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A lot has been written about OnePlus in recent months, and it is possible that the manufacturer is exiting many global markets, including North America. That’s annoying to say the least, as the OnePlus 15 is the official alternative to the Galaxy S26 Ultra in the US.
Fortunately, it doesn’t look like OnePlus is changing its strategy in India. That is evident with the launch of the Nord 6, which has the potential to excel in the Indian mid-range segment. The Nord 6 will go on sale from April 9 in India, and the 8GB/256GB model will be available from ₹38,999 ($422), with the 12GB/256GB model selling for ₹41,999 ($455).
The biggest talking point about the Nord 6 is the battery; the phone comes with a power bank-sized 9,000mAh battery, and that 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, and that beats every other phone in this category.
Thankfully, OnePlus has gone with a silicon-carbon dual-cell battery, for better longevity and better density. It’s the last point that’s key here, because despite the big battery, the Nord 6 is just 8.5mm thick.
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That’s what makes using the Nord 6 so great; you never get the feeling that you are using a phone that can double as a power bank. It’s a smidgen heavier than the Nord 5 at 217g, but the size is in line with other mid-range devices, and while it’s thicker than most phones, it’s actually thinner than the Pixel 10a, which has a 5,100mAh battery.
There is also good news on the charging front, and it takes over 70 minutes to fully charge the 9,000mAh battery. A five-minute charge is good enough to get you through an hour’s worth of play, and it reaches the 50% mark in just over 30 minutes, which is more than enough to easily last you a day.
Honestly, battery life is so good that if that’s an important 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 decent enough, if a little simple. There’s nothing flashy or unique about the design, and while I like the squarish camera module and the fact that it doesn’t stick out from the chassis, the design isn’t productive at all. The all-metal Nord 4 is still one of OnePlus’ best phone designs in recent years, and it’s a shame the Nord 6 didn’t take it after that.
Still, the build quality is excellent, and the phone gets IP68 and IP69 for dust and water resistance, so it should face India’s monsoon season without any problems. I also like that the weight is balanced, and the rounded edges ensure that the phone doesn’t feel bad in your hand.
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The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel has bright colors and good contrast, but the 165Hz refresh is a bit of a misnomer as you can’t use that except for select games. Still, the standard 120Hz refresh rate is good enough, and I didn’t see any issues in my use of the device.
On that note, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a good choice for the Nord 4, as it gives the phone more power. The chipset handled demanding games with 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 great too; the phone comes with ColorOS 16 OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16, and you get a clean interface that can be customized a lot. There is AI thrown in as well, but you don’t need to use any of these features if you’re like me and against AI in general.
Like most OnePlus phones, the Nord 6 will receive four Android OS updates and six years of security updates, and that’s good enough for this category.
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The 50MP Sony Lytia LYT-600 main camera is a recognized value, and it takes great photos most of the time. Recent OnePlus phones have had a problem with consistency, and the same goes for the Nord 6, but for the most part, you get detailed pictures with good colors. The 8MP wide-angle lens is pretty standard, and you miss out on a phone shooter too.
Overall, I really enjoyed using the Nord 6, and I think it’s a much better phone than the OnePlus 15R. If anything, with the Nord 6 now available, there isn’t much reason to buy the 15R. The combination of hardware and best-in-class battery life make the Nord 6 a very attractive choice in the mid-range segment, and if you’re looking to upgrade this year, this could be the phone for you.