Verdict
The Nord 2 T does n’t bring a groundbreaking update on the original Nord 2 , but it ’s one of the best low-cost mid - range Android handsets around . Its master camera is great , the design is good than most at the price , and the MediaTek processor within is unmistakably brawny . Limited presentation luminance in verbatim sunlight is potential the main potentially off - putting area of concern .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Are you looking for some of the original feel of OnePlus : the flagship experience at an affordable monetary value ? Then the Nord series is arguably a good place to jump than the mainline OnePlus handsets .
The OnePlus Nord 2 tetraiodothyronine is amid - ambit Androidthat costs £ 369 ( it ’s not currently available in the US ) , deliver many of the characteristics I reckon for in top - tier Androids . These include feature such as a timber camera that takes decorous depleted - light photos , fast general performance and a substantial power to plow game , plus a construction that is n’t entirely formative ; screen display glass does n’t count .
OnePlus has do out as a sibling of Realme and Oppo , but the OnePlus Nord 2 tonne represent a better bargain than almost anything from those trade name for most buyers .
Design and Screen
OnePlus extend speech sound in more tasteful coloring material option than most of the competition , and the Nord 2 thyroxine is a good example . Mid - range phone such as this often go all - out on bluff gradients and shiny effects . If that ’s your bag , great . However , do n’t you think the light-colored mint super C here offers a short more sophistication ?
The OnePlus Nord 2 T is an outstandingly classy - looking sound , whose pattern is only dimmed by the camera living accommodations . Its double lap motif is fine , but the off - centre location of the two junior-grade cameras is a bit ungainly .
They sit there for a reason , of course ; but if this were a mellow - end telephone set , you ’d expect a little more endeavor and expense to be put into take in these finer distributor point appear just right .
The rest of the design is top - tier stuff . We get a endearing curved glass back , and while the metallic - looking slope are moldable , gestate a full metallic element and glass designing with the Nord 2 T ’s specs at this price just is n’t naturalistic .
This is a small phone than many mid - range models , as a resultant of its 6.43 - column inch presentation . While its size is n’t ideal for gambling , it certainly makes the OnePlus Nord 2 T easier to handle . It ’s a more accessible French telephone for the kind of person who would blame aniPhone 13 Proover aniPhone 13 Pro Max – and not only for its lower cost .
There ’s no headphone doodly-squat , nor microSD memory card slot , but there are a couple of other neat hardware features . Like other OnePlus telephone , the Nord 2 T has a dumb fashion skidder that permit you switch between vibrate - only and a true still manner with the swipe of a thumb . The fingerprint digital scanner also use an in - projection screen sensor , whereas phones at this price typically have side - mounted whole .
This digital scanner is a little slower than the lodgings of the top OnePlus phone , but it does help bring up the Nord 2 liothyronine , take in it appear a higher division of affordable Android .
The phone fare with two-channel speakers , and they ’re flash . They can blast over the strait of cooking , or a shower . However , they do n’t have the scurvy - end power that helps smooth out the sound of louder earpiece talker . They miss the weight of the best and can vocalise a bit scratchy at gamy loudness .
The OnePlus Nord 2 T ’s 6.43 - inch screen is where we see some constraint , which has in all likelihood helped OnePlus to let in neat touch such as the in - screen fingerbreadth scanner . This is anOLEDFull HD display , but it has a 90Hz refresh rate rather than the 120Hz kind seen in some competitor .
This is n’t needfully a big good deal . The slight fitfulness while scroll at 60Hz becomes more obvious when you ’ve become customary to 120Hz high refresh rate displays ; but 90Hz still await smooth . It may be half - way between the two , but returns start to lessen ( without go away altogether ) after 90Hz .
There are two colour modes and , as is the font with the French telephone ’s design , these are more unemotional than those of alternatives from OnePlus sister company Realme . The default Vivid is likely a DCI - P3 preset , while natural is simulate after sRGB , and will look far too weak for many common people these sidereal day .
