OnePlus Nord 2 vs older OnePlus phones: Should you upgrade?

As OnePlus’ flagships get more expensive, the company launched its Nord series in 2020 to offer a mid-range, and most importantly, more affordable alternative to its high-end devices. The original Nord was a success, but just a year later, its successor – the OnePlus Nord 2 – faces an extremely saturated mid-range market with phones that offer a lot for your money.

The North 2 seems to tick all the right boxes. It mimics a flagship design, offers high-end performance, and has almost everything OnePlus fans love. However, is the OnePlus Nord 2 a worthy upgrade compared to the older devices from OnePlus? We look at how the Nord 2 compares to all the OnePlus smartphones in front of it to see if it’s time to upgrade.

Our verdict: OnePlus Nord 2 review

The OnePlus 6 and 6T were the last of the company’s “flagship killer” era. The OnePlus 6T, in particular, was an extremely popular device that offered the right mix of high-end specs and features at an unbeatable price. Although the smartphone landscape has changed in recent years, the OnePlus 6 and 6T don’t feel old because these devices set design and function trends that continue to this day.

The OnePlus 6 was the company’s first to have a notch for the front camera, and the 6T came with the waterdrop notch and a fingerprint scanner under the display. The curved glass back and the almost frameless front also hold up. The Snapdragon 845 processor with 8GB of RAM is still a powerful processing package. While the camera was never OnePlus’ strong point, the dual camera setup is more than usable.

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That said, there’s a lot that shows the age of these phones. The 60 Hz refresh rate of the display is clearly old school compared to current alternatives. And 20W charging, called Warp Charge back then, now feels pretty slow when compared to the 65W fast charging of devices like the Nord 2. Of course, you won’t get 5G support either, but that doesn’t really act big unless you live in an area with a strong 5G signal. OnePlus also delayed the launch of Oxygen OS 11, with the phones expected to receive the software update later this year. Unfortunately, that’s also the end of the road for these devices, neither of which are expected to get Android 12.

There are many reasons why the OnePlus Nord 2 is worth buying if you’re still rocking the OnePlus 6 or 6T. You get a faster processor, better display with a higher refresh rate, better cameras, and faster loading. Anyone looking to upgrade to the Nord 2 won’t be faced with the drastic price hike they’d get if they bought OnePlus’ latest flagships.

A lot got mixed up with the 7T series. The 7T Pro was largely an iterative update, with the only difference being the upgrade to the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor. OnePlus also brought the best features of the Pro editions – apart from display resolution and design – to the regular 7T.

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While these phones are from 2019, they aren’t that far behind the Nord 2. The Snapdragon 855 and 855 Plus still hold up very well, you get 8GB of RAM and these phones will likely be upgraded to Android 12, 7 Pro, 7T and 7T Pro all have a refresh rate of 90Hz, and the Pro editions offer higher resolution than the Nord 2. You also get triple camera setups across the board, and the Nord 2 doesn’t come with an IP rating or wireless charging.

The Nord 2 of course has some advantages as it is a newer version. It performs better, you charge a lot faster, and the cameras are better, although the real world performance isn’t up to date. The Nord 2 also receives software updates faster. If you already own the 7T or Pro edition and are considering upgrading, you might be better off with the OnePlus flagships unless you’re looking for an affordable option.

If you have the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, or the 8T, you probably don’t want to upgrade anyway, and if so, the Nord 2 isn’t the device to consider. The Nord 2 is a mid-range model through and through, and while the 8 Series is perhaps a year older at this point, their flagship chops continue to shine.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is understandably the better of the two 8 series models. You get a QHD + display with a refresh rate of 120Hz compared to the regular model’s FHD + 90Hz screen and wireless charging. The Pro also has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and a much better camera setup. The 8T also brings the best features of the 8 Pro to a cheaper package with a higher refresh rate and faster wired charging. However, compared to the 8 Pro, you miss the QHD + screen, an IP rating and wireless charging.

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The Nord 2 offers similar performance and charges faster than the 8 and 8 Pro. However, considering everything else, it’s lagging behind, and there’s certainly nothing here to justify upgrading from the three 2020 versions.

The OnePlus Nord 2 is a decent upgrade over its predecessor. Its Dimensity 1200 processor offers better performance, the camera setup is arguably an improvement, and the Nord 2’s battery is not only bigger, but it can also be charged much faster. The Nord 2 also borrows design elements from the OnePlus 9 series and looks and feels of higher quality. This is where the differences end, however.

Both phones have similar displays and identical RAM and memory configurations. The older Nord also has more cameras, with a quad camera setup on the back and two front-facing stud shooters compared to the Nord 2’s triple camera package and single front-facing unit. However, the number of cameras isn’t great on note on quality, and the Nord 2 will likely be the better of the two after OnePlus fixed some issues with software updates on launch day.

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This is the only match that really matters among the newer versions of OnePlus. Even then, if you have the OnePlus Nord, it might be too early to upgrade to its successor, and it’s not enough here to take the plunge.

This comparison is a breeze. The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are the company’s newest flagships and are obviously better than the Nord 2. There’s absolutely no reason you’d want to buy the Nord 2 when you already have a 9-series phone.

The 9 and 9 Pro come with the Snapdragon 888 under the hood, a 120Hz screen refresh rate, identical batteries, and wired charging speeds. For the first time, OnePlus is also bringing wireless charging to the non-Pro model, although you get much faster wireless charging at 50W with the 9 Pro. The 9 Pro also has a higher resolution display, an IP68 rating for water resistance, and a better camera package.

OnePlus 9 Buyer’s Guide: Everything you need to know

The Nord 2 is actually not that different from the regular OnePlus 9. It even keeps the main cameras away from its flagship sibling. However, this is where OnePlus’ partnership with Hasselblad makes the difference for its flagship series. Despite the similar hardware, the camera functions of the Nord 2 are not close to the 9 series, at least for the time being. And that’s disappointing because the camera is the only area where the Nord 2 could potentially keep up with the flagships.

The only reason you should consider the Nord 2 is if you haven’t bought a 9-series phone and want to save a lot of money. At just under a thousand dollars, the Nord 2 is less than half the price of the 9 Pro and a lot cheaper than the regular 9. And that’s pretty much the only salvation for the Nord 2 compared to the current OnePlus flagships.

The problem with a mid-ranger is that it’s difficult to justify an upgrade compared to the flagships of the time. The Nord 2 is definitely an improvement over the 6, 6T, or older phones and is the only upgrade I can safely say yes to. It has its advantages over the 7 and 7T Series, but unless you’re looking for a cheaper option, the Nord 2 isn’t the “upgrade” you’re looking for.

It is similarly unclear with the older north. The Nord 2 is the better phone, but the Nord is by no means old and it might be too early to upgrade. After all, there is absolutely no reason to switch to the Nord 2 if you already own the OnePlus 8, 8 Pro, 8T or one of the two 9-series smartphones.

Are you going to upgrade from an older OnePlus smartphone to the OnePlus Nord 2? Let us know in the comments!