OnePlus Nord 2T review

The OnePlus Nord 2T came out in May and took the place of the Nord 2 in stores. This is the first time we’ve seen a “T” model in the Nord series. Previously, these updated models were only available in the top-of-the-line OnePlus series. The formula is still the same, but this T version is also focused on making performance and charging faster. The Nord 2T has a newer chipset called the Dimensity 1300 and a faster 80W wired charging system.

OnePlus Nord 2T: Description

The only differences from the original Nord 2 are these and a slight change to the design. The Nord 2T isn’t meant to make Nord 2 owners feel bad about themselves. Instead, it’s meant to keep the line relevant as the competition gets better. And on paper, the OnePlus Nord 2T is a very appealing smartphone that made it into our Flagship Killer Buyers guide. It is made of two strong pieces of Gorilla Glass 5 and has beautiful back covers that are either frosted black or glossy mint.

Then, on top of a powerful Dimensity 1300 5G chipset, there is a 90Hz Fluid AMOLED screen. The three cameras on the back are the same as on the Nord 2 and most of the Nord 2T’s competitors: a 50MP main camera with OIS for most of your shots, an 8MP ultrawide camera for the occasional dramatic shot, and a 2MP depth sensor that is mostly there for marketing purposes. The 32-megapixel selfie camera in the hole is also the same as it was on the Nord 2.

OnePlus Nord 2T: Pros and Cons

OnePlus Nord 2T: Specifications

OnePlus Nord 2T review: Design

The design of the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G hasn’t changed much, mostly because this is just a “T” version of the phone, which is only expected to bring minor hardware upgrades. There have been some changes to the design, mostly around the back. The camera module now has two large circular holes, one for the main camera and the other for the ultra-wide and black-and-white cameras. The layout is neat and different, but the module sticks out a lot, making the phone wobble when it’s on a flat surface.

The back panel is made of anti-glare glass with a soft matte finish that feels very high-end and does a great job of keeping fingerprints away. The middle frame is made of polycarbonate and has a chrome-like finish, which attracts a lot of fingerprints and smudges but makes the device easier to hold. The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G feels heavy and expensive, and I’m glad that OnePlus kept the Alert slider on this phone even though they took it off their more expensive phones.

The screen is not completely flat and has slightly curved edges, which makes it easy to swipe in from the edges. It has a hole-punch spot for the selfie camera in the top-right corner and an optical fingerprint scanner that works well. Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protects the screen. It was easy to get fingerprints on, but they were easy to clean up. One thing I didn’t like about the display was how thick the bottom bezel was compared to the other three sides.

Display and Audio

The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G has a 6.43-inch screen that can be updated at 90Hz. On top, there is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect it. The maximum resolution of the screen is 2400×1800 pixels, and it is HDR10+ certified. We have never had a OnePlus device with a screen that didn’t live up to my expectations. The Nord 2T 5G didn’t change that, which is a good thing.

The OxygenOS and responsive screen of the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G make for a very smooth experience. It has clear colours, and even at its brightest, you can understand and see the content outside. Look, it’s important that the screen is responsive, not just when you’re using apps like WhatsApp but also when you’re playing heavy games.

The Nord 2T 5G can handle the needs of games without any trouble. I wouldn’t say it has the best screen for gaming, but for the price it sells for, you probably can’t ask for more. Yes, a 120Hz refresh rate would have been great here. But OnePlus has set the refresh rate of the Nord devices to 90Hz. Choose the OnePlus 10R, OnePlus 10T, or OnePlus 10 Pro if you want a screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The sound is also very good. It has two speakers and would be a good way to watch videos on YouTube or Netflix or just listen to music.

OnePlus Nord 2T review: Camera

The camera setup on the OnePlus Nord 2T is the same as on the OnePlus Nord 2. In terms of specs, the device has three cameras: a 50MP Sony IMX766 main camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP mono-lens. The front of the phone has a 32MP sensor for taking selfies. Since both phones have the same hardware, it’s safe to say that the pictures taken by the Nord 2T are very similar to those taken by its predecessor, the Nord 2.

So much so that the Nord 2 takes slightly better pictures in low light than the Nord 2T. You can see this by looking at the slider above, which shows that the smartphone’s output is a bit sharper and brighter. Now, keep in mind that the sharpness of the corners is about the same in both images, and the devices have made the edges of the frame a little less sharp. Still, the phones have managed to get a good amount of detail out of the shadows, which is great.