It ’s smashing to have the option , but I retrieve that – in a reversion of the normal situation – it hold photos taken with the camera come out a piffling undersaturated . This is potential because the photographic camera takes shots in the RGB people of colour space , but the sRGB color mode is so exacting that it wo n’t display the full grasp of colours in those images . As ever , baked - in camera gallery apps should be able to apply their own calibration preferences .
OnePlus often make boastful claims about the brightness of its speech sound ’ screen . There are none sequester to the OnePlus Nord 2 thyroxine ; it reaches 460 nits indoors , which is all right . Brightness outdoors is a little below average at 630 nits . If you require a phone that offers great outdoor visibility , the Realme GT Neo 2 T is a better option – its display appraise in at 770 nit for brightness .
Software and Performance
OnePlus was once lionize for the software offer that play along its Android phones . Its UI is call OxygenOS , and at one point was planned to be replaced by Oppo ’s ColorOS – until there was an outcry from the OnePlus fanbase .
There are a few plaguey elements in the former version of the software . Flick down from the rightfulness of the homescreen and Shelf pops up . This is a bit like the fare that pops up with a similar gesture on iPhones . But where Apple ’s is useful , Shelf kind of is n’t .
It ’s home to widgets , like the weather ; one that express how much storage the speech sound has left ; and a Spotify dialog box . You ’re far more probable to bring it up by chance , when you mean to pull down your notifications .
Thankfully , you could turn it off , and I powerfully urge you do so . The OnePlus Nord 2 T port becomes much more vanilla extract having done so , with no more disconcerting surprises in depot .
There ’s a neat Always - On display mode of which I ’m a devotee . It express icons for late notice , displays the metre , and offers a templet as to where the fingermark scanner sits . utile .
The Always - On display can be customised , and – if you ’d rather salve battery – switched off completely . We ’ve in all likelihood check the best days of OxygenOS at this point , but it ’s still well-heeled to get on with once you relegate the rile Shelf .
There is no third - party bloatware to be chance here , just a few public utility company apps and Zen mode , an almost comically hardcore meditation - conterminous app . Set the timer and it blocks off presentment , alongside admittance to all of your apps block off the camera . call will still make out , through – OnePlus does n’t want to be at the nitty-gritty of news fib about anyone miss the birth of their child because of Zen mode . decent theme , though .
At the heart of the OnePlus Nord 2 T sits the new version of the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 seen in the Nord 2 . The Dimensity 1300 is a little quicker in both GPU and central processor areas .
This is a groovy processor for a phone at the price , in particular representing a real parachuting in GPU performance over most sub-£400 phone . The one chipset I might pick over it is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 , which is a fantastic mid - kitchen range SoC. But I imagine this might be more expensive , and the OnePlus Nord 2 thyroxine is nothing if not a toll - sensitive earphone .
It scores 2732 in Geekbench 5 , 738 per core . This is similar to the Realme GT 3 T Neo ’s score with a Snapdragon 870 . In 3DMark ’s Wild Life test it scores 4637 point , or so 10 % higher than a Snapdragon 870 telephone .
operation stability over a 20 - moment emphasis examination is fantastic at 99.3 % , meaning there ’s no thermal throttling when guide a challenging 3D secret plan that ’s within the telephone ’s capabilities .
The OnePlus Nord 2 T ’s handles Fortnite attractively . All the graphics options are unlocked , include the Epic faithfulness preset and 60fps encounter at eminent computer graphic . ofttimes this is n’t the case at this level .
Both of these top - remainder way to represent are within the Nord 2 T ’s consolation zone . While there are slight frame of reference charge per unit dip from the caps on social function , such as when falling from the drib store at the start of a round , you see these even inSnapdragon 8 Gen 1phones .
If you see a plot performing less well than you ’d hoped , check for computer software update .
Camera
The OnePlus Nord 2 T has the same primary television camera computer hardware as theNord 2 : a Sony IMX766 sensor with an f/1.88 lens system . This is a large sensing element and just about the best you ’ll find for the money . It also makes an appearance in the £ 600 Realme GT 3 Neo and the £ 1000 - plusOppo Find X5 Pro .
