When OnePlus releases a T-series smartphone, this means that we are dealing with a slightly modified version of an earlier smartphone. That in itself is not a problem, but in the broader picture of the company’s recent strategy, it does pose a problem. And then we have the software…
OnePlus North 2T
Price € 399,-
Colour Grey blue
OS Android 12 (Oxygen OS 12)
Screen 6.4″ amoled (2400 x 1080, 90hz)
Processor 2.6 Ghz octa-core (MediaTek Dimensity 1300 5G)
RAM 8/12GB
Storage 128/256GB
Battery 4,500 mAh
Camera 50, 8.2 megapixel (rear), 32 (front)
Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 15.9 x 7.3 x 0.8 cm
Weight 189 grams
Other dualsim, fingerprint scanner under screen
Website www.oneplus.com
5 Score 50 
- Pros
- Fast charging with 80 watts
- Still a reasonable deal
- Negatives
- Part of bigger problem
- Update Policy and Speed
- OxygenOS 12
- Offers little added value
Why would you still choose a OnePlus smartphone in 2022? That’s a question that came to my mind when I tested the OnePlus 10 Pro. That question is on my mind again, this time because of the release of the OnePlus Nord 2T.
This is a slightly modified version of the OnePlus Nord 2, a smartphone that my colleague Joris could not recommend at the time, despite the good specifications.
It’s no secret that OnePlus is messed up. In the company, but also on the product side. Sister company Oppo predominates and – in my view – has a negative influence on the software and software policy. Then we have the new strategy: to release more smartphones than necessary, which also all resemble each other.
When OnePlus released the first Nord, it was a modest party. The brand was once known as a price fighter, which offered beautiful smartphones for competitive prices. In doing so, the company undermined giants such as Samsung and Apple, but failed to gain a large market share. However, the manufacturer gathered many fans among themselves, who often loudly defend the brand.
With the Nord, the company returned to the beginning: a competitive price for a powerful smartphone. We haven’t seen the slogan Never Settle for a while and for good reason, because with the Nord you definitely had to sacrifice something on the experience. And the same is actually the case for the more expensive models. But for now, let’s focus on the OnePlus Nord 2T.
The core of the problem
The OnePlus Nord 2T shows the core of OnePlus’ problem well. We now have Nord, Nord CE, Nord 2, Nord CE 2, and even the Nord 2 CE Lite (coming out with the 2T), which aren’t that far apart in specs. It is sometimes difficult to determine why you would prefer one device over another. What exactly is that abundance good for?
This in itself should not be a problem. Because if all goes well, you don’t buy a smartphone every six months, but you do that once every two, three or maybe six years. But even then it is not justifiable why so many similar smartphones appear on the market. Flooding the market is not a rigid plan, because you also have to maintain everything with software.
In addition, the smartphones are also very similar to the offer from Oppo. Sometimes this even goes so far that only the housing is modified, and here and there a specific part. This is somewhat like freedom of choice, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, with every iteration a smartphone gets just that little bit better, but the stretch is gone by continuing to iterate at this level.
This in itself has nothing to do with the OnePlus Nord 2T, but the device shows exactly what is wrong with the current strategy. If you place this device next to its predecessor (the Nord 2), you will notice that the differences are minimal. The processor is more modern, the charging speed is improving and this time Android 12 is directly on the device (instead of Android 11).
A distorted picture
And even then, such a short comparison gives a distorted picture. Because the processor in the OnePlus Nord 2T is not necessarily better. Mediatek’s Dimensity 1300 CPU is almost the same as its predecessor: the Dimensity 1200. The big difference is in the gaming options. The 1300 has HyperEngine 5.0, while the 1200 still has HyperEngine 3.0. So not very important.
In the meantime, Android 12 is also coming to the OnePlus Nord 2. Users can download the beta, but a stable version is still waiting – at the time of writing. This is also not necessarily a reason to choose this device. The only real innovation lies in the faster charging speed. It is now at 80 watts, compared to 65 watts on the Nord 2. A small difference.
Sometimes it doesn’t make much sense to compare new smartphones with older models, because then you quickly come to a negative conclusion. “Owners of [het vorige toestel] have no reason to [het nieuwe toestel] to buy, because the differences are minimal.” That is a common conclusion. But if the old device is still for sale, it can be important.
Usually, prices of older smartphones drop when new versions are available. And then an obvious conclusion is to just choose that model, if you had this version in mind. A tip, as a kind of preliminary conclusion: if you have the OnePlus Nord 2T in mind, read the review of the previous model and then check whether you are still interested.
View the device separately
The OnePlus Nord 2T largely applies what also applies to the Nord 2. On paper, the device does few things badly. The processor and memory (8 to 12 GB) is reasonably fast, so you don’t often encounter stuttering. There is also more than enough storage space (128 to 256 GB) for your photos and videos, which you can easily make with the camera system (which looks ugly by the way).
The photos are innocent and good in themselves, especially for your social media. The colors are sometimes a bit dull and less neutral than you might like, but you might be able to fix that with other photo apps. Furthermore, the battery lasts a long time, with its 4,500 mAh, and charging is lightning fast. Within half an hour your device is ready for use for a day and a half.
And then we arrive at the software, the latest showpiece and ever so important pillar of OnePlus. With the upgrade to Android 12, with OxygenOS 12 on top, it has gone from clean, tidy and uncluttered to unnecessary options, disappeared possibilities and a cluttered interface. This can and should no longer be the reason to choose a OnePlus.
Some options no longer exist, have been given a cluttered update or have been moved in such a way that they are almost untraceable. Of course, these are aspects that you get used to over time, but the transition is quite intense. In addition, the basic update policy and the slow update speed are generally not much. OnePlus was once much better at that; faded glory.
OnePlus Nord 2T – conclusion
Then we come to the question at the beginning of this review: why would you still choose a OnePlus smartphone in 2022? In the past, this was due to the lightning-fast update policy, the fine software and the strong price-quality ratio (which was the first to suffer). The hardware also played a major role, although it was always clear that you were sacrificing something.
But that was never really bad. Because your phone was fast, looked sleek and the support was perfect. But little of those qualities is left today. OnePlus makes soulless phones that do what the competition does, for the same price as the competition. Without really putting anything unique in return. While things like software are actually deteriorating.
The most unique aspect of the OnePlus Nord 2T, fast charging at 80 watts, is a convincing element in the fight against Samsung, for example. The processor is also quite fast. But in almost all other areas, Samsung does exactly the same or even better things, for example with the Galaxy A52s. It has a higher refresh rate, a more extensive camera system and a more energy-efficient processor. Little reason to consider the OnePlus Nord 2T instead.
If you are looking for a device in this price range, take a look at our selection aid for the best smartphones up to 400 euros.
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