OnePlus Nord 2T review: excellent smartphone with cosmetic changes

That’s not entirely true. There are changes in the design, the name of the processor and the fast-charging technology as well as the pre-installed Android version. But the OnePlus Nord 2T display, battery, cameras and even the recommended retail price are identical to those of its predecessor.

Small differences

During the informal presentation of the OnePlus Nord 2, I still lived in hope that the Nord 2T’s new processor, Dimensity 1300, would be perceptibly different to the Dimensity 1200-AI in the Nord 2. But after spending a few days using the new smartphone and looking at data sheets (1300 and 1200) from the Mediatek manufacturer, I’m disappointed. There’s only one fractional difference. The 1300 supports HyperEngine 5.0 for games, while the 1200 is only compatible with version 3.0.

That being said, the results in Geekbench 5 for the CPU are more spread out than I expected.

What’s noticeable is that the Nord 2T with its Dimensity 1300 fares worse in the single-core test and better in the multi-core test than the Dimensity 1200 in the Nord 2. But the differences are so slight that you wouldn’t notice them when using the phones day-to-day.

The difference in fast charging

The Nord 2T still has a 4500 mAh battery. Strictly speaking, there are two 2250 mAh batteries, which now charge via an 80-watt power supply. OnePlus uses the SuperVooc fast charging technology from its sister brand Oppo. When it comes to the Nord 2, it still has its own WarpCharge with a 65-watt power supply. The new smartphone also takes about 30 minutes to fully charge.

One Android version further

The factory settings on the OnePlus Nord 2T are Android 12 with the chic and unobtrusive Oxygen OS 12.1 interface. The manufacturer promises to deliver two new Android versions and three years of security updates. This marks the Nord 2T’s biggest advantage over the North 2. The time frames given are identical, but the smartphone without T starts out on Android 11, meaning that support ends earlier than on the Nord 2T.

The same cameras, just arranged differently

In terms of design, the OnePlus Nord 2T is available in green and black, giving you different colour options to those in the Nord 2 range. I like the faintly shimmering and black matte version, which borrows from the sandstone look of the early days of OnePlus. The cameras remain unchanged and are just rearranged in an uglier configuration, especially the lower circle of the camera bump.

In terms of camera specs, you’re still looking at a 50 megapixel main camera (Sony IMX766); an 8 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with a 120-degree angle of view; and a monochrome 2 megapixel camera, which mainly provides additional data for certain recording modes. The front camera takes selfies at 32 megapixels. According to OnePlus, the Mediatek Dimensity 1300 is meant to be a huge leap forward, especially in low light conditions. That’s why it makes sense to look at the night photos first.

I intentionally went to the same place as I did to take photos with the OnePlus Nord 2. But I can’t 100% reproduce the lighting conditions from August 2021. The Nord 2T has a slight benefit in that there were fewer clouds in the sky and the sun hadn’t completely gone down around 10 p.m. when I was snapping these shots.

But even with the slightly better lighting conditions Nord 2T was granted, I still prefer the photos taken on the Nord 2. They do a better job at showing that it’s night time. What’s more, I think the level of detail on the older smartphone seems a bit higher. The differences in the colour display are probably due to the fact the pictures weren’t shot in completely identical lighting conditions.

My hypothesis remains unchanged when I see the results with the wide-angle camera in night mode. For the most part, I put the differences down to the lighting conditions. But the key thing to note here is that I don’t see the Dimensity 130 providing a great leap forward.

In daylight, it’s even harder for me to spot any difference. But actually, that’s not a surprise when you have the same cameras.

Display and memory

If we look at the data sheet, the dimensions of the Nord 2T are different to the Nord 2 on a micrometre level. Moreover, the new smartphone is also supposed to be one gramme heavier.

I’ll refer you here to the test I did on the OnePlus Nord 2 (article in German) to save myself going on more about this great 6.43-inch AMOLED display with full HD+ resolution and a 90 Hertz refresh rate.

The back and front of the Nord 2T are still made of Gorilla® Glass 5 and the frame is plastic. As for memory, there’s also continuity. There are two storage options to choose from: 8 GB memory and 128 GB storage or 12 GB memory and 256 GB storage.

Verdict: twins in different outfits

I can only speculate about the reason for OnePlus launching the Nord 2T. Rekindling sales with a new model, perhaps? Supply problems with the old processor? Keeping the brand in the conversation even?

Whatever the manufacturer’s reasoning, it doesn’t change the fact that the Nord 2T, just like the Nord 2, is an excellent mid-range smartphone. However, the design of the camera bump doesn’t favour the Nord 2T. On the other hand, it scores points for boasting support up to Android 14 rather than just Android 13 like with the Nord 2. As for the other differences, they’re neither here nor there. Even with 80 watts instead of 65, the phone doesn’t charge considerably faster.

The recommended retail price in Germany for the OnePlus Nord 2T is 399 or 499 euros – depending on the memory size – meaning it’s no different to the Nord 2. Having said that, at the moment the «old» smartphone is already cheaper, which could be a reason to go for that option.

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