Pro emerges as the superior device.

The Nord CE 4 weighs around 186 grams, while the POCO X6 Pro weighs roughly 190 grams, so there’s not much of a difference there. However, when placed on a flat surface, the Nord CE 4 wobbles aggressively, whereas the POCO X6 Pro is more stable, thanks to a more practically placed camera module.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Display

When it comes to the display, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 boasts a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, while the POCO X6 Pro features a slightly smaller 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display. Despite the size difference, both displays support up to 120Hz fast refresh rates. The POCO X6 Pro also sports narrower bezels, giving it a sleeker look from the front.

Upon using these displays, we noticed that the POCO X6 Pro’s display output was slightly more detailed, thanks to its 1.5K panel. However, the Nord CE 4’s display is not far behind and offers decent colors.

It’s important to note that both displays feature DCI-P3 coverage, ensuring rich colors on both devices. However, when both phone’s videos were compared side by side, the POCO X6 Pro appeared noticeably richer in color.

Regarding the brightness levels of the displays, the POCO X6 Pro stood out as noticeably brighter, reaching around 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness. In contrast, the Nord CE 4 lagged behind with 1100 nits of peak HDR brightness. However, in terms of normal brightness levels, the difference wasn’t significant, with the POCO X6 Pro at around 950 nits and the Nord CE 4 at 920 nits.

Both the phones were also tested outdoors in intense sunlight, and the POCO X6 Pro offered slightly better visibility. Nonetheless, the Nord CE 4’s display was sufficiently bright and didn’t cause any discomfort or squinting.

In summary, the POCO X6 Pro’s superior display specifications result in a richer and brighter HDR output, enhancing the multimedia consumption experience.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Speaker Output

While the POCO X6 Pro may have the edge in display quality, the Nord CE 4 emerges as the clear winner in terms of audio output. Furthermore, both devices were tested with specific tracks known for their challenging audio, such as Illenium’s “Fractures” and the bass-heavy soundtracks from John Wick 4.

During the playback of “Fractures,” it was observed that the POCO X6 Pro’s speakers struggled to maintain the clarity of the vocals, often being overpowered by the surrounding instrumentalization.

On the other hand, the Nord CE 4 delivered a well-balanced audio output. From the vocals to each individual note, everything was completely crystal clear. Even the bass drop was better captured by the Nord CE 4’s speakers, while the POCO X6 Pro’s speakers fell a bit flat in comparison.

Ultimately, the Nord CE 4 surpasses POCO X6 Pro in terms of speakers.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Software Experience

If you’re averse to bloatware, the POCO X6 Pro might not be the ideal choice. Its HyperOS is filled with intrusive ads and bloatware, making the browsing experience quite unpleasant. While you can uninstall most of the bloatware and restrict ads, it does require additional effort on your part.

In contrast, the Nord CE 4’s OxygenOS 14, based on Android 14, offers a much cleaner experience. It comes with only a few bloatware apps such as Netflix, ORelax, and ZenSpace, which are still commonly used. This makes the Nord CE 4 more user-friendly right out of the box.

However, the Android 14-based HyperOS on the POCO X6 Pro is more lightweight and consumes fewer system resources compared to OxygenOS 14. On the flip side, as I mentioned in my Nord CE 4 review, the animations on the Nord CE 4 are not well-optimized.

The HyperOS has its share of inconsistencies throughout the UI, which gives it a unique character. However, its animations are smooth, and features like Super Wallpapers enhance the software’s aesthetics.

In contrast, the Nord CE 4’s OxygenOS 14 will feel familiar to existing OnePlus users, offering features like auto pixelate, file dock, smart cutout for images, and more.

While the haptics of the POCO X6 Pro felt slightly better, the Nord CE 4’s haptics were a bit too strong for my liking.

Crucially, the Nord CE 4 is slated to receive only 2 OS updates and 3 years of security patches, whereas the POCO X6 Pro comes with 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches. This means that while OxygenOS is cleaner, the POCO X6 Pro offers more long-term future-proofing.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Performance

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 is equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, while the POCO X6 Pro features the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra. The Nord CE 4 offers up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, whereas the POCO X6 Pro boasts up to an impressive 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. In a comparison of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 versus the Dimensity 8300 Ultra, the latter easily outperforms. These differences in specifications bring notable distinctions between the two phones:

Day-to-day usage

In terms of daily usage, both phones performed well overall. However, as noted in my review, the Nord CE 4 exhibited micro stutters in the UI. These stutters were noticeable when swiping up to exit an app or while browsing through the device.

The POCO X6 Pro showed better RAM management, with most of the 15 apps I kept running in the background resuming from where I left off. In contrast, the Nord CE 4 struggled with this, often reloading apps when revisited.

Additionally, the POCO X6 Pro provided a smoother experience. App opening and closing were snappy, without any noticeable lags or stutters. Both phones handled multitasking well, and I could easily switch between the 20 different apps I had open in the background without encountering any issues.

Benchmarks

In terms of benchmarks, the POCO X6 Pro’s Dimensity 8300 Ultra takes a significant lead. It offers performance comparable to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is a significant achievement in this segment. While the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 on the Nord CE 4 is a capable performer, it falls short in comparison to the Dimensity 8300 Ultra. The Dimensity 8300 Ultra is incredibly powerful and effortlessly handles demanding tasks. This difference in power is evident in the benchmarks:

The POCO X6 Pro proved to be too powerful for the standard Wild Life test and even had the Solar Bay tests unlocked, a feat unmatched by any other phone in this segment. Its performance is truly impressive.

