The OnePlus Nord 2T: Small Improvements To a Magnificent Midrange

After several leaks, including unboxing videos and rumours, the ONEPLUS NORD 2T 5G has officially been released worldwide. The phone is an outgrowth of the OnePlus Nord 2 that launched last year and is the first T-numbered phone in the Nord family. A punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner, an in-display fingerprint sensor for security, plus triple camera sensors in two circular modules make up the smartphone. The phone’s rear panel is made of polycarbonate and has a smooth matte appearance.

A 6.43-inch display, 90Hz refresh rate, 4500mAh battery, 80W SuperVOOC fast charging capability, Android 12 based OxygenOS custom skin, MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor, and a 50MP primary camera sensor are among the key OnePlus Nord 2T 5G specs.

OnePlus Nord 2T price, sale details

The 8GB + 128GB model costs EUR 399 (about Rs 32,700), while the 12GB + 256GB model costs EUR 499 (roughly Rs 40,900). It will be available in Grey Shadow and Jade Fog colour variants, and pre-orders will begin on May 19th on the OnePlus official website and Amazon.

Since its introduction barely two years ago, OnePlus’ Nord portfolio has swiftly grown crowded and confusing, and it now basically comprises two sets of phones: one for Europe and India, and another for North America. The Nord 2T belongs to the first category, and it’s essentially a beefed-up version of last year’s Nord 2. (similar to what the OnePlus 8T was compared to the OnePlus 8 or the OnePlus 7T to the 7). I asked OnePlus if a Nord 3 will be released this year, but the company refused to reveal its undisclosed product strategy. For the time being, the 2T is the European Nord flagship.

So, if the ONEPLUS NORD 2T is a spec-upgraded Nord 2, what features have been added?

Specifications and Features

From the outside, it doesn’t appear that much has changed. The 6.43-inch 1080p OLED display is still the same size as before, with a little hole-punch notch in the top left housing a 32-megapixel selfie camera. While the device’s back may be different this time around, with an odd mix of two camera rings housing three sensors, the specifications of these cameras remain the same.

The screen of the OnePlus Nord 2T appeals to me. The 90Hz refresh rate makes it seem sleek and snappy, which is perfectly fast for everyday phone chores like browsing through social media feeds. Whites are brilliant, colours are vibrant, and blacks are dark — after all, this is an OLED display.

Table

Sound

The sound isn’t as good. The ONEPLUS NORD 2T uses a downward-firing speaker on one side and its earpiece on the other to produce stereo sound. Even though it can go loud at maximum volume, the output sounds empty and lifeless. Like last time, there’s no headphone jack and no formal IP designation for dust and water protection.

Battery

The phone’s CPU has been boosted, although the gains seem to be more about battery life than sheer performance. The MediaTek Dimensity 1300 CPU in the OnePlus Nord 2T is a step up over the Dimensity 1200-AI in the Nord 2. Despite having the same-sized 4,500mAh battery, it boasts a more power-efficient design and averaged just under six hours of screen-on time between charges, up from approximately five hours last time. When I turned the Nord 2T on to charge at the end of the day, it usually had around 40% of its battery left.

Charging

Charging speeds are an easy characteristic to point to, but the variations in actuality aren’t as significant as you might think. The ONEPLUS NORD 2T now supports 80W SuperVOOC wired charging, increased from 65W previously, and the charger is still included. I was able to charge the Nord 2T from 0 to 63 percent in 15 minutes and from 63 percent to 100 percent in little under half an hour. Last year, I could charge the Nord 2 from zero to 99 percent in 35 minutes, which isn’t that much slower.

Software

The Nord 2T comes pre-installed with OxygenOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. The firm promises two major Android upgrades and three years of security patches. That’s not bad, but it’s a step down from what Google, Samsung, and Apple are offering these days: five years, five years, as well as six years of security updates, respectively. If you want to get the most out of your mid range phone, an iPhone SE or Google’s upcoming Pixel 6A would be a better option.

OxygenOS’ take on Android continues to appeal to me. It feels sharp and clean, and the functions it adds to ordinary Android (like its Optimised Charging feature, which prevents your phone from sitting at 100% charge for lengthy periods of time when charging overnight) are useful without being intrusive. Most significantly, it’s easy to use and responsive.

Camera

Even without activating the Nord 2T’s night photography mode, the low-light images it produces are pretty brilliant, and I enjoy the level of detail it provides. Although there appears to be some smoothing to eliminate visual noise, I can’t dispute the overall effect, which leaves faces appearing clean and natural. In the dark, though, don’t expect much from the ultrawide camera, which loses all detail.

The ONEPLUS NORD 2T can record video in 4K at 30 frames per second or 1080p at 60 frames per second. In actuality, though, the phone’s video quality is middling, and its dynamic range isn’t excellent, despite OnePlus’ claims that it can shoot in HDR. It’s not bad, but it’s also nothing spectacular, with realistic colours and consistent focus.

Warranty Plan