Introducing the Nord smartphone series is one of the smartest decisions that OnePlus has made in the recent past. OnePlus Nord 2T 5G has once again proved why.
While crazy-expensive OnePlus flagship devices are struggling to find their footing in markets like India, the Nord series has managed to fill the appetite of the users with its well-specced handsets. It has become a reliable choice for many users who want to buy an all-rounder handset without having to spend a fortune!
While OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is a good budget device, I personally fail to understand why it even needs to exist, because it hasn’t got any major boost from Nord 2. Hence, the handset faces an identity crisis.
It feels like we are living in the dog days when it comes to smartphone space, especially the design part. Brands are scraping the bottom of the barrel right now, and OnePlus’ new experiment did not help its case. The handset comes with a matte polycarbonate back with a camera module placed neatly on the top left corner.
It is sleek but is very slippery to hold at the same time. However, you can take comfort in the fact that due to its matte finish, it is not a fingerprint magnet. The ugliest part of the handset is the protruding camera module that houses two huge camera sensors, cramped up with three camera sensors. Awkward much? I agree!
One of the key highlights of the handset is the return of the alert slider! Yes, the OnePlus Nord 2T has bought back the signature alert slider. However, the 3.5 mm jack is still obsolete from the handset. The smartphone is handy as it is lightweight is just 190gm but as mentioned earlier, it is quite slippery so all the clumsy people might want to toss in a back cover for this one to survive.
From the front, it looks like just another Nord phone with a punch-hole display that sits in the top left corner of the device.
Overall, the smartphone feels good in the hand and is decent-looking until you see the rear camera module.
OnePlus Nord 2T comes with a 6.43-inch FHD+ OLED display, just like OnePlus Nord 2, not that I am complaining. The display offers punchy colours with deep blacks and bright white. Someone who likes binge-watching and playing games will appreciate the display here. The 90Hz refresh rate is a cherry on top as it makes scrolling through social media, and swapping between apps smooth.
OnePlus Nord 2T is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor, the only major specs bump that this handset gets when compared to Nord 2. Although there isn’t a big difference between the performance of the two phones, Nord 2T is definitely a step up. The device offers standard up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.
It runs on OxygenOS based on Android 12. The company promises two major Android updates and three years of security updates. The UI of the smartphone is clean and does not come with huge annoying bloatware.
I did not encounter any frustrating slowdowns or stutters during my stint with the handset. The device is fairly capable of handling day-to-day tasks.
OnePlus Nord 2T comes with the same camera setup as Nord 2. It comes with a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2MP mono-lens.
The images captured by the camera in broad daylight are quite detailed and sharp with punchy colours. Although it does produce a few over-saturated images at times, but that is not a deal-breaker for me. Images shot with ultra-wide-angle lens were not as impressive as they lacked details and the third monochrome lens is placed there just for the sake of it as it does not really add any value to the images captured. In my opinion, the company should have polished a bit in this department instead of cramping up the year-old setup.
The camera managed to click good, detailed images even in the low-light settings. However, you could still see the noise. For selfies, the AI works its charm and tends to smoothen the skin. Notably, it is not very aggressive but still if users have a choice to turn it off if they want.
The camera performance of the OnePlus Nord 2T is decent, if not outstanding at this price point.
OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is backed by a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 80W fast charging, an upgrade from Nord 2’s 65W fast charging. The newly launched Nord 2T charges from 0 to 65 percent in almost 15 minutes. Nord 2 on the other hand, takes a tad bit longer, don’t think that really makes a huge difference to a buyer here but irrespective of that, it is a good upgrade that will keep it relevant in the market that is crowded with fast charging phones these days.
The smartphone can last almost an entire day with regular usage that includes calls, scrolling through Instagram and binge-watching Stranger Things Season 4.
OnePlus Nord 2T is basically the OnePlus Nord 2 with a fresh coat of paint, bumped-up charging speed and a new chipset. The question is, should you buy it? As a standalone device, OnePlus Nord 2T is an excellent device at Rs 29,999. It is the perfect “do everything” smartphone that you can buy right now. The company is even offering an instant discount of Rs 1,500 on ICICI Bank credit cards.
However, I still fail to understand why did the company think it needs to exist at all? For a buyer looking for a new mid-range, OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is a good phone, given that they are not updating it from some older Nord device.
The post OnePlus Nord 2T review: A great 2022 mid-ranger with identity crisis appeared first on BGR India.
