OnePlus Nord 2T vs POCO F4 5G: Which phone under Rs 30,000 should you buy?

OnePlus introduced the Nord series in mid-2020, with ‘premium’ specifications and a mid-range price tag. The OnePlus Nord 2T, launched last week, is the latest member of this series, offering a MediaTek processor, triple rear cameras and fast charging at a sub-Rs 30,000 price segment.

The OnePlus Nord 2T has launched in a segment which has just seen the introduction of the iQOO Neo 6 5G and POCO F4 5G. Is it enough to take on the latest competition? We pit the OnePlus Nord 2T against the POCO F4 5G in terms of India price, design, specs and more to see which one is the better buy.

OnePlus Nord 2T vs POCO F4 5G: price in India

Launched in India last week, the OnePlus Nord 2T (review) comes in two variants. The 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant costs Rs 28,999, while the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 33,999. Both the phones will be available via Amazon and the official OnePlus India website from July 5, 12 noon. Interested buyers will also get an additional flat discount of Rs 1,500 if they use ICICI Bank credit and debit cards to buy it.

In comparison, the POCO F4 5G (review) can be availed in three variants – a 6GB + 128GB variant at Rs 27,999, an 8GB + 128GB variant at Rs 29,999 and a 12GB + 256GB variant at Rs 33,999. All variants get a Rs 1,000 flat introductory discount for now, and an additional Rs 3,000 off via SBI credit and debit cards. The smartphone can be purchased on Flipkart.

OnePlus Nord 2T vs POCO F4 5G: design, specs, features

Design

The OnePlus Nord 2T comes in two colour variants – Grey Shadow and Jade Fog. It features a minimal design language with a smooth, glass-like rear finish, with the logo placed at the centre. The edges are gently curved inward to fit palms better, and to the top-left, the camera module is housed. The camera module itself has one large unit at the top for the main sensor, while the lower unit houses two cameras, and a third faux hole for design proportionality. The edges have a metal rim, while thin bezels and a front camera drill-hole slot to the top-left corner make for its overall offerings. It is also important to note that the Nord 2T is evidently more compact than the POCO F4, and lighter at 190 grams. However, it is also marginally thicker, at 8.2mm.

The POCO F4 5G comes in three colours – Night Black, Nebula Green and Moonlight Silver. It has flat edges that give the phone a more upright stance, while the rear camera module to the top-left is quite large. To the front, bezels are about as slim as the Nord 2T, while the front camera is placed at the centre in a drill-hole slot. The POCO F4 5G weighs 195 grams, but is slimmer at 7.7mm. However, owing to the larger display, it is larger in comparison.

Processor, storage and RAM

The Nord 2T runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC, with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The processor is comparable to POCO F4 5G’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC – but while the latter is a better performer as per benchmark data, the MediaTek SoC is a more efficient unit.

The POCO F4 5G features the Snapdragon 870, which makes this combination a near head-to-head battle. It also features up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, thus not leaving much room to differentiate between the two – at least on paper.

Display

The Nord 2T features a 6.43-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ certification, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection and 90Hz refresh rate.

In comparison, the POCO F4 5G features a 6.67-inch full HD+ E4 AMOLED display with HDR10+ certification and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection. However, it additionally gets 120Hz refresh rate for smoother frame rates, and carries Dolby Vision certification as well.

Cameras

The Nord 2T features a 50MP primary rear camera powered by the Sony IMX766 image sensor, paired with an f/1.8 lens and optical image stabilisation. It also gets an 8MP ultra-wide angle camera, and a 2MP monochrome unit as well. It can shoot 4K videos at 30fps, and 1080p videos at up to 480fps. The front camera uses a 32MP sensor, which can record videos at 1080p.

The POCO F4 5G, meanwhile, features a 64MP primary rear camera with an f/1.8 lens and Optical Image Stabilisation. It has an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and the 2MP unit here offers macro photography. The smartphone can shoot 4K 30fps and 1080p 60fps videos. It has a 20MP front camera instead, which too can record 1080p videos.

Battery

The Nord 2T features a 4,500mAh battery with 80W fast charging, which OnePlus says can offer 70 percent charge in under 15 minutes.

In comparison, the POCO F4 also features a 4,500mAh battery with 67W fast charging support, which is advertised to offer 100 percent power in 38 minutes.

Connectivity

The Nord 2T comes with Wi-Fi 6 for gigabit-class Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth 5.2, and NavIC support for GPS services. It has an under-display fingerprint sensor, and uses USB-C for charging – but has no 3.5mm audio port for wired earphones.

The POCO F4 has the exact same connectivity features, but houses its fingerprint sensor on the side power button instead.

OnePlus Nord 2T vs POCO F4 5G: verdict

The POCO F4 5G offers the bigger display with faster refresh rate, and good performance at under Rs 30,000. However, it does come with slower charging speed.

The OnePlus Nord 2T should be interesting for those looking for a more compact phone, but can live with the slower refresh rate as a consequence. The performance should be nearly at par with what POCO offers, and the charging speed tops the latter’s.

While both phones are similarly placed, the deciding factor will lie in what feature do you as a buyer prioritise.