Gaming

The benchmarks clearly demonstrate the exceptional performance of the POCO X6 Pro. When gaming, not only can you use higher graphical settings, but you also experience more consistent frame rates on the POCO X6 Pro. We tested games like CoD Mobile, Warzone Mobile, BGMI, and Genshin Impact on both devices. Here’s a quick summary:

While the POCO X6 Pro can get a bit warm, reaching around 43-44 degrees Celsius after hours of gaming, the Nord CE 4 stays cooler, rarely exceeding 40 degrees. However, thermal throttling is minimal on both devices, so it’s not a significant concern.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Cameras

Starting with the OnePlus Nord CE 4, it boasts a dual rear camera setup comprising a 50MP Sony LYT600 primary sensor and an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide-angle sensor. The front camera features a 16MP selfie shooter. On the other hand, the POCO X6 Pro sports a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. Here’s how these setups compare:

Daytime

In daylight conditions, the Nord CE 4 captures decent pictures with its primary sensor. However, while it maintains good detail, the shots often appear washed out.

Additionally, its ultra-wide-angle sensor struggles with detail and fails to maintain accurate color temperatures, leading to shots that can look either too warm or too cool.

In contrast, the POCO X6 Pro doesn’t suffer from these issues. There’s also minimal color difference between the primary and ultra-wide-angle sensors. The POCO X6 Pro excels in detail capture, offering spot-on dynamic range with well-maintained highlights and shadows.

The Nord CE 4 tends to wash out colors, impacting its dynamic range and causing a lack of distinction between highlights and shadows. This results in bland-looking shots on the Nord CE 4.

Colors can appear overly boosted or dull, and the Nord CE 4 struggles to maintain brightness even in direct sunlight. In comparison, the POCO X6 Pro performs consistently well, with better edge detection and more aesthetically pleasing depth mapping.

Night time

In low-light conditions, the POCO X6 Pro continues to outperform the Nord CE 4. The Nord CE 4’s shots tend to be noisy and lack intricate details upon zooming in, while the POCO X6 Pro excels in these aspects. Additionally, the POCO X6 Pro effectively manages light sources, preventing them from blowing out of proportion. While the Nord CE 4 also manages light sources well, it doesn’t achieve the same level of proficiency as the POCO X6 Pro.

Selfies

In terms of selfies, the POCO X6 Pro once again takes the lead. The Nord CE 4 tends to over-sharpen and over-brighten selfies, which may not appeal to everyone. While, the POCO X6 Pro retains natural skin tones well and applies processing in a more balanced manner, enhancing the overall look without going overboard.

Videos

Regarding videos, both phones’ primary setups allow to capture up to 4K 30FPS videos. The POCO X6 Pro offers an advantage with its front shooter capable of capturing 1080p 60FPS videos, whereas the Nord CE 4 is limited to 1080p 30FPS.

Nord CE 4 vs POCO X6 Pro: Battery and Charging

Let’s dive into the technical battery specifications of the two devices. The OnePlus Nord CE 4 boasts a massive 5,500mAh unit, while the POCO X6 Pro is powered by a 5,000mAh unit. The Nord CE 4 impresses further with its whopping 100W fast charging support, while the POCO X6 Pro’s battery capacity is complemented by 67W fast charging support.

In real-world usage, the Nord CE 4 offers more endurance. During testing, we achieved around 6.5 to 7 hours of screen-on time with the Nord CE 4, whereas the POCO X6 Pro provided approximately 5 hours of screen-on time.

These results were obtained through activities such as watching YouTube videos, playing games, and running benchmarks for extended periods.

Final Verdict

While the OnePlus Nord CE 4 is a solid device, it’s hard not to recommend the POCO X6 Pro for just Rs. 1,000 more. The POCO X6 Pro not only offers superior performance but also surpasses the Nord CE 4 in nearly every aspect. From better cameras to a more premium design, including its vegan leather variant, and a superior display, the POCO X6 Pro delivers exceptional value for money.

Some may argue that the bloatware-heavy HyperOS is a drawback, but it’s challenging to base the recommendation solely on that factor. Despite the Nord CE 4’s impressive features like its large battery and fast 100W charging support, the POCO X6 Pro’s 5000mAh battery and 67W fast charging support are no slouch either.

Furthermore, the Nord CE 4’s front shooter is limited to 1080p 30FPS, which may disappoint users looking for higher resolution options in 2024. This limitation can be a hindrance for vlogging, and coupled with the micro stutters I encountered, it adds to the overall disappointment.

Next, consider the superior software update policy of the POCO X6 Pro. With a standard 3 years of OS updates compared to the Nord CE 4’s meager 2 years, the choice is clear. Additionally, the POCO X6 Pro comes with Android 14 right out of the box.

Ultimately, you want a device that is future-proof and doesn’t require replacement anytime soon. The POCO X6 Pro not only meets all the criteria but exceeds expectations, making it the clear winner. Did you like the comparison? Please let me know in the comments section below.


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