- GeniusUpdates1@Gmail.com
Menu
[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]top-notch performance
lightning-fast system
chic design + solid workmanship
good stereo speakers
first-class photos by day and night (main camera)
good screen
state-of-the-art connectivity
good battery life[/i2pros][i2cons]
Problem with the EIS in videos?
90Hz, not contemporary
mediocre UWW camera[/i2cons][/i2pc]
The OnePlus Nord 2T is a simple facelift model of the manufacturer’s most popular mid-range smartphone. The good news right at the beginning: the price remains precisely at the level of the predecessor, at 38,990 Tk for 8 + 128GB and 43,990 Tk for 12 + 256GB. The OnePlus Nord 2T now has a new Dimensity 1300 processor and a faster 80-watt charging speed thanks to the OnePlus. You have to look for other changes with a magnifying glass, which is precisely why we took a close look at the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G in this test report.
A OnePlus test without Erik is hard to imagine, but this time you’ll have to make do with me. At the Nord 2 test last year, Erik used the word “flagship killer” again for the first time in a long time. The first OnePlus smartphone with high-end specifications at a price of 38,990 Tk was characterized by this expression.
But now the OnePlus flagships cost more or less the same as all other manufacturers. You have to pay around 100,000 Tk for a high-end device without a contract. However, OnePlus is launching the so-called Nord series, and things got really exciting with the second version. For a street price of 38,990 Tk, the OnePlus Nord 2 still offers a lot of smartphones for the money.
In particular, many manufacturers will miss the combination of a good camera and a lot of performance in 2022. Underpowered smartphones bring rather underpowered smartphones onto the market across the board. In the smartphone year 2022, which has been disappointing so far, I welcome the approach of OnePlus all the more. Is the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G a true flagship substitute?
The Nord 2 measures 159 x 73.2 x 8.4 millimeters and weighs 190 grams on the scales. With a length of less than 160 mm and a display diagonal of 6.43 inches, the smartphone is one of the more compact representatives of the middle class. It’s also worth mentioning that OnePlus is bucking the current trend towards angular smartphones.
The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G has a pleasantly rounded back, which makes it easy to hold. We tested the black version with a matte glass back (Gorilla Glass 5). A green version with a glossy glass back is also available. The matte glass back with a fine “Sandstone” coating is resistant to scratches and fingerprints, but almost as slippery as any other glass. As usual, the frame is made of plastic.
We measure 2.5mm everywhere on the display edges; only the chin is a bit thicker at 5mm. The punch hole notch on the left, which is not the smallest with a diameter of 4mm, also ensures a modern appearance. The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G can be unlocked using either a fingerprint sensor embedded in the display or face recognition. Both work well, and the fingerprint sensor unlocks the device in no time at all in 8 out of 10 attempts.
All the buttons sit firmly in the housing and are even made of metal. The power button and the alert slider (3 levels: normal, vibrate, mute) are located on the outside right of the frame. The volume rocker moves to the left. We also know this from other brands from the BBK Group, e.g., Oppo or Realme. You have to do without a 3.5mm headphone jack in this price range. You can also rely on a fully functional Always-On-Display (AOD) with OnePlus.
A speaker, a microphone, the SIM slot, and the USB-C port (2.0) are on the underside. There is another microphone at the top of the frame, and in combination with the ear cup, there is also stereo sound. The stereo effect is definitely noticeable, and the highs, in particular, come into their own. On the other hand, there is a lack of mids and we don’t really have to talk about bass. The volume is also convincing.
Design is ultimately a matter of taste, but the cameras are really messy in the back. I think the pictures in the test say it all. Of course, you can also like it. The legally required lettering is hardly noticeable, at least on the black version, and that is definitely a positive for the visual impression.
Ultimately, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is super processed, and there is actually nothing to criticize in this category. A metal frame might have increased the value a bit, but even so, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G feels good in the hand and gives a stable impression.
The package includes an 80-watt VOOC charging adapter, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a protective cover (which I forgot to include in the picture), and a pre-applied screen protector. The obligatory SIM needle and paper complete the scope of delivery of the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G. Nothing to complain about here either.
The 6.43-inch AMOLED display of the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. It delivers a razor-sharp image with 409 pixels per inch. A 90Hz ensures a smooth system refresh rate and I would have wished for an upgrade from OnePlus. 120Hz should simply be standard in this price range by now.
But the Nord 2’s display wasn’t a bad one, and the Nord 2T’s is pretty much identical. There are only two options for the screen refresh rate, but you should always choose “High,” i.e., 90Hz. This keeps the system and relevant applications running smoothly, while the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G automatically throttles to 60Hz on YouTube. The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G delivers 1200 lux of brightness with auto-brightness.
