OnePlus Nord 2T review: minor improvements to a masterful midranger

There are two different sides to the brand. The flagship-priced, flagship-specced device that struggles to offer truly flagship-level performance is the OnePlus 10 Pro. The Nord lineup has a few flaws that are justified by their price tags.

The latest device for Europe is the OnePlus Nord 2T. It's priced at It is a device that plays to the strengths of the company with fast 80W fast-charging, a colorful 90Hz OLED display, and a physical alert switch for hopping into silent and vibrate modes.

The changes are not significant compared to last year. It's hard to complain about what's on offer with a lower starting price. In the UK, you can pre-order the Nord 2T from today and it will ship on May 24th.

Since its debut two years ago, the lineup has gotten crowded and complicated, and now consists of two groups of phones: one for Europe and India, and another for North America. The Nord 2T is a souped-up version of last year'sNord 2 and is considered to be the best of the two. I asked if we'll see aNord 3 this year, but it wasn't willing to reveal its product roadmap. The 2T is Europe's flagship at the moment.

Which specifications have actually been bumped if theNord 2T is a spec-bumpedNord 2?

It doesn't seem like much has changed from the front. There is a small hole-punch notch in the top left of the display, but it is still a 6.43 inch display. The rear of the device may look different, but the specifications of the cameras are the same as they were last time.

I like the screen of the Nord 2T. It feels nice and slick, thanks to its 90Hz refresh rate, which is plenty fast for ordinary phone tasks like scrolling through social media feeds. Whites are bright, colors are nice, and blacks are black. An in-display fingerprint sensor can be used for security.

Sound is not as impressive. TheNord 2T puts out sound in stereo, but it uses a speaker on one side and an earpiece on the other. Even if it gets loud at maximum volume, the result is empty and hollow. There is no official rating for dust and water resistance, just like last time.

I don't like the finish on the gray model of the Nord 2T and I think it strikes a nice balance between having a large screen in a thin and light form factor. TheGorilla Glass 5 on its front and back with a plastic frame around the sides is a good design for a phone at this price point. The finish on my sample is very slippery. If you use the transparent case in the box, it won't matter, but if you don't, it could be annoying. I haven't been able to use the green version of the 2T in person because of the glossy finish.

One obvious spec that has been bumped is the phone's processor, but, in practice, its benefits seem to relate more to battery life than raw performance. The MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor is a step up from the Dimensity 1200-AI used in the Nord 2. It averaged under six hours of screen-on time between charges, up from around five hours last time, despite having the same-sized 4,500mAh battery. At the end of the day, I would usually put the Nord 2T on to charge with upwards of 40 percent of its battery remaining.

Charging speeds are an easy improvement to make, but the differences in practice are less than you might think. The Nord 2T now supports 80W SuperVOOC wired charging, up from 65W last time, and you still get the charge in the box. I was able to charge the Nord 2T from zero to 100% in less than half an hour. I was able to charge the Nord 2 from zero to 99 percent in 35 minutes last year.

The company is promising two major updates and three years of security updates for OxygenOS 12.1, which is based on Android 12. It's not terrible, but it's less than what we're seeing from the likes of Apple, Apple, and Google, which have five years, five years, and six years of security updates, respectively. If your goal is to use your phone for as long as possible, you might want to consider the upcoming Pixel 6A.

I like OxygenOS's take on the operating system. It feels crisp and clean, and the features it offers on top of regularANDROID are helpful without ever getting in the way. It is nice and responsive to use.

The camera setup of theNord 2T will not surprise anyone familiar with its predecessor. There are three cameras around back, two of which are black and white. I don't know why the black and white mode is hidden within the camera app on the phone. The hardware used in the camera is the same as last year.

Similar hardware means you can expect the same quality of photography. The Nord 2T has a lot of contrast. Shadows and highlights leap off the screen, and colors are deep and rich. The main camera has optical image stabilization, which makes it easy to get crisp, sharp images of still subjects. The selfies with the lower-resolution 32-megapixel sensor come out clean and clear, even though the faces look a tad too bright from the rear camera.

• Main camera.
• Ultrawide.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.
• Ultrawide.
• Selfie camera.
• Main camera.
• Main camera.

The quality of the phone's ultrawide shots is blurry and desaturated in comparison. The less said about the sensor the better. I'd be curious to see what the camera bump of theNord 2T would look like with just a single sensor, because it's a shame that smartphones are all expected to have multiple lens these days. A bad quality ultrawide is better than no ultrawide at all.

The shots you get from the Nord 2T in low light are bright, and I like the amount of detail they offer. I can't argue with the overall effect of it, even though there seems to be a little bit of smoothing going on to reduce visual noise. Don't expect much from the ultrawide camera in the dark.

The Nord 2T can shoot up to 4K at 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second. The footage the phone is capable of capturing is average, and the dynamic range of the phone isn't great. It is not terrible, but it is also not anything special.

It's easy to forgive theNord 2T's few issues with a starting price of. This phone is slim in the hand, feels fast to use, and has a screen that looks great. The battery life is good, the charging speeds are better, and the phone feels cohesive.

If you're looking for a device that's more affordable, the upcoming Pixel 6A might be a good choice, but if you're after a camera that's better, you should hold out for the Nord 2T. If you are the kind of buyer who wants to get the most out of every phone purchase, it is important to do so.

It isn't a huge step forward compared to last year's model. At this point, it doesn't have to be. It performs well and is enjoyable to use, and if you are not concerned about having the best camera around, it is an easy phone to recommend.

Jon Porter is a photographer.

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You need to agree to use the device.

• OnePlus’ Terms and Conditions, its End User License Agreement, and Privacy Policy
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• Participation in Co-Creation User Programs, which includes built-in app updates, push notifications for surveys and product updates, and system stability reporting
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There are seven mandatory agreements and six optional agreements.