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Much has been written about OnePlus in recent months and the manufacturer may be exiting most global markets, including North America. That’s annoying to say the least, since the OnePlus 15 It is a legitimate alternative to Galaxy S26 Ultra in the united states
Fortunately, it doesn’t look like OnePlus is changing its strategy in India. That is evident with the introduction of the Nord 6, which has the potential to do really well in India’s crowded mid-range category. The Nord 6 will go on sale starting April 9 in India, and the 8GB/256GB model will be available from ₹38,999 ($422), and the 12GB/256GB model will sell for ₹41,999 ($455).
The biggest talking point about the Nord 6 is the battery; The phone comes with a power bank-sized 9000 mAh battery, allowing it to last two days even with heavy use. You can even get the phone to last three days between charges with light use, and that dwarfs all other phones in this category.
Luckily, OnePlus opted for a dual-cell silicon-carbon battery, so you’ll get greater longevity and much better density. This last point is key here, because despite a gigantic battery, the Nord 6 is only 8.5 mm thick.
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That’s what makes using the Nord 6 so good; At no point do you feel like you are using a phone that can function as a power bank. It’s a little heavier than the Nord 5 at 217g, but the dimensions are in line with most other mid-range devices, and while it’s a little thicker than most phones, it’s actually thinner than the Pixel 10a, which has a 5,100mAh battery.
There’s good news on the charging front too, and it takes just over 70 minutes to fully charge the 9000mAh battery. A five-minute charge is enough for an hour of gaming, and you hit the 50% mark in just over 30 minutes, which is more than enough to get you through a day with ease.
Honestly, the battery life is so good that if that’s a key consideration when upgrading a phone, you shouldn’t look anywhere else – the Nord 6 is the endurance champion of 2026.
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The design of the phone is pretty decent, if a little bland. There’s no flair or uniqueness to the design, and while I like the square camera module and the fact that it doesn’t protrude from the chassis, the design isn’t evocative in the slightest. The all-metal North 4 remains one of the The best OnePlus phone designs. in recent years, and it’s a shame the Nord 6 hasn’t followed that up.
Still, the build quality is quite good and the phone has IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance, so it should withstand the Indian monsoon season without any problems. I also like that the weight is well balanced and the rounded edges ensure the phone doesn’t dig into my hand.
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The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel has vibrant colors and good contrast, but the 165Hz refresh is a bit of a misnomer since you can’t use it outside of select games. Still, the normal 120Hz refresh is pretty good and I didn’t see any problems using the device.
In that sense, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a good option in the Nord 4, as it gives the phone a lot of power. 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 with ColorOS 16 based OxygenOS 16 Android 16and you get a clean interface with lots of customization. There is also some AI included, but you don’t need to use any of these features if you’re like me and ambivalent towards AI in general.
Like most OnePlus phones, the Nord 6 will receive four Android OS updates along with six years of security updates, and that’s enough in this category.
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The 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-600 main camera is a known quantity and takes good pictures most of the time. Recent OnePlus phones have had issues with consistency, and that’s also the case with the Nord 6, but for the most part, you get detailed photos with good color reproduction. The 8MP wide-angle lens is average at best and once again you’re missing out on a telephoto lens.
Overall, I really enjoyed using the Nord 6 and think it’s a much better phone than the OnePlus 15R. In any case, with the Nord 6 now available, there isn’t much reason to buy the 15R. The combination of hardware and class-leading battery life makes the Nord 6 a very attractive option in the mid-range category, and if you’re looking to upgrade this year, this may be the ideal phone for you.