However , software program treatment thing just as much as ironware these days , so how does the OnePlus Nord 2 T equivalence ? somewhat well .
photograph taken with the primary photographic camera deliver natural - await colour and good active range . Thanks to the high - timbre detector and dedicated Night mode , image quality holds up remarkably well in challenging lighting .
Lower - cost phones are starting to use proper computational Nox modes , but only good photographic camera computer hardware is going to get you solid photos of your homemade burgers shot in a life room lit only by a shaded 60W bulb or two . The OnePlus Nord 2 T performs impressively in both scenarios , Nox and dingy inflammation , comparable with some phone twice the price .
The OnePlus Nord 2 had one of the best low-priced mid - range phone photographic camera you ’ll incur . And while this novel modelling does n’t bring a mind - blowing betterment , it still outpace most at the price . You ’ll have to hold off for the Pixel 6a to get something that ’s potentially good .
There are just a few venial issues . I ’ve get hold that contingent dips a tad when you apply the consecrate Night mode , and that results can motley a little between exposure , most probably because of paw - shake during seizure . However , this should n’t really be an number when the OnePlus Nord 2 T has optical image stabilisation .
The 50 - megapixel modality also brings virtually zero melioration to hunky-dory contingent at pixel level . Shots hardly look any dissimilar to the standard 12.5 - megapixel images spoil up in sizing on Photoshop ; 2x digital zoom images are only okay , too . They do at least use a processing way more tuned than the 50 - megapixel mode , to propose a better picture of sharp , o.k. item ; but they do n’t hold up that well close - up .
The OnePlus Nord 2 thyroxin is also fractionally slower to shoot than some of the other earphone I ’ve used recently , such as the Realme GT 3 Neo andPoco F4 GT . However , this is n’t a major issue when you view the earphone ’s £ 369 price . Camera timbre is one of the better reasons to foot a Nord 2 deoxythymidine monophosphate over some of the alternatives .
I ’ve hardly name the petty cameras yet . The 8 - megapixel ultra - wide come with the usual mid - range compromises . Pictures do n’t maintain up that well when you soar up in , but can look better than many I ’ve assay at this level recently . Image graphic symbol is clean reproducible with the primary camera , and the lens handles stiff light-colored sources remarkably well .
The third photographic camera is a 2 - megapixel monochrome social unit , and it ’s potential to go fresh by many OnePlus Nord 2 triiodothyronine owners . It only is likely use in a B&W filter fashion or two found mysterious in the camera app , as an aid for the main camera . Totally pointless .
video recording also comes with a few via media . you could pip at 4 K resolution , but only at 30 frames per second . The item and clarity of day - lit 4 K is splendid , but stabilisation is modified . It come out to bank on not - that - telling OIS and , peradventure , a tiny bit of software program stabilisation . The 4 thou theater of operations of view is slenderly narrow than that of stock 1x picture , suggest some EIS may be present .
However , this is n’t enough to make script - held walking footage look bland , the image lurch when you overmaster the Office of Intelligence Support with too much motility .
There are two other key option . you may pip standard 1080p , with enhanced package stabilization but a subdued figure of speech . Or reverse on the Ultra Steady modality – this does n’t use the ultra - wide camera , alternatively just cropping even further into the frame to fuel the software stabilisation . This is smart , maxing out on the use of the dear detector on the phone .
The OnePlus Nord 2 thyroxin also has an AI modality designed primarily for depleted - illumination video . It ’s confine to 1080p/30fps and supports “ alive HDR ” , which is likely an effectuation of DOL - HDR – a sensor - level feature , where two different exposure can be entrance per skeleton simultaneously .
However , it ’s best used for scenes where you wo n’t move the camera much , since motion is importantly worse than when fritter away at normal 1080p/30fps . Still , downhearted - light video quality is already above average at the price thanks to the gravid high - timbre sensor .
The front camera is a Sony IMX615 , a 32 - megapixel sensor . It ’s a great front camera for a headphone this low-priced , and while it actually spits out 32 - megapixel images , it likely make use of picture element bin to improve mental image quality in blue light .
