Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6 Comparison: Which Phone to Buy?

Nothing has launched a new budget phone called the Phone 4b and it rivals the OnePlus Nord CE 6 in the same price segment. While the OnePlus Nord CE 6 bets on a big battery, better screen and performance, the Nothing Phone 4b leads with cameras, software and a unique design. So, if you are torn between the two, here is our detailed Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6 comparison.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Design

• Both phones have a plastic build, but the Nord CE 6 is superior in terms of water resistance and endurance
• Nothing Phone 4b keeps the brand's traditional transparent design, but it's limited to the camera module
• The Nord CE 6 brings OnePlus 15's design language and adds an IR blaster and stereo speakers

Let's talk about the design first. The Nothing Phone 4b brings the plastic body from the Phone (4a) with a UV coating to prevent fingerprints and smudges. The new Glyph Bar on the Phone 4b has only four segments and one indicator, and it's set inside the camera module. 

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 also features a plastic back and frame. That said, it's tougher, as it comes with MIL-STD-810H certification and Crystal Guard protection. On the other hand, the Phone 4b settles for a basic IP64 dust and splash rating, whereas OnePlus brings a full IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K rating. It means that the Nord CE 6 can survive proper submersion, not just a splash.

In addition, the Nord CE 6 packs an IR blaster, stereo speakers and an X-axis haptic motor. So the pick is simple, if you want durability and better protection, the Nord CE 6 is a better choice.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Display

• Both phones now use AMOLED panels, but the Nord CE 6 is sharper
• The Nord CE 6 offers a faster 144Hz refresh rate screen and the display brightness can go up to 3,600 nits
• The Phone 4b brings an adaptive 120Hz panel from Samsung

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 packs a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen at 2772 × 1272 resolution. It's a 144Hz refresh rate panel, and the screen brightness can go up to 3,600 nits peak (1,800 nits in high-brightness mode). Next, you get an in-display fingerprint sensor and a dedicated Touch Reflex chip to accurately register your touch interactions.

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

Meanwhile, the Phone 4b comes with a 6.77-inch Samsung Super AMOLED panel at 1224 x 2720 resolution. It's a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate panel with 2,000 nits of peak brightness. There is also a reasonably thick chin at the bottom of the screen. Sure, it's a good panel, but the Nord CE 6 is brighter, sharper and has a higher refresh rate. So the display round, too, goes to OnePlus.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Performance

• The Nothing Phone 4b is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, while the OnePlus Nord CE 6 brings a more powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip
• The Nord CE 6 pairs its chip with faster UFS 3.1 storage against the UFS 2.2 on the Phone 4b
• Neither is a gaming beast, but the Nord CE 6 offers better performance and efficiency

Under the hood, the Nothing Phone 4b is running on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, which is a 4nm chip, and has access to 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. In our Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 benchmark, the chipset scored close to 8,94,500 points on AnTuTu, so everyday tasks are no problem.

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 brings the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset and in our testing, the processor scored around 1,047,462 points on AnTuTu. Not to mention, its UFS 3.1 storage beats the UFS 2.2 on the Phone 4b for faster app loads. Finally, a large vapour chamber and 3,200Hz Touch Reflex Chip help in heavy games too.

That said, keep your expectations grounded, as in our OnePlus Nord CE 6 review, it breezed through daily tasks but never topped the charts. Relatively speaking, here the Nord CE 6 takes the win easily.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Software

• Both phones bring Android 16 out of the box
• The Phone 4b gets 3 Android updates and 6 years of security, while Nord CE 6 gets 2 OS updates and 4 years of security patches
• The Phone 4b ships with Nothing's Essential AI tools, which is tied to a dedicated Essential Key

On the software side, the Phone 4b runs Nothing OS 4.1, which is based on Android 16. It's clean and fast, and there is support for Nothing's Essential AI tools and a dedicated Essential Key. Best of all, you get the same core experience as the flagship Nothing Phone (3), which is impressive at this price.

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

The Nord CE 6 runs OxygenOS 16, which is also on Android 16. You get the complete experience including the full Always-On Display, animated wallpapers and OnePlus AI features like AI Eraser, AI Reframe and Google Gemini baked in. As we know, OxygenOS is quick, polished and loaded with extra features.

Now coming to update support, the Phone 4b promises 3 Android updates and 6 years of security patches against just 2 OS updates and 4 years of security on the Nord CE 6. So if you want longer updates, the Nothing Phone 4b is the safer bet here.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Camera

• The Phone 4b has a proper 8MP ultrawide lens, which the Nord CE 6 doesn't have
• Both phones pack OIS on their 50MP main sensor
• The Nord CE 6 features a higher-resolution 32MP selfie camera that shoots 4K video

The Nothing Phone 4b uses a 50MP Samsung main sensor with dual-axis OIS and, importantly, a proper 8MP ultrawide lens (119.5-degree field of view). Nothing adds its TrueLens Engine 4, Ultra XDR support and a 16MP front camera with Dual Video Capture support.

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

The OnePlus Nord CE 6, on the other hand, brings a 50MP OmniVision main sensor that also gets dual-axis OIS. It does come with a 2MP auxiliary sensor, but there is no ultrawide at all, which is a real gap. On the front side, the Nord improves with a 32MP front camera that adds multi-point autofocus and 4K video, easily beating the Phone 4b's 16MP selfie shooter.

To sum up, the Phone 4b has a more versatile camera system thanks to that ultrawide lens, while the Nord CE 6 leads for selfies. Depending on what you prefer, you can choose the phone, however, I am leaning more towards the Nothing Phone 4b for that extra lens.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Battery

• The Nord CE 6 packs a huge 8,000mAh battery against the 6,000mAh battery on the Phone 4b
• OnePlus supports much faster 80W charging and bundles the charger in the box
• Nothing skips the charger and tops out at 33W wired charging

In the battery department, the OnePlus Nord CE 6 wins big. It packs a massive 8,000mAh battery that OnePlus says can last for over 2.5 days. It can also double as a power bank via 27W reverse charging. The Phone 4b is no slouch, though, with a 6,000mAh battery in India, and it can last up to 18 hours of mixed use.

Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

Charging is another easy win for OnePlus. The Nord CE 6 supports 80W SUPERVOOC charging and refills from 0 to 100% in about 90 minutes and ships with the charger in the box. The Phone 4b, by contrast, tops out at 33W with no charger in the box and takes about 80 minutes for a full charge.

So if battery and charging speed are important to you, the Nord CE 6 wins hands down. It lasts longer, charges more than twice as fast and saves you buying a charger.

Nothing Phone 4b vs OnePlus Nord CE 6: Which One Should You Buy?

Now, what is the conclusion? On raw hardware, the OnePlus Nord CE 6 is clearly the stronger phone. It comes with a brighter screen, the more capable Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip, a monster 8,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging and IP68/IP69 durability that the Phone 4b can't beat.

That said, the Nothing Phone 4b has something going for it. It has two usable camera sensors and offers 3 OS updates and 6 years of security patches. As for pricing, the Nord CE 6 now starts at Rs 33,999 after several rounds of price hikes, while the Phone 4b starts at an effective price of Rs 29,999 with launch offers, but it may cost more after the initial offerings.

If we consider the current pricing, for a gap of around Rs 4,000, the Nord CE 6 gives you far more battery, charging, screen and durability, which makes it the better value for most users. Finally, if you want to find the best phones under Rs 30,000, you can explore our dedicated list.