Deals: The OnePlus Nord 4 is on pre-order, but you can get the Realme GT 6T for the same price right now

The OnePlus Nord 4 is a throwback to a time when metal unibodies were the most premium smartphone design. Most phones these days have a glass back (and some even have plastic), even those without wireless charging.

So, the Nord 4 is not wireless, but it has a large 5,500mAh battery with 100W wired charging (100% in 28 minutes). The aluminum unibody is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance. It has a 6.74” 120Hz OLED display (1,240 x 2,772px) with a 16MP selfie camera. On the back, there is a 50MP main camera (1/1.95”, OIS) and an 8MP ultra wide. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset and OnePlus promises 4 OS updates and 6 years of security patches.

The OnePlus Nord 4 is on pre-order right now and you can pay ₹2,000 to reserve a place in line. There’s also a ₹1,000 coupon you can claim. If you pre-book now, you’ll need to complete the purchase by July 31 (the initial ₹2,000 will show up in your account as Amazon Pay balance or a gift card).

Why wait when the Realme GT 6T is available right now and costs almost the same? It uses the same Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset, but this time it is paired with an LTPO display for variable refresh rate (up to 120Hz). And there is Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The phone has a glass back, but there is no wireless charging. The battery capacity is the same 5,500mAh and it supports 120W wired charging. The phone gets the same IP65 rating and the cameras are also pretty much the same.

The Oppo F27 Pro+ costs about the same, but there’s nothing special on the Dimensity 7050 (6nm chip) Snapdragon front. Also, there’s a 64MP camera on the back and nothing else – there’s not even an 8MP ultra-wide like on the Nord or GT phones. And the selfie camera is only 8MP, making the 16MP and 32MP selfie modules on the other two look good. The battery is also a step down at 5,000mAh capacity and 67W wired-only charging. One thing the F27 Pro+ has in its favour is its robust build – the phone is IP69 rated (so it can survive a jet of hot water, not just submersion in water) and it’s MIL-STD-810H compliant. Plus, it uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front.

Moving on, the CMF Phone 1 is creating a lot of buzz with its unique looking design. The 6.67” FHD+ 120Hz OLED display is another highlight, along with the Dimensity 7300 chipset, which enables it to outperform more expensive phones. It doesn’t have NFC, which isn’t a big deal in India, the lack of OIS on the main camera and basic IP52 ingress protection is a big deal. Unfortunately the 5,000mAh battery isn’t removable, but it offers great battery life and the 33W charging is pretty fast.

The Oppo A3 Pro is in the same price range but uses a weaker Dimensity 6300 chipset (6nm vs 4nm, A78/A55 vs A76/A55 cores, Mali-G57 vs Mali-G615). Also, the 6.67” IPS LCD only has HD resolution. It has a 5,100mAh battery with 45W charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack (which the CMF doesn’t have).

Like CMF and Oppo, the Lava Blaze X was announced this month. It is cheaper than the A3 Pro but uses the same Dimensity 6300 chipset and has a 6.67” 120Hz display with FHD+ resolution. The battery is comparable with a 5,000mAh capacity and 33W charging.

The Redmi 13 5G is another affordable option with next-generation connectivity, thanks to the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 AE chipset. And despite being the cheapest phone, it’s the only one with a 108MP camera. Plus, it has a large 6.79” IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It also has a 3.5mm jack and packs a 5,030mAh battery with 33W charging. Note: Xiaomi is promising 2 OS updates and 4 years of security patches.

The Realme C65 5G is cheaper still and it uses the Dimensity 6300 like some of the others on this list. Unfortunately, the resolution is only HD+ on the 6.67″ 120Hz IPS LCD. There’s a 50MP camera on the back and a 5,000mAh battery inside that only supports 15W charging.

The Poco M6 Pro 5G may be a year old, but that only means it’s cheaper. And yet, its 6.79” 90Hz IPS LCD has a higher resolution (FHD+) than the Realme and it uses the same Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 as the Redmi 13 5G. The 50MP camera and 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging are more basic than the Redmi, but not unexpected given the price difference.