Also, the Nord 2T is more than capable of taking good photos during the day. Photos taken in the sun have a lot of details, a great dynamic range, and tasteful, if slightly oversaturated, colours. Most of the time, the white balance and exposure seem to be right, even when the sensor is pointed straight at bright sunlight. You can also take full-resolution 50MP pictures with just one tap and add more detail to the scenes.

Moving on, the main sensor of the 2T has slow shutter speeds, just like the main sensor of the Nord 2. So, when the phone took pictures of things that were moving quickly, there was a bit of blur. On the plus side, having OIS helps keep the shots steady to a good degree. I should also say that the phone’s large sensor makes it possible to take high-quality close-ups with a natural bokeh effect. Still, I’d advise you to turn off AI Scene recognition, since it amplifies the colours in any landscape and takes away the natural tones of the picture.

Performance and Battery Life

The OnePlus Nord 2T is the first phone we’ve seen with MediaTek’s Dimensity 1300 chipset, and it worked well in our tests. This is an octa-core chip that was made using a 6nm process. It has eight cores, which are divided into three groups: one “Ultra” performance core that runs at up to 3GHz, three “Super” cores that run at up to 2.6GHz, and four “efficiency” cores that run at up to 2GHz.

Surprisingly, single-core performance was worse than its competitors in the Geekbench 5 tests. But its multi-core performance gave it a small edge over its Android-based rivals, but not over the iPhone SE (2022): The nine-core Mali-G77 MC9 GPU was much more impressive. It put the Nord 2T way ahead of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and the Realme 9 Pro Plus, as shown by its 128fps score in the offscreen GFXbench Manhattan test.

Even better, our video rundown battery test showed that the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G lasted for 23 hours and 35 minutes. That’s not the best we’ve seen in this price range the Realme 9 Pro Plus lasted almost two hours longer but it’s still a good result, and it means you should get between a day and two days of moderate use per charge. Also, a full charge takes less than 30 minutes, so it’s easy to get back up and running when the battery dies.

OnePlus Nord 2T review: Price and availability

The Nord 2T is one of the best mid-range phones you can buy, even though it has almost the same specs and performance as the older Nord 2. It costs £369 in the UK and from €399 in Europe for 8GB RAM/128GB storage. That phone costs £30 less, but it has faster charging, a new processor, and software support for an extra year. For £100/€100 more, you get 12GB more RAM and twice as much storage.

In the UK and Europe, you can buy it directly from OnePlus’s website and Amazon. Soon, it will also be sold at John Lewis in the UK. The phone is not sold in the United States. There aren’t many reasons to choose another phone over the Nord 2T unless you really don’t like the design of the cameras or can’t stand the small changes Oppo made to the software. Even though two of the cameras aren’t very good and you can’t charge it wirelessly, that’s not the biggest problem.

Even at this price, the biggest problem is that you only get two platform updates and three years of security patches. Samsung phones that cost about the same as the Nord come with five years of support, even if they don’t work as well. I think the main phones that compete with it are the £259 Poco X4 Pro 5G, which has a 120Hz screen, and the £599 Google Pixel 6, which has better cameras and software support but costs more.

Final Words

It’s easy to say that OnePlus should have done more with the Nord refresh. For example, the camera system hasn’t changed. Even though it’s a big step down from OnePlus’s flagship phones, this is still a great choice for those who want a sub-flagship phone. We’re very interested to see how the upcoming Google Pixel 6a compares, though.

FAQs

Should I buy Nord 2 or Nord 2T?

The OnePlus Nord 2T is faster and has more power, but not by a very big margin. Both of these things have a 4500mAh battery. But the Nord 2T can charge quickly at 80W, while the Nord 2 can only charge quickly at 65W.

Does OnePlus Nord 2T have heating issues?

The chipset and battery of the Nord 2T are better than those of the Nord 2. First of all, the phone doesn’t get too hot. Even after being charged for a while and being used as a hotspot, it barely warmed up. Only when it was used outside to record 1080p videos for 30–40 minutes straight did it get a little warm.

Does OnePlus Nord 2T have fingerprint sensor?

The phone has a 4500mAh battery that can be charged quickly with 80W. It also has a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 6.4-inch fluid AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a fingerprint scanner built into the screen for security, and a Dimensity 1300 chipset.

Does OnePlus Nord 2T have a dual stereo speaker?

The OnePlus Nord 2T has amazing specs like an AI triple camera with a 50 MP Sony IMX766 sensor, 80W SUPERVOOC fast-charging technology, dual stereo speakers with AI haptics, OxygenOS 12.1, and more.