It’s been almost a year since OnePlus released the Nord 2, its second device under the Nord moniker. Now the Chinese smartphone-making giant has released a upgraded version of the same as OnePlus Nord 2T. It comes with a new and improved MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC, a stunning 90Hz AMOLED display, and much more.
That said, in this in-depth review, we will look at what the newly released OnePlus Nord 2T brings to the table and how it compares to its predecessor.
OnePlus Nord 2T Specifications
- Display: 6.43-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display running at 90Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 and sRGB color coverage, HDR10+, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
- Software: OxygenOS 12.1 running on top of Android 12 operating system
- CPU: 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1300 octa-core SoC (1x ARM Coretx-A78 running at 3GHz + 3x Coretx-A78 running at 2.6GHz + 4x ARM Coretx-A78 running at 2GHz)
- GPU: ARM Mali-g77 MP9 GPU
- Memory: 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM
- Storage: 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
- Camera: Triple cameras (50MP f/1.8 Sony IMX766 OIS primary+ 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 2MP f/2.4 macro sensors), 4K 30fps Video Recording, dual-LED flash
- Selfie Camera: Sony IMX615 32MP f/2.4
- Other Features: In-display fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock and
- Cellular: 5G network, dual SIM, carrier aggregation
- Battery: 4500mAh battery (dual-cell 2,250mAh Lithium-ion)
- Charging: 80W SuperVOOC Fast Charging
- Weight & Thickness: 190g and 8.2mm respectively
- Price:
- ₹28,999 (8 GB + 128 GB)
- ₹33,999 (12 GB + 256 GB)
Unboxing Experience
Starting with the unboxing experience, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G comes in the same old Nord branded box that has been a standard for almost all Nord devices.
Upon opening the box, you’ll find the usual envelope that holds a silicon case, a sim ejector tool, and some paperwork, with the device, placed below it. Whereas, if we were to dig deeper, you’d find the signature red-colored USB-C to USB-A cable along with a hefty 80W power brick.
Display, Design & Build Quality
As far as the display, design, and build quality are concerned, the OnePlus Nord 2T comes with a stunning 6.43-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED display that is capable to go as bright as 572nits. Apart, from being AMOLED the display runs at a 90Hz refresh rate and offers support for HDR10+with 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 color coverage along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection that scratches at level 6 with deeper grooves at level 7.
The OnePlus Nord 2T has a rounded-off metallic-colored plastic frame that offers a USB-C slot, a dual SIM card tray, and a speaker along the bottom edge. There’s also a set of microphones on the top and bottom edge of the device.
Meanwhile, the left side of the device has a volume rocker, and the right side offers a power button along with the OnePlus signature alert slider placed right above it.
Upon flipping the phone over to the back, you’ll see a centrally placed OnePlus logo along with a large, slightly protruding camera module along the top left corner. The camera module, though large, isn’t obnoxious and offers a triple camera setup with a rather unconventional layout.
As for its back panel you get to choose between two—Jade Fog and Dark Grey Shadow color variants. The Grey one comes with a shimmery matte finish, whereas the Jade Fog variant that we were able to get our hands onto comes with a glossy plastic back panel that might catch a few fingerprints but it’s still reasonable.
That said, the OnePlus Nord 2T is a really good-looking phone with a future-proof design and feels comfortable to hold, whilst not being slippery when held without a case.
Hardware & Overall Performance
Performance-wise, the OnePlus Nord 2T isn’t a giant leap compared to the original Nord 2. We say so because, though new, the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 has 8 cores, including 1x ARM Cortex-A78 running at 3GHz + 3x Cortex-A78 running at 2.6GHz + 4x ARM Cortex-A78 running at 2GHz, which is pretty similar to the Dimensity 1200 found on the original Nord 2. The exception is that the new HyperEngine 5 would enable slightly better gaming performance than the predecessor.
That said, the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 is still a pretty good processor with excellent performance in day-to-day usage and gaming. In our testing, we got the device to deliver a Geekbench score of 846 in single-core and 3099 in multi-core performance.
As for its real-life performance, we got almost 50-60Fps in most games such as PUBG, Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Diablo Immortal, with the graphics settings set to very high. However, you should note that gaming at such high settings can take a toll on the device’s battery life, with the whole device getting pretty toasty with temperatures as high as 43⁰.
Charging & Battery Life
As for its charging and battery life, the OnePlus Nord 2T comes with a standard 4500mAh battery that supports fast charging up to 80W using the USB-C to A cable, and the SuperVOOC power brick is supplied in the box.
In our testing, which included using the Nord 2T at 90Hz with brightness set to 75% and playing some heavy games, the device delivered almost 6 hours of screen on time over a span of 24 hours. That said, you can still expect the device to offer a few more hours of screen on time when you’re not gaming, and you have set the display to 60Hz.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord 2T charges itself from 5% to 100% within 31 minutes and 5% to 50% within 10 minutes. Additionally, there wasn’t any sign of overheating in the device, unlike the charging brick that got pretty toasty.
Camera Setup & Its Performance
Coming to the camera setup and its performance, just like the original Nord 2, the OnePlus Nord 2T has four cameras—one on the front and three on the rear.
The rear camera setup consists of a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor with OIS for stabilized 4K 30FPS videos, an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro sensor. The front features a decent 32MP Sony IMX615 sensor that can take sharp pictures and videos up to Full HD (1080p) 30FPS.
In our testing, the primary camera delivered pretty consistent results comparable to the original Nord 2, albeit with slightly better sharpness and color reproduction. In contrast, the 8MP ultra-wide and the 2MP macro sensors seem unchanged with no visible improvements.
Camera Samples
Note: Feel free to tap on any of the images shown below to enlarge it
Software & User Interface
Although there’s been a public backlash over OxygenOS and ColorOS merging with the advent of Android 12, the software on the Nord 2T was pretty responsive and only combines the good features of ColorOS while still keeping the obnoxious amounts of bloatware at bay.
As for its operating system, the OnePlus Nord 2T ships with OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12 from the get-go and has already received a minor software update. We can expect it to offer almost 2 major and a few minor software updates down the line.
Final Verdict
Overall, if we rate the device on a scale of one to ten, the OnePlus Nord 2T would be an eight. It takes all the specs of the original Nord 2 and takes them up a notch without any inherent downgrades. But with many smartphones offering a 120Hz display in this price range, the Nord 2T leaves a bit to be desired.
If you’re planning to buy a OnePlus Nord 2T, you should go for it. However, you should stay away from it if you’re looking forward to upgrading your existing Nord 2.