This is definitely a good value, and legibility is still solid even in direct sunlight. A maximum of 800 lux is possible in manual mode. I liked the color rendering in the standard, and it is not too exaggerated. However, only two color modes (Vivid and Natural) are available. After all, the color temperature can be continuously adjusted.
Reading mode (which reduces blue light radiation) and dark mode (black/white reversal) is, of course, part of the feature list. Both functions can also be time-controlled. Unfortunately, OnePlus again foregoes a DC dimming function for sensitive users.
The display supports HDR10+ and Widevine L1 is also included. The latter allows pay-to-watch providers such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video to be used in HD resolutions.
The display is protected from scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. In addition, a screen protector is also applied at the factory. The touchscreen reacts excellently, even with foil, and all inputs are implemented without delay.
OnePlus has once again installed a rock-solid AMOLED display in the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G, which ensures a smooth impression at 90Hz. In the price range, I would describe it as just about sufficient, and the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G definitely does not stand out from the competition. 120Hz is now common in the upper middle class.
The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is powered by Mediatek’s direct successor chip, the Dimensity 1300. On paper, the new Dimensity 1300 doesn’t differ much from last year’s Dimensity 1200. The benchmarks of the OnePlus Nord 2T, on the other hand, show a significant drop in CPU speed and an improvement in GPU performance.
However, this finding is not really relevant for practice, because the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is a lightning-fast smartphone. However, gap: kind: user input should mention that UFS 3.1 memory with 128 or 256GB is also slower. With a read/write rate of 1147/546 MB/s, the memory is only half as fast and the RAM is just under a fifth at 11GB/s.
Only in terms of graphics performance does the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G deliver better value than its predecessor from last year. At least that’s what the common benchmarks show. In normal use, you will not see this difference in the benchmarks.
The OnePlus marches through the Oxygen OS system without stuttering or delays, and with at least 8GB of RAM, you have plenty of room for multitasking. Even demanding 3D games run smoothly and without any noticeable limitations. Overall, the OnePlus Nord 2T provides a flagship-like performance that is unrivaled.
The throttle test shows why the CPU-heavy benchmarks of the OnePlus Nord 2T are a bit low. After a short time, the performance drops to 80 and then even to 60%. The GPU performance doesn’t look much better, and with a stability of 58% in the wildlife stress test, it goes downhill after 10 runs. The smartphone heats up to a noticeable 43°C at the warmest point.
Actually, OnePlus intended to phase out Oxygen OS in favor of Oppos Color OS. An interesting intermediate path has now been chosen after the large OnePlus community was hardly enthusiastic about this step. The name stays and you stick to the look of Oxygen OS. We can best compare the whole thing with the Realme UI, which took the opposite route from Oxygen OS.
Realme first had Color OS and then Realme UI, which only has a different look. OnePlus previously had its own Oxygen OS system, and now there is Oxygen OS, which only has its own look. The menu structure in the settings is almost completely identical for Oxygen OS, Realme UI, and Color OS. There is an additional function here and there, but that is more due to the price range of the devices than to the actual system.
I have absolutely nothing to complain about Color OS, and the Android-like Oxygen OS look suits the system relatively well. I would have liked the new large icons in the quick start bar, which are known from MIUI or stock Android. Otherwise, you still have many setting options and can adapt the system to your own preferences.
OnePlus also guarantees 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security updates. It is powered by the latest Android 12. The performance of the system is excellent, and there were simply no serious bugs in the test phase.
The OnePlus seamlessly follows the recordings of its predecessor, and that is definitely meant positively. The recordings with the main camera of the OnePlus Nord 2T are full of details, crisp, and have an excellent dynamic range.
The colors also remain pleasantly accurate without the AI mode. The automatic HDR mode occasionally interferes and overdoes it a bit with the dynamics. Better recordings in this price range are hard to find.
It continues with the ultra-wide-angle camera, and unfortunately, it is not the yellow of the egg. The images appear very colorless and the lack of details is actually too high for the sensor used. Ultimately, you can use the camera for social media in an emergency, but at the latest on the PC screen and in direct comparison with the main camera, the disappointment is great.
In the past, OnePlus often had problems with portrait shots, but the separation between the foreground and background works reliably with the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G. The portraits are also beautifully colored and sufficiently detailed.
An extra night mode is available for the UWW and the main camera. Let’s start with the ultra-wide-angle shots because they are actually quickly checked off as “unusable.” Night mode doesn’t change that either. However, this mode ensures excellent night shots with the main camera, which can also keep up with flagships.
