Since the beginning, OnePlus’ Nord series has been a great value proposition with a great balance between price and performance. However, design wasn’t always a key feature of the series. The Nord smartphones look good, but nothing more than that. That’s about to change now. OnePlus is holding a summer launch event in Milan, Italy on July 16, where it is set to launch the OnePlus Nord 4. We have been using the Nord 4 for the past few days, and the smartphone looks gorgeous.

With the OnePlus Nord 4, the company is bringing back the metal design. The company says it is “the world’s only metal unibody smartphone in the 5G era”.

The relationship between metal and smartphones has been a roller coaster over the years. In the beginning, smartphones were primarily made with plastic bodies. Then there was the shift to an all-aluminum design for the sides and back. In my opinion, this is the most working design choice for any smartphone ever. It is more durable than plastic or glass and strikes a balance between aesthetic appeal and durability. Metal is more attractive than plastic and feels more premium. However, it doesn’t allow for the color variations and gradients that OEMs have been experimenting with on glass and “glasstic” phones in recent years. Thanks to OnePlus, metal is back, and it certainly doesn’t compromise on style and aesthetics.

The OnePlus Nord 4 feels premium to hold. The edges of the phone are blunt and rounded, which adds comfort when holding the device. We have the silver variant, and it is quite attractive. I have been asked by at least four people about the device, and everyone who has held it has been impressed. In the teaser shared by OnePlus, the silver variant appears to have a textured back. I thought it was quite nice. But when I got the review unit, I liked it even more that the diagonal lines on the metal part of the back panel, which look like texture, are actually plain and smooth. This only makes the design more impressive. The upper portion of the back panel has a glossy plastic strip that houses two horizontally aligned cameras. On the right are two vertically aligned LED flash units. Right in the middle of the back panel is the OnePlus logo.

There’s an almost invisible U-shaped antenna line on the bottom edge of the OnePlus Nord 4. Additionally, there are six more such antenna lines on the top half of the phone. On the left edge of the phone is the signature OnePlus slider, which lets you switch between silent, vibrate, and ring modes. On the right edge are your usual volume rockers and power button. On the top edge is an IR blaster, a mic, and a speaker. At the bottom is the SIM tray, Type-C charging port, and speaker grille.

The Nord 4 is also surprisingly thin. In fact, OnePlus claims that it is the “thinnest Nord ever”. We can tell you that it is as thin as a pen. The phone is not exactly light, as it is made of metal. But the weight distribution of the phone is good enough that it doesn’t feel heavy.

We can’t share our thoughts on any other aspect of the smartphone right now. But just like the design, the OnePlus Nord 4 gives us a lot of expectations about the rest of the experience. We are looking forward to testing the device thoroughly. Our detailed review will come soon. Until then, enjoy the beauty of the OnePlus Nord 4.