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Much has been written about OnePlus in recent months, and it may be that the manufacturer is leaving most global markets, including North America. It’s annoying, to say the least OnePlus 15 is a legal alternative to Galaxy S26 Ultra in the United States
Thankfully, OnePlus doesn’t seem to have changed its strategy in India. This is evident with the launch of the Nord 6, which has the potential to do really well in India’s crowded mid-range segment. The Nord 6 will go on sale in India from April 9 and will be priced at ₹38,999 ($422) for the 8GB/256GB model and ₹41,999 ($455) for the 12GB/256GB model.
The biggest talking point with the Nord 6 is the battery; the phone comes with a 9,000 mAh battery the size of a power bank, which allows it to last for two days even with heavy usage. You can even get the phone to last three days between charges with light use, which dwarfs all other phones in this category.
Fortunately, OnePlus went with a silicon-carbon dual-cell battery, so you’ll get more longevity and better density. It’s the last point that’s key here, because despite the huge battery, the Nord 6 is only 8.5mm thick.
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This is what makes the Nord 6 so good to use; You never feel like you’re using a phone that can double as a power bank. It’s a smidgen heavier than the Nord 5 at 217g, but its dimensions are in line with most other mid-range devices, and while it’s slightly thicker than most phones, it’s actually thinner than the Pixel 10a, which has a 5100mAh battery.
There’s also good news on the charging front, with the 9,000mAh battery taking just over 70 minutes to fully charge. A five-minute charge is good enough for an hour of play, and you hit the 50% mark in just over 30 minutes, which is enough to comfortably last a day.
Honestly, the battery life is so good that if that’s your main concern when upgrading your phone, look no further – the Nord 6 is 2026’s endurance champ.
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Although the design of the phone is a bit bland, it is quite decent. There’s no flair or uniqueness to the design, and while I like the square-shaped camera module and the fact that it doesn’t protrude from the chassis, the design isn’t impressive at all. All metal Nord 4 is still one best OnePlus phone designs in recent years and it’s a shame the Nord 6 didn’t take it further.
Still, the build quality is quite good and the phone is IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistant, so it should make it through India’s monsoon season without any problems. I also like that the weight is well balanced and the rounded edges keep the phone from digging into your hand.
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The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel has vibrant colors and good contrast, but the 165Hz refresh rate is a bit of a bummer as you can’t use it outside of select games. Still, the regular 120Hz refresh is good enough and I didn’t experience any issues with the device.
On that note, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a good choice in the Nord 4 as it packs some serious power into the phone. The chipset handled demanding games with relative ease, and it’s safe to say that the Nord 6 is one of the most powerful phones in this category.
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The software is pretty good too; the phone comes based on ColorOS 16 OxygenOS 16 Android 16and you get a clean interface with lots of customization. There’s also some AI, but if you’re like me and ambivalent about AI in general, you don’t need to use any of these features.
Like most OnePlus phones, the Nord 6 will receive four Android OS updates along with six annual security updates, which is pretty good in this category.
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The 50-megapixel Sony Lytia LYT-600 main camera is a known quantity, and it takes good photos most of the time. Recent OnePlus phones have struggled with consistency, and that’s the case with the Nord 6, but for the most part you get detailed photos with good color rendition. The 8-megapixel wide-angle lens is mediocre at best, and you still miss out on a telephoto shooter.
Overall, I enjoyed using the Nord 6 and I think it’s a better phone than this one OnePlus 15R. There is no reason to buy the 15R with the Nord 6 now available. The combination of hardware and class-leading battery life makes the Nord 6 a very attractive choice in the mid-range category, and if you’re looking to upgrade this year, it could be the ideal phone for you.
