OnePlus announced the mid-range, affordable smartphone - the Nord 2T 5G - during an event on 19 May 2022, alongside the Nord CE 2 Lite and the Nord Buds. The Nord 2T succeeds the excellent Nord 2, which was revealed in July 2021 as the successor to the popular OnePlus Nord.

If you're wondering how the OnePlus Nord 2T compares to its predecessor and the original Nord, you're in the right place. Here is how the OnePlus Nord 2T differs from the Nord 2 and original Nord.

OnePlus Nord 2T CPH2399 5G 128GB 8GB RAM Factory Unlocked (GSM Only | No CDMA - not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint) – Gray Shadow

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Design

  • Nord 2T: 159.1 x 73.2 x 8.2mm, 190g, glass and plastic
  • Nord 2: 158.9 x 73.2 x 8.3mm, 189g, glass and plastic
  • Nord: 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2mm, 184g, glass and aluminium

The OnePlus Nord 2T takes its design cues from the Nord 2, though it changes things up a little in the rear camera - but not necessarily in a good way. The camera housing is wider on the Nord 2T than the Nord 2 and the lenses and flash are arranged in a different way too. On the Nord 2T, there is one large lens and then two lenses within a larger circle below - it's not great for those that like symmetry - and it certainly makes for an interesting approach.

The Nord 2 meanwhile, comes with a slimmer rectangular camera housing that features two prominent camera lenses and one smaller lens. It has a glass back and a plastic frame, which the Nord 2T also offers.

On the front, the OnePlus Nord 2T and Nord 2 have a punch hole camera in the top left corner of their displays and under-display fingerprint sensors. The Nord 2T measures 159.1 x 73.2 x 8.2mm, which is almost identical to both the Nord 2T and the original Nord.

The original Nord has a pill-shaped camera housing on the rear, with three camera lenses. There is a dual punch hole camera on the front in the top left corner of the display and it too has an under display fingerprint sensor like the Nord 2T and Nord 2.

There is no official IP rating for the OnePlus Nord 2T, Nord 2 or orignal Nord but all have the signature OnePlus alert slider.

Display

  • Nord 2T: 6.43-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz refresh rate
  • Nord 2: 6.43-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz refresh rate
  • Nord: 6.44-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz refresh rate

The OnePlus Nord 2T and Nord 2 come with a 6.43-inch display, offering a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. This delivers a pixel density of 409ppi. They both offer an AMOLED panel with a 20:9 aspect ratio and they both have a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification.

The original Nord meanwhile, has a 6.44-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080, which delivers a pixel density of 411ppi. It offers a 20:9 aspect ratio and it too has a 90Hz refresh rate.

The Nord 2T, Nord 2 and original Nord all have a flat display.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G Euro 4G Volte GSM Global 128GB + 8GB 50MP Triple Camera NFC Dual Sim International Version (Gray Sierra)

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Hardware and specs

  • Nors 2T: MediaTek Dimensity 1300-AI, 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh
  • Nord 2: MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI, 6/8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh
  • Nord: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4115mAh

The OnePlus Nord 2T runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor and there are two models - one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and the other with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. It's said the new processor should help with low light shots.

The Nord 2 comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor under its hood - said to have the same performance as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip. There's up to 12GB of RAM support, with 6GB and 8GB options, and up to 256GB storage with 128GB an option.

In terms of battery, the OnePlus Nord 2T and Nord 2 sport a 4500mAh cell. For the Nord 2T, there's 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support like the flagship OnePlus 10 Pro, while the OnePlus Nord 2 supports 65W fast charging - the same as the OnePlus 9.

The original OnePlus Nord runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, supported by up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.

It has a 4115mAh battery capacity and it supports fast charging. None of the Nord models offer wireless charging.

Cameras

  • Nord 2T: Triple rear (50MP OIS+8MP+2MP), 32MP
  • Nord 2: Triple rear (50MP OIS+8MP+2MP), 32MP
  • Nord: Quad rear (48MP+8MP+5MP+2MP), dual front (32MP+8MP)

The OnePlus Nord 2T and Nord 2 come with a triple rear camera that offers a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilisation and an f/1.8 aperture. The main sensor is joined by an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel mono lens camera with an f/2.2 aperture. As we mentioned at the beginning of this feature though, there's a difference in the arrangement of the lenses, and we also mentioned that the upgraded processor should help improve shots for the Nord 2T.

The Nord 2T and Nord 2's front camera is a 32-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 aperture.

The OnePlus Nord has a quad rear camera comprised of a main sensor, ultra-wide sensor, macro sensor and a depth sensor. The main sensor is 48-megapixels with an aperture of f/1.75, the ultra-wide is 8-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.25 and a field of view of 119-degrees, the depth sensor is 5-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.4 and the marco sensor is 2-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.4. The main sensor offers OIS and EIS.

On the front, the Nord has a dual front camera made up of a 32-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra wide angle sensor.

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Conclusion

The OnePlus Nord 2T offers a refreshed design over its predecessor, closer in-line with the company's flagship offering, whilst also offering a processor bump and and support for faster charging. 

The Nord 2 does the same over the original Nord, with a bigger design update, but otherwise the same improvements. 

The Nord has an extra camera lens on the rear and front compared to the Nord 2 and Nord 2T - though this doesn't automatically translate to better results - and it of course has an older processor than the Nord 2T, as well as the Nord 2. The display, RAM and storage is pretty much the same between the Nord, Nord 2 and Nord 2T though.

If you're deciding between the three devices, the Nord 2T makes the most sense, offering a couple of worthwhile features, like the faster charging. If you're wondering whether to upgrade, then we think it's likely worth it if you're coming from the original Nord, but if you're coming from the Nord 2, you could probably skip this model unless you really love that new camera arrangement.