OnePlus 10T vs. Nord N20 5G: Which phone is right for you?
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A powerful phone for the masses
The OnePlus 10T is a powerhouse with its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, with a sleek design and incredibly fast charging. It doesn’t have the best cameras you’ll find in a smartphone, but its raw performance more than makes up for that.
The $300 smartphone to buy
OnePlus' Nord N20 5G is the best $300 smartphone you can buy right now, offering solid performance for everyday tasks, an excellent AMOLED display, and a clean design.
TheOnePlus 10Tis one of the more interesting new phones we’ve seen in recent years,skipping over the rumored OnePlus 10to offer a more affordable alternative to theOnePlus 10 Prowhile delivering even faster performance. It’s created a strange divide in the OnePlus 10 family, but it’s certainly a flagship worth a closer look. However, the OnePlus 10T also has a surprising contender in the company’s ownNord N20 5G, a $300 smartphone that offers a wallet-friendly alternative for everyday use. They’re two of thebest Android phoneson the market today, and both offer good bang for your buck, but not necessarily in the same way.
OnePlus 10T
OnePlus Nord N20 5G
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
6.7" 1080x2412 AMOLED, 120Hz
6.43" 1080x2400 (20:9) AMOLED, 60Hz
128GB, 256GB
USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Operating System
Oxygen OS 12.1, Android 12
Oxygen OS 11, Android 11
Front Camera
16MP f/2.4
Read Cameras
50MP f/1.8 primary 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 2MP f/2.4 macro
64MP f/1.79 primary 2MP f/2.4 macro 2MP f/2.4 monochrome
Connectivity
5G, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC
Dimensions
163 x 75.4 x 8.75 mm
159.9 x 73.2 x 7.5 mm
125W (US), 150W (international)
33W SuperVOOC
Moonstone Black, Jade Green
Blue Smoke
Price and availability
The OnePlus 10T starts at $650 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while you can double both of those numbers for an extra $100 to get the 16GB/256GB model. There’s no microSD card slot, so you’ll want to choose your storage carefully at the outset.
The Nord N20 5G is available in only a single version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of capacity, but you’re able to expand that up to 512GB by adding your own microSD card. Best of all, you can pick up the Nord N20 for a much more affordable $300.
Design: How do they compare?
The OnePlus 10T and OnePlus Nord N20 5G are approximately the same size and both feature larger screens. However, that’s where their similarities end. While the OnePlus 10T follows the company’s distinctive design — it’s remarkably similar to the flagship OnePlus 10 Pro — you might have a hard time believing the Nord N20 is actually made by the same company.
The OnePlus 10T sports the more premium look of the two, making a statement with its rear four-camera cutout that protrudes with nicely-tapered edges and wraps around to the side. The rear finish is available in either a glass Jade Green color or a textured Moonstone Black, and the two colors not only look great but differ in feel and finish, giving you an option that few other smartphones offer. Combined with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front display, the OnePlus 10T looks and feels like the kind of phone you’ll be reluctant to put in a case.
By contrast, the OnePlus Nord N20 5G is more of a mixed bag. The plastic back is mostly flat, save for the pair of large cameras that individually protrude rather than being grouped into a single camera bump. It’s a unique look, particularly considering it’s also one of the thinner and lighter smartphones you’ll find on the market. That may not matter much, though, since the polycarbonate build and basic glass on the front mean you’re more likely to slap a case on it anyway.
OnePlus is a bit of an outlier when it comes to waterproofing its phones, saving the best protection for its Pro models. This means neither the OnePlus 10T nor the Nord N20 5G are particularly water-resistant, but at least the IP54 rating on the OnePlus 10T means it’s protected from most splashes and sprays. The Nord N20 5G drops that to IP52, which means you might be okay using it in a light drizzle, but that’s about it.
Both phones feature a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, but the Nord N20 5G has the edge over the OnePlus 10T with its 3.5mm headphone jack for folks who prefer to use traditional wired headphones rather than connecting over Bluetooth or USB-C. Still, in just about every other way, the OnePlus 10T not only looks better but also feels like a more solid and premium design.
Display: The OnePlus 10T is brighter
The OnePlus 10T and Nord N20 5G both include AMOLED displays with virtually the same FHD+ resolution, but the OnePlus 10T takes it up a notch by offering refresh rates of up to 120Hz, compared to the 60Hz screen on the Nord N20 5G. Neither phone will go lower than 60Hz. The Nord N20 5G has a smaller screen at 6.43 inches, which translates to a slightly higher pixel density of 409ppi over the OnePlus 10T’s 394ppi, but that’s not a difference you’re going to notice with the naked eye.
The AMOLED displays provide good contrast and color on both phones, but the Nord N20 doesn’t get quite as bright, maxing out at around 430 nits. The OnePlus 10T can hit 500 nits in normal operation