The newly arrived OnePlus Nord 4 is looking to top our list of the best budget phones outside of the Google Pixel 8a. But to do that, the Nord will have to outdo the Pixel when it comes to photography.
The Pixel 8a is incredible value when it comes to its cameras, which include a 64MP main, 13MP ultra-wide and 13MP selfie sensors. The Nord offers similar specs with a 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide and 16MP selfie combo. However, Google is known for its photography skills, especially its image processing and AI editing capabilities. OnePlus has historically struggled to match the best in the industry with its own manufacturing process.
But every new phone is a chance to shake up our assumptions. So with the luxury of a trip to the Franciacorta wine region near Milan, I was able to take some fantastic photos of the northern Italian countryside with both phones. But who did it better? Scroll on and you’ll see.
One thing I will note before we get to the photos is that photography on the OnePlus Nord 4 is much less consistent than on the Google Pixel 8a. All of my Pixel images looked similar enough to each other, but the Nord cameras produced photos at different brightness levels, even when capturing the same subject. For each comparison you’re about to see, I’ve chosen what I thought was the best version of each image, but keep in mind that sometimes the phone took lighter and darker versions of the same shot, which could affect which photos another person would consider the best .
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Main
Our first picture shows us part of the vineyard fence, up to the hills beyond. The Nord 4’s image is brighter overall, perhaps due to the larger aperture of the main camera, which lets in more light. However, the Pixel 8a offers richer colors and better contrast in return, so I can’t really pick a favorite
Winner: Draw
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Ultrawide
This ultra-wide shot of an imposing wooden door with an eagle crest on top, all set against a stone brick wall, looks very different from the two phones as they offer different levels of magnification. However, we can also see that the Nord 4’s image coloring is slightly cooler than the Pixel’s, and that the lower-resolution camera on the OnePlus really affected its ability to capture detail. An outright win for the Google phone thanks to its excellent specs.
Winner: Google Pixel 8a
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Detail
When I found it in the vineyard dining room, I couldn’t help but look at this sommelier’s sword (used to dramatically open champagne bottles) and took these close-ups to remember all the fun details.
The Pixel takes higher-resolution photos with its main camera, but somehow we got a less detailed shot from it. While it’s not as clear, Nord’s photo does a nicer job of capturing the detail in the chain and leather hilt.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 4
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Dynamic range
In the upper part of the main building of the vineyard was a small closed tower with slit windows through which you can see the surrounding countryside. It’s a complex mix of light and dark that’s a great test of our two phones’ dynamic range capabilities.
The OnePlus Nord’s picture is fine, although the view from the window is a bit washed out. But the Pixel 8a picks up on this image, showing the brightest part of the image in full detail and color while allowing the outside of the image to appear properly dark.
Winner: Google Pixel 8a
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Colors
Now let’s assess the color reproduction capabilities of these phones with the pink, white and green of this flower bed on the vineyard property.
Similar to the main camera comparison above, OnePlus focused on brightness versus color saturation, and vice versa for the Pixel. While I don’t think the Nord 4’s photography is necessarily bad because it’s a color-focused bike, the Pixel is the clear winner.
Winner: Google Pixel 8a
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Zoom
This long row of bottles in a vineyard cellar fit nicely into the 2x sensor zoom modes of the two phones, resulting in the shot we have here.
The Nord gives us a darker shot because it can’t use all of its large sensor to absorb light. As a result, bottles of red wine end up looking almost black with minimal detail, which the Pixel 8a doesn’t struggle with.
Winner: Google Pixel 8a
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Low light
The darker part of the cellar provided a great place to try out the night mode capabilities of our two phones, overlooking the rows and rows of stored bottles.
The OnePlus Nord 4 produced a darker photo, but it kept the lights on the bottles under control. The Pixel 8a’s brighter image overshoots the lights a bit, which makes me lean towards the Nord in this case.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 4
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Selfies
Even though I didn’t dare take off my baseball cap and sunglasses for fear of burning myself, I still attempted a portrait selfie.
The Nord 4’s portrait mode is softer than the Pixel 8a’s, but as a result, the OnePlus is free of weird artifacts like the halo around my cap. Meanwhile, when it comes to color, the Pixel 8a’s super saturated look and the Nord 4’s less intense look overshot the coloration I was hoping to see. Combined with the minimal difference in detail between the two shots, this round has no particular winner.
Winner: Draw
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Bokeh
This close-up of a flower gives us a chance to see how well these phones create a natural bokeh effect (background blur) without using an artificial effect.
The Pixel’s blurring is more intense, though this shot’s odd color cast spoils the overall look. The Nord has a similar focus/blur ratio, so while I’d pick this shot as the winner overall, neither phone wins in terms of bokeh.
Winner: Draw
OnePlus Nord 4 vs. Google Pixel 8a: Verdict
So it looks like the Pixel 8a’s place at the top of the budget phone heap remains secure for now. OnePlus has hardware to match the Google phone, but the Nord 4 often fails to quite deliver the goods. It’s unfortunate that OnePlus doesn’t seem willing to bring the Hasselblad tuning from its flagship phones to the Nord family, as I suspect it would improve things.
But for now, US buyers can sit safe in the knowledge that missing out on Nord 4 sales won’t deprive them of the secret champion of the budget camera phone. Meanwhile, in Europe and elsewhere, you can decide whether the Nord 4’s other strengths, such as its lower price, more interesting design, and larger display and battery, make up for the camera quality gap with the Pixel 8a.
More from Tom’s guide
Back to Mobile phones
