If you're as confused as we are about the ever-expanding and increasingly convoluted Nord family of mid-end OnePlus smartphones, you should probably gear up for even more confusion.
Taking a page from the company's pre-2021 flagships, it looks like last year's Nord 2 5G handset will receive a light T-branded upgrade at some point in the near future in addition to a full-fledged sequel.
Standing out from the Nord crowd
Not to be confused with the recently released Nord CE 2 5G or the upcoming Nord CE 2 Lite 5G and Nord N20 5G, the 6.43-inch OnePlus Nord 2T 5G is today rendered in press-friendly quality, showcasing both its front and back panel after a previous leak of just the latter in an unusual sandstone finish.
This time around, the renders are playing things safe in terms of colors and finishes, which still leaves the rear-facing camera setup to catch our eye with its... unconventionality. The rectangular module looks like nothing we've ever seen before in the mobile industry (for better or worse), housing two flashlights (for unclear purposes) and two circular rings.
While the top ring accommodates a large primary shooter expected to feature a 50MP count, the bottom one includes two much smaller imaging sensors likely to perform 8MP ultra-wide-angle and 2MP monochrome duties respectively.
The face of the Nord 2T, of course, looks way more conventional and familiar, greatly resembling that of the original ?OnePlus Nord 2, with pretty much the same exact noticeable "chin" and razor-thin top and side bezels, as well as an identical top left-mounted hole punch tipped to house an unchanged 32MP selfie snapper.
The display is also reportedly unchanged, sporting the same old (but good) Full HD+ resolution and smooth 90Hz refresh rate capabilities, and a few other key specs are expected to stay the same as well, including a 4,500mAh battery, up to 12 gigs of RAM paired with 256GB internal storage space, and yes, a good old fashioned headphone jack too.
Other changes and upgrades
Unsurprisingly, the OnePlus Nord 2T should run Android 12 (with OxygenOS on top) on the software side of things out the box while packing a Dimensity 1300 processor. Unveiled just last month, this bad boy should provide a solid raw power upgrade over the Dimensity 1200 found inside the Nord 2, and based on the early benchmarks of other new MediaTek chipsets, it might also give its Qualcomm-made rivals a run for their money.
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Obviously, the presumably 5G-enabled Nord 2T will not compete against the likes of Samsung's high-end Galaxy S22 family for the title of overall best Android phone in the world in 2022, but with 80W charging support also tipped to be part of this upper mid-range package, the value for money equation could prove to be simply unbeatable here.
That is, of course, as long as OnePlus manages to price this handset competitively, which is usually not a problem. Don't hold your breath for an official US release, though, because that's probably never going to happen. Elsewhere, we expect a formal announcement to come at some point this month or in May at the latest.
Seeing how the Nord 2 5G normally starts at €399 on the old continent, a European MSRP of around €450 and up is our safest current bet for the phone's T iteration. That's obviously for an entry-level variant with an 8GB RAM count and 128 gigs of internal storage space most likely lacking a microSD card slot but keeping the handy alert slider alive alongside the aforementioned 3.5mm audio jack and other useful things like stereo speakers.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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