Last year, the OnePlus Ace 2V debuted as the Nord 3 outside China, promising users a compelling mix of performance, battery life, and premium features, all at a reasonable price for a midrange device. However, the Nord 3 failed to gain the attention it deserved, largely due to its uninspiring design and strong competition from other brands.
Now, with the launch of its successor, the OnePlus Ace 3V, which may be marketed as the Nord 4, I was eager to explore the new changes and improvements OnePlus has made this year. Could this device replicate the success of the original Nord or even surpass the Nord 2? Here are my initial impressions of the OnePlus Nord 3V.
We have the purple variant of the OnePlus Ace 3V, which we imported from China. Since there’s no official confirmation yet on whether it will be released as the Nord 4, I’ll refer to it as the Ace 3V in this review. Before we delve into details, you can find the Ace 3V’s specifications on Beebom Gadgets here. Having used the phone for 24 hours, I’ll share my impressions below.
Design and Build
The first thing that immediately stood out to me was the new camera arrangement on the back. I really appreciate how the large lenses are arranged in a stacked configuration inside a pill-shaped island. It bears a resemblance to the design of the OnePlus 9 series, albeit with a slightly more rounded look, which, in my opinion, represents the pinnacle of OnePlus design.
The phone features flat edges that seamlessly curve at the bottom, enhancing its grip. The soft purple hue of the device adds a touch of elegance, complemented by the matte finish of the glass back, which not only enhances its design and color but also makes it easy to hold and resistant to fingerprints.
I’m pleased to note that the alert slider is present on this device, though its placement could have been slightly lower considering the device’s size. On the opposite end, you’ll find the volume and power buttons. The charging port and SIM card slot are located at the bottom, while an IR blaster can be found at the top.
Before I discuss the display, I want to share my final thoughts on the design. I absolutely love the new and improved design of the OnePlus Ace 3V and am eagerly anticipating its arrival as the Nord 4 in global markets. The choice of color and its implementation on the device are particularly appealing. However, the flat sides, larger dimensions, and increased weight do make it slightly uncomfortable to hold, especially for those with smaller hands.
Display Performance
Further on, OnePlus has moved for the same 1.5K AMOLED display panel as the Ace 2V, featuring a similar 6.74-inch size and 120Hz refresh rate. Regardless of the content, this display delivers sharp visuals that are bright, vibrant, and a joy to behold, whether you’re scrolling through Instagram or watching YouTube videos. For a mid-range device, the display is outstanding and even surpasses expectations for its price range.
It’s on par with the display of the Poco F5, which has been my favorite display on a mid-range phone recently. The fingerprint sensor is also integrated into the display, but its placement is somewhat inconveniently low. As a result, you may need to adjust your grip occasionally to unlock the phone. A higher placement would have been more user-friendly.
The Ace 3V features a dual stereo speaker setup that delivers decent sound quality but nothing exceptional. The audio is loud but lacks depth and richness. This could be attributed to the absence of Dolby Atmos support, a feature that was also missing in the Nord 3. It’s possible that the global version may come with Dolby tuning, which could enhance the audio experience.
Performance & Benchmarks
Typically, OnePlus phones prioritize performance over camera capabilities, and the same holds true here. Let’s start with performance. This phone introduces the new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, a powerful octa-core CPU based on the 4nm TSMC process. It’s nearly flagship-grade and is paired with the Adreno 732 GPU, up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage.
The specifications alone are enough to demonstrate that this phone is a powerhouse, and this isn’t just on paper. A colleague ran several benchmarks to compare the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 against other mid-range chips and even the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
The results showed that the 7+ Gen 3 ranked at the top among mid-rangers and came very close to matching the 8 Gen 2 in terms of benchmark scores. Since it shares the same architecture as the top-of-the-line 8 Gen 3, you can expect a smooth and responsive experience overall. During my day of usage, I didn’t encounter any odd glitches or stutters with app animations.
I would have liked to test gaming performance on this device, especially for demanding games like Warzone Mobile. However, I was unable to do so because the device is running the Chinese version of Color OS, which meant that the Play Store didn’t work out of the box, and sideloading games didn’t prove to be very helpful either. Nevertheless, I am confident that you won’t have to compromise on in-game settings while using this device.
Camera and Video Quality
The camera setup of this phone raises some questions. Unlike last year’s model with three sensors, this one has only two. While I wouldn’t mind a sensor being omitted if it meant having two excellent cameras, that’s not the case here. The phone features a 50MP Sony IMX 882 sensor with OIS and a modest 8MP Ultra Wide sensor.
The primary camera performs decently in daylight, capturing images with satisfactory detail and managing exposure well in most situations.
Nighttime photos are acceptable, capturing enough light to highlight subjects, although they lack detail upon closer inspection. Fortunately, the images don’t appear overly grainy, thanks to the OIS in the camera sensor. However, the processing time is longer, resulting in blurry images of moving subjects.
Selfies taken with the 16MP front camera are decent, although I was hoping for better results, as it tended to overly whiten our faces in office lighting. This issue might be addressed when the phone is released as the Nord 4, with optimizations to capture Indian skin tones more accurately.
The standout feature was the portrait shots. OnePlus and Color OS devices have a solid track record of accurately detecting edges in Portrait mode. We’ll need to spend more time with the device once it’s rebranded as the Nord 4 for the Indian market.
The OnePlus Ace 3V can record 4K videos at 60 FPS with the primary camera. The few videos I captured with the phone turned out well. As mentioned, the phone performs admirably in well-lit conditions, and the OIS significantly helps in stabilizing the footage.
However, I believe there is still room for improvement, particularly in the camera department, and it could benefit from a better sensor in the global release. I didn’t have the opportunity to extensively test the wide-angle lens, so I’ll reserve my judgment on it for the in-depth review.
Battery And Charging
As mentioned earlier, the phone is slightly heavier and larger than its predecessor, primarily due to the 5,500mAh battery capacity, a 500mAh increase over the previous model. Additionally, you get a 100W SuperVOOC fast charger included in the box.
During my usage, the battery drain was minimal, even when running consecutive benchmarks that pushed the phone to its limits. Therefore, the 5,500mAh battery on the OnePlus Ace 3V should easily last you throughout the day, even with gaming.
Furthermore, the OnePlus Ace 3V is equipped with all modern connectivity standards, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and a dual SIM card slot. I tested my Jio 5G SIM card on the device and achieved 5G speeds of up to 372 Mbps at our Office.
I also placed a few calls, and despite it being a Chinese variant, I encountered no issues. However, it would be wise to await its global release, as it may support more 5G bands in India for improved connectivity across various local carriers.
OnePlus Ace 3V: The Wait for Nord 4 Begins
I haven’t delved into details about battery life, connectivity, and the cameras because my time with the phone was limited, and it wouldn’t be fair to assess these features without proper testing. Additionally, the Chinese version of ColorOS doesn’t allow the installation and testing of some apps I use daily, which are essential for providing feedback on day-to-day usage.
In China the Nord 3V launches at the price CNY 1,999 (~Rs 23,000), which is CNY 300 cheaper than the previous-gen Ace 2V. If we see a similar price cut in the global launch of the Nord 4, it could be a strong contender in the Indian midrange smartphone market. The OnePlus Nord 3 debuted at Rs 33,999 in India, so I expect its successor to be priced around Rs 30,999 or Rs 31,999 in the country.
With its design and performance, this smartphone competes strongly with other devices in its segment. I hope the cameras are improved if and when this phone is released as the Nord 4.
That concludes my initial impressions of the handset. Please share your thoughts on the OnePlus Ace 3V and any changes you would like to see if it is launched as the Nord 4.
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