Two weeks ago, I unboxed the OnePlus Nord 2T smartphone and it impressed me with its sturdy build quality and “pristine” texture.
After the initial impressions, I tested the features of the device further by conducting my usual gaming review with FPS tests, taking several pictures, and measuring its battery longevity. Here’s my full review of the OnePlus Nord 2T!
Design and Build Quality
OnePlus Nord 2T side view
OnePlus Nord 2T bottom view
The OnePlus Nord 2T feels great to hold even with just one hand thanks to a narrow frame and slightly curved edges. Boxier smartphones might look great but this one sticks with the more comfortable design.
Its rear camera array is a bit unusual though. The bottom ring appears to have a third camera placeholder that only contains the terms “DOL HDR”. It doesn’t really bother me though and the large camera island serves as a natural place for the pointer finger to rest while holding the phone.
OnePlus kept the alert slider on the right side above the power button. It’s a unique and useful feature among Android smartphones. The volume buttons are on the left side while the SIM card tray, USB Type-C port, and loudspeaker are at the bottom.
Overall, the OnePlus Nord 2T is a well-designed smartphone with good build quality.
90Hz AMOLED Display
The display and default home screen of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
The 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display of the OnePlus Nord 2T occupies almost its entire front panel with small bezels on all four sides.
Since it’s an AMOLED panel, the colors look vibrant with deep blacks and great contrast. It remains legible outdoors even during a sunny day and can get comfortably dim for nighttime reading.
It supports up to 90Hz screen refresh rate making animations and transitions look and feel snappier than usual.
Performance and UI
GeekBench score of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
The OnePlus Nord 2T uses the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset together with 8GB of RAM. It runs on an Android 12 OS with OxygenOS 12.1 on top.
It offers a smooth user experience when opening apps, browsing social media, watching videos, and doing other casual tasks. There are virtually no lags or frame drops.
However, I can already notice the slight difference in smoothness between its 90Hz display and the 120Hz displays of premium flagship smartphones.
Average framerate of Call of Duty Mobile on the OnePlus Nord 2T.
In terms of gaming performance, the OnePlus Nord 2T is very capable of running the most popular games.
It can run Mobile Legends and Call of Duty Mobile in HIGH graphics quality at a perfectly smooth framerate of 60FPS! The more resource-intensive Genshin Impact is playable in MEDIUM graphics quality but it only runs at 43FPS so it has to be set at LOW graphics quality for a smoother experience.
Here’s a more detailed gaming review of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
Screenshots
The neat and clean OxygenOS software of the OnePlus Nord 2T contributes to the overall experience of using the device.
There are no unwanted ads, notifications, and bloatware. The user has the freedom to install only the necessary apps for his/her lifestyle.
It’s also packed with features that can be explored in the Settings. Some interesting ones to tweak are the font, side notification light, always-on-display style, dedicated “work mode”, and the “shelf” which is a collection of widgets accessible by swiping from the top left corner of the display.
Cameras: Sample Pictures and Videos
OnePlus Nord 2T camera UI.
The OnePlus Nord 2T is equipped with a triple rear camera system composed of a 50 Megapixel Sony IMX766 main camera, 8 Megapixel ultrawide camera, and 2 Megapixel monochrome camera.
It can produce good-looking pictures in well-lit conditions with sharp details, natural colors, and a balanced dynamic range. It’s better than most mid-range smartphones but slightly below the quality of premium flagship ones.
Here are some sample pictures captured by the OnePlus Nord 2T:
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/1000sec ISO102
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/50sec ISO213
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/50sec ISO239
OnePlus Nord 2T (Portrait mode) | f/2.8 1/50sec ISO283
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/2500sec ISO106
OnePlus Nord 2T (ultrawide) | f/2.2 1/1600sec ISO107
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/1600sec ISO104
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/2500sec ISO103
The OnePlus Nord 2T can also capture decent low-light pictures. Its dedicated Night Mode can even produce impressive shots of my usual low-light subjects.
It’s more suited for artistic light displays. Taking pictures of people using Night Mode requires them to remain still for 4-5 seconds.
Of course, there’s flash photography to fall back on. The device has a dual-LED flash that can be used to produce better-looking group photos at night.
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/20sec ISO3549
OnePlus Nord 2T (Night mode) | f/1.88 1/6sec ISO756
OnePlus Nord 2T (main camera) | f/1.88 1/100sec ISO4663
OnePlus Nord 2T (Night mode) | f/1.88 1/10sec ISO637
There’s also a 32 Megapixel selfie camera on the front of the OnePlus Nord 2T that can capture sharp and detailed selfies.
I took a selfie at noontime under a shade and another one indoors in a restaurant. Both selfies turned out good with balanced brightness that favors my face over the background.
OnePlus Nord 2T (front camera) | f/2.4 1/125sec ISO108
OnePlus Nord 2T (front camera) | f/2.4 1/25sec ISO3066
Connectivity and Sound Quality
The OnePlus Nord 2T is a dual SIM smartphone with 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6 support, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.2. Mobile data speeds are great in areas with 5G cellular signal coverage.
It has a stereo dual speaker setup with the bottom-firing loudspeaker and the earpiece acting as a stereo pair even though the earpiece is slightly lower in quality. This is useful in gaming and produces fuller sound for watching videos.
However, there is still a lack of bass so listening to music is better with earphones.
Battery Life and Charging Time
80W charger
A 4,500mAh battery powers the OnePlus Nord 2T. It can last more than a full day of normal use and about 5 and a half hours of gaming.
It scored 13 hours and 3 minutes on the PCMark Battery Life Test 2.0 with airplane mode turned on and screen brightness set at 50%. This is an average score among smartphones I’ve reviewed.
The phone supports 80W fast charging technology and takes 30 minutes only to fully charge using the bundled charger.
OnePlus Nord 2T Review: Conclusion and Recommendation
The OnePlus Nord 2T and its box.
The OnePlus Nord 2T is one of the best “premium mid-range smartphones” right now.
It has a solid build quality, good display, clutter-free software, capable cameras, fast charging, and a powerful chipset for gaming. The battery life is already good but a larger battery could have made it impressive too.
I recommend this smartphone for the good gaming experience it offers along with a comfortable design, dependable cameras, and quick charging time.
OnePlus Nord 2T Review Summary
The OnePlus Nord 2T offers a good gaming experience, comfortable design, dependable cameras, and quick charging time.
- 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display (1080 x 2400 Pixels), 409 ppi
- Android 12 Operating System
- MediaTek Dimensity 1300 Chipset
- 8GB of RAM
- 50 Megapixel Rear Camera with Dual LED Flash
- 32 Megapixel Front Camera
- Dual SIM
- 128GB Internal Storage
- Expandable Up to 1024 via microSD
- 5G, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, 2G EDGE & GPRS Networks
- Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5.2
- USB Type-C
- USB Type-C
- Fingerprint Sensor
- 4500mAh Battery
- 80W Fast Charging (SUPERVOOC, 67% in 15 minutes)
- ₱22,590.00 Official Price in the Philippines
