OnePlus Nord 4 is the current head turner in the Rs 30,000 segment, thanks to its all-metal design, which has become a rarity these days. Noted YouTube channel PBKreviews has now put out a teardown video of the phone and this straight up says that if you want phone repairs to be easy, then the OnePlus Nord 4 isn’t for you. Read along to know why.
OnePlus Nord 4 is tough to repair
The video starts by removing the Tork screws placed on either side of the charging port at the bottom. This is to get rid of the back panel. However, since the back panel is made of metal, using an equally strong force to get in will end up damaging the casing. We can’t use a plastic pry tool since the catches or clips on the back housing are apparently extremely strong.
The teardown now proceeds to remove the glass housing on the top portion of the back panel but then prying this is not simple as well. That is even after applying a heat gun, isopropyl alcohol and using a suction cup tool. After a lot of effort, the back glass started to come off but then it did cause damage towards the edges.
It is quite evident until this point that trying to repair the OnePlus Nord 4 is tiring and will most definitely end up damaging the structure. The YouTuber notes that the glue/adhesive holding the camera/top-glass bezel is not very strong but is still very hard to remove.
On opening the glass housing, we see eight Phillips screws that need to be removed to proceed further. The video then moves to removing the metal back housing, which again took a lot of effort. Separating the bottom edges gave a way to work around the rest of the phone. The metal back panel doesn’t have any flex and is strong enough.
The top portion of the back panel houses the dual LED flash, NFC antenna, and other antennas present in the corner. On the back side of the metal housing, you see a graphite film for heat dissipation. At this point, the teardown gets easy with a bunch of screws and plugs/cables connected to the mainboard. We see copper sheets and thermal paste on the board for heat dissipation.
Repairability rating
In conclusion, the OnePlus Nord 4 was rated 4/10 for its repairability and this suggests how hard the repairs are going to be. The YouTuber rated 0.5/2 for the screen repairability and design segments, making repairs on the phone quite stressful and not very easy. For parts availability, battery replacement and ease of replacing miscellaneous parts, the phone secures a respectable 1/2 rating. Thus reaching a 4/10 score.
Repairability aside, the OnePlus Nord 4 is a good buy for the asking price. Know more about the phone in our complete review.