The night mode provides the right amount of additional detail without unnaturally brightening the picture. Thanks to OIS, there were hardly any blurred pictures among all my night shots. All the images are detailed and well exposed, and there is hardly any of the typical OnePlus yellow cast to be seen. At least in this price range, the quality of the pictures is also impressive. The noise in all-night shots is always unusually low.
As soon as you have found the right arm distance with the selfie camera, the 32MP snaps produce great shots. They are almost perfectly sharp, solid in color, and convincing with many details.
This year, almost all manufacturers have the worm in the video function. Unfortunately, OnePlus caught it too, and the recordings of the OnePlus Nord 2 actually worked great. The Nord 2T, on the other hand, is again having some sort of stabilization issue that we see so often lately.
On the smartphone, this is not particularly noticeable, but the 4K/30 FPS recording with the main camera shakes back and forth unusually.Let’s hope that OnePlus can improve on that. In this case, there will be another video from us.
Unfortunately, the ultra-wide-angle camera is still not stabilized at all. The selfie camera, on the other hand, takes sufficient pictures at 1080p/30 FPS. You can see everything else in the test video. As I said, ignore my words about stabilization!
If you are looking for a powerful main camera day and night for less than 40,000 Tk, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G and Nord 2 are definitely the right choices. But the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is definitely not better than the Nord 2. In contrast to last year’s model, a stabilization error is responsible for poorer video recordings, at least for the time being. Otherwise, the ultra wide-angle camera is the clear weak point of the device. If you occasionally take selfies, you should be satisfied again
The OnePlus Nord 2 already had the latest standards on board, and where would we be if the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G were different? The following 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G frequencies are used:
This puts you in a good position not only in Bangladesh but even worldwide. In practice, there were no reception problems, and I had good reception throughout. There is also nothing to complain about in terms of call quality, and VoLTE (telephony via the LTE network) and VoWiFi (telephony via WLAN) are also supported. The speakerphone provides a slight echo but is definitely usable. The SAR values are 0.94 W/kg (head) and 1.20 W/kg (body).
WiFi 6 is used by the OnePlus Nord 2T. A good 539/45 Mbit/s comes from my gigabit line right next to the router. 338/45 MBits/s remain after 10 meters and two walls. These are both excellent results. You can’t complain about Bluetooth 5.2 either.
With aptX, aptXHD, LDAC, and AAC, the most important codecs are covered, and even my Seat Mii Electric managed a constant connection with the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G. The LHDC support would have been even nicer, especially since OnePlus has LHDC headphones in its range. So you don’t really have to understand it.
Of course, the NFC is also on board. The Mediatek processor is partly responsible for excellent location determination. Within seconds, the location is determined with an accuracy of one meter using 51 satellites. Dual GPS, dual Beidou, dual Galileo, and Glonass are used for this.
In addition to the 3 standard sensors (acceleration, brightness, and proximity sensor), the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G also has a compass and a gyroscope installed. I have already written something about the stereo loudspeakers above, under “Design and processing”. When it comes to connectivity and communication, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G leaves no feathers unfurled and is simply excellently positioned.
With the 90Hz display and the super efficient Dimensity 1300 processor, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G achieves an excellent runtime, although the 4500 mAh battery is still below average. This is due to a division into two cells of 2250 mAh each to enable a charging speed beyond 65 watts.
But first, the battery life, because the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G lasted a solid 12.5 hours with 200 lux at 90Hz in the PCMark battery test. If you regulate it down to 60Hz, then the device even becomes an endurance runner with 14.7 hours. In practice, I always got 2 days of use with a DOT (time with the display on) of 7 to 8 hours in test mode. Nothing has changed here compared to the predecessor, and the runtime is simply good.
With the supplied 80-watt charging adapter, it then goes from 0 to 100% in 28 minutes. With the normal Nord 2, it took 30 minutes, so the 80-watt charging speed is irrelevant. In the entire BBK Group, we now have this 80-watt charging speed, and unfortunately, the speed always only corresponds to 65-watt charging power. The loading time is still fast, so the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G can hardly be criticized for that. The fact that you have a 50% battery available again in just 10 minutes is, of course, a great thing.
With a minor update to the OnePlus Nord 2, OnePlus lowers the price of its mid-range smartphone. The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G doesn’t really do anything differently or better. With the new edition, you get a younger device with a density of 1300 and an 80-watt charger. Accordingly, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is a really good smartphone, but the Nord 2 is simply cheaper. Let’s keep it short and sweet: please grab the OnePlus Nord 2 on sale. Should it be completely sold out in the future or be more expensive than the T version, we will revise this conclusion accordingly.
