OnePlus Nord 2T: The mid-range phone that essentially does everything right

OnePlus has amassed a sizable following of devoted customers. Even while there are still a lot of individuals interested in purchasing a high-end OnePlus phone, many others want to learn more about the company but are unwilling to pay the higher rates. Herein lies the role of the company’s Nord series, particularly the most recent OnePlus Nord 2T. It is obvious that the phone is designed to compete with the more expensive OnePlus 10 Pro flagship in terms of price. It also doesn’t directly replace the 10 Pro or 9 Pro and falls somewhere below these two more expensive siblings. Here is what I think of the premium mid-range Android smartphone after using it for a few days.

Price and Availability

The pricing of the 8GB RAM/128GB storage option for the OnePlus Nord 2T is Rs 28,999, while the price of the 12GB RAM/256GB storage option is Rs 33,999. Gray Shadow and Jade Fog are the two colour variations that are offered. Starting at noon on July 5, the phone will be sold on Amazon and the company’s own website. Customers who pay with an ICICI Bank credit card, credit card EMI, or debit card EMI will receive an immediate reduction of Rs 1,500, essentially lowering the beginning price to Rs 27,499.

Specifications

Design and Build

The new Nord 2T is interesting in that it reminds me of the original OnePlus One thanks to the back’s sandstone-like appearance and the recognisable alert slider. On a midrange OnePlus phone, I missed having those, and I’m delighted the company has brought back the traditional features that set its products apart from other smartphones. The Nord 2T does, in my opinion, make me feel like I’m travelling back in time, but that’s a smart move for 2022.

Anyhow, the phone has a really nice feel, and my test model was “Grey Shadow.” On the rear of the new phone, there is smooth glass rather than a gripping feel. The remainder of the phone, though, is largely typical for a mid-range smartphone in 2022. The Nord 2T sports Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, a big camera module to one side, and a plastic frame around the sides.

Although I found it to be manageable and pleasant, not all users will find it to be the same size. The Nord 2T’s 6.43-inch screen could seem enormous to someone coming from a tiny phone. Adapting to this phone’s huge screen size may be difficult for some people. At the bottom is a USB-C port but no headphone jack.

Display and Speakers

A 6.43-inch 1080p display with a refresh rate of 90Hz is located on the front. A 32MP punch-hole selfie camera is carved out in the top-left corner of the flat screen, which is not curved on the edges. Although the screen is identical to what we saw on the Nord 2, it is still rather good. Because of the screen’s sufficient sharpness (it is an AMOLED display, after all), your apps, pictures, movies, and webpages will stand out and appear even sharper and easier on the eyes. However, a slightly enhanced display with a 120Hz refresh rate would have been fantastic.

I really want to draw your attention to the sound emanating from the speakers. Although the Nord 2T has dual speakers (an earpiece on one side and a downward-firing speaker on the other), the sound quality isn’t as good as it is on, for example, Samsung’s Galaxy A series phones. Although lacking in depth and richness, the speakers are suitable for listening to light music.

Performance and Battery

The Nord 2T’s MediaTek Dimensity 1300 CPU is an improvement over the Nord 2’s Dimensity 1200 processor. Depending on the model, it comes with either 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage or 12GB of RAM as well as 256GB of storage. The Dimensity 1300 feels substantially quicker and will improve the device’s performance with applications and gaming. In our tests, there were no amazing improvements. The phone comes pre-installed with OxygenOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. The manufacturer promises two significant Android upgrades and three years of security patches.

Good battery life, lasting the entire day on a single charge. The OnePlus Nord 2T’s capability for wired 80W SuperVOOC charging, which includes the charger in the package, is its key selling feature. I needed just under 30 minutes to fill the Nord 2T’s 4500mAh battery from empty to 65 percent. When looking for a new smartphone, quick-charging is a crucial aspect to take into account. The Nord 2T is future-proof since in addition to supporting 80W charging, it also supports 5G. The phone does not, however, have an official IP classification for water and dust protection.

Camera

On the rear of the Nord 2T are three cameras: a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP monochrome sensor for taking black-and-white photos. In strong light, the main camera takes pretty beautiful pictures, but in dim light, the camera starts to struggle.

Depending on the topic and highlight, the 8MP ultrawide camera may generate some extremely nice wide-angle images. The 32 MP front-facing camera also produced bright, beautiful selfies, however they lacked fine detail. The capacity to capture video is fairly decent. The Nord 2T can capture video in 1080p at 60 frames per second or up to 4K at 30 frames per second.

Table

Warranty Plan