Battery Life
The OnePlus Nord 2 T is n’t a immense phone and , no surprise , does n’t come with a huge stamp battery . It ’s a 4500mAh unit , just like the Nord 2 ’s .
For the first workweek or so of testing , I used the phone in its default modes . It was set to the 90Hz refresh rate , with the Always - On presentation mode turn on .
With this frame-up , you ’ll see stamen that ’s alike to the last - genesis Nord , and middling alike higher - end OnePlus phones . This handset is n’t made to take a battering , with long stints spent streaming YouTube or playing 3D games . I typically finish up with at most 15 % stamp battery left by the end of the day .
It is n’t a worryingly suddenly - lasting battery , neither is it a cavalryman . However , I attempted to modulate down some preferences , without doing anything that would limit system carrying out , to see whether it would make a difference .
After switching off Always - On mode and dropping the display refresh pace to 60Hz , the earpiece had 44 % tutelage remaining by bed time . This was a slenderly lighter day of exercise , but it does show that there are stair you could take to improve battery functioning on those occasion you wo n’t be able to give the OnePlus Nord 2 T a top - up .
Charging come a cost increase over the OnePlus Nord 2 – on composition , at least . The Nord 2 T offers 80W charging , up from 65W in the Nord 2 . However , according to our power meter , it maxed out at 70W draw and had already dropped down to 45 - 46W by minute two of charging . The peak rates are partly for show .
It hit 50 % in 17 bit , and took 48 minute to charge the twist to full , having reached “ 100 % ” on its exhibit almost 10 minutes earlier at the 39 - minute marking . charge speeds will be bear upon by ambient temperatures , but this is n’t quite as quick as you might have desire for from an “ 80W ” charging system .
Note that there ’s no accompaniment for wireless charging , as in the Nord 2 .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
The OnePlus Nord 2 liothyronine is a lead , if you want a top value mid - range phone whose figure is more advanced than most . It ’s further enhanced by refined haptics , the SoC is excellent , and the master tv camera is a top performer in virtually all conditions . There ’s more than a hint of that old OnePlus deception on showing here .
Own a Nord 2 ? There ’s very little reason to upgrade then . While some melioration have been made throughout , and a fresh SoC included , the remainder is n’t striking – and the Nord 2 hold up well anyway in 2022 .
Final Thoughts
The OnePlus Nord 2 T is n’t a groundbreaking ceremony update on the Nord 2 , but it ’s nonetheless one of the very proficient affordable mid - range phones usable in 2022 . It offers a sea wolf combination of style and technical power that even value drawing card such as Xiaomi and Realme struggle to match .
On the style front we get refined color , a glass rearward dialog box , elegant haptics and an in - screen fingermark reader , commonly associated with more expensive Android handset . Hardware high spot include a MediaTek SoC that fork out keen gaming performance with minimum choking , and a top - tier Sony IMX766 - base camera that holds up well in virtually any shooting scenario .
Issues ? While the OnePlus Nord 2 T ’s stereo verbaliser are gimcrack , they lack the rounded tone of voice of a set with greater low-down - absolute frequency contentedness . And the screenland does n’t get hugely bright alfresco , limiting visibility in direct sunlight .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every roving headphone we look back thoroughly . We use industry standard tests to compare feature in good order and we use the telephone set as our master gimmick over the review period . We ’ll always assure you what we notice and we never , ever , admit money to go over a intersection .
FAQs
The earpiece does n’t come with a water- or junk - resistance rating , so keep it away from water .
There ’s no 3.5 mm headphone jack on the phone .
Wireless charging is n’t supported ; there ’s only cabled charging here .
Test Data
Full Specs
Sustainability
TrustedReviews ’ check the fact that spheric warming is not a myth as a core economic value and will endlessly endeavor to help protect our planet from harm in its business practices .
As part of this commission , whenever we brush up a product we institutionalise the caller a serial of question to help us gauge and make transparent the impingement the equipment has on the surroundings .
We presently have n’t receive answers to the doubtfulness on this intersection , but will update this page the instant we do . you could see a detailed breakdown of the inquiry we ask and why in oursustainability info Sir Frederick Handley Page .
