OnePlus Nord 3 vs iQOO Neo 7 Pro: Full Specifications Compared

This week has been one of the busiest for smartphones, with the Amazon Prime Day 2023 sale on the horizon. However, if you are looking to buy a new phone in the premium mid-range segment, then two brands stood out this week, the OnePlus and iQOO.

Starting off with the OnePlus Nord 3 5G, which fetches a starting price of Rs 33,999 in India. And its closest competitor, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G, which comes in at Rs 34,999 for the base model. But how do you determine whether the iQOO Neo 7 Pro or OnePlus Nord 3 is the right smartphone for you? By checking out our full OnePlus Nord 3 vs iQOO Neo 7 Pro comparison:

OnePlus Nord 3 vs iQOO Neo 7 Pro: Specifications Compared

Design & Display

Both phones come with the option of a glass back, although the orange model of the iQOO Neo 7 Pro features a vegan leather textured back. However, the OnePlus Nord 3's textured matte back panel was smooth to the touch and smudge resistant. It is worth noting that the OnePlus Nord 3 5G features an IP54 rating for splash resistance.

Both phones feature 120Hz AMOLED displays, although the OnePlus Nord 3 has a slightly higher peak brightness. Moreover, the Nord 3 5G's screen has a higher resolution and a more adaptive refresh rate through its software algorithms.

Performance

Moving on to the performance, where both devices use powerful chipsets that can run most titles on maximum settings. However, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro's Snapdragon chip offers better CPU and GPU performance.

Moreover, iQOO also uses an independent display chip to boost frame rates in games. iQOO doesn't just win here but delivers the best gaming experience in the segment. It is worth noting that OnePlus offers more RAM in the top-end variant.

Cameras

The key difference between the iQOO Neo 7 Pro and the OnePlus Nord 3 is that the former uses a 50 MP Samsung GN5 sensor, and the latter opts for a 50 MP Sony IMX890 primary sensor. We haven't tested out the sensor on the Neo 7 Pro, but the OnePlus Nord 3 delivers good results across various lighting scenarios.

Apart from the primary sensor, the OnePlus Nord 3 and iQOO Neo 7 Pro both feature an 8 MP ultrawide shooter, a 2 MP macro unit, and a 16 MP selfie camera. Both devices can also capture 4K video at up to 60fps. However, I'd prefer the Nord 3 5G here based on past experiences.

Battery

Both the iQOO Neo 7 Pro and OnePlus Nord 3 feature similarly sized batteries, although the former offers faster charging support. However, OnePlus has adopted the new Battery Health Engine on the Nord 3 5G, which improves the battery's overall lifespan.

The company claims that the Nord 3's battery retains 80 percent of its integrity after 1,600 charging cycles, which is twice the average. OnePlus claims that this offers four years of fluid performance.

Software

While both devices run Android 13 out of the box, we prefer the more refined and bloat-free approach of OxygenOS over Funtouch OS on the iQOO Neo 7 Pro. Apart from software, OnePlus also wins the support game.

OnePlus promises three major Android OS upgrades and four security updates with the Nord 3 5G, which is one more than the iQOO Neo 7 Pro's two years of OS and three years of security updates.

Final Thoughts - iQOO Neo 7 Pro vs OnePlus Nord 3

Both the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 5G offer excellent value for money in the segment. In terms of the display, battery capacity, and camera specifications, both phones are evenly matched. The vegan leather back panel of the Neo 7 Pro is more appealing, but OnePlus' tried and tested approach seems like the more logical choice.

If we had to pick one of the two, we'd go for the OnePlus Nord 3 5G for its versatility, particularly in the battery and software departments. OnePlus offers a more balanced approach to a mid-tier smartphone. On the flip side, the iQOO Neo 7 Pro 5G is undoubtedly the best smartphone for gaming in the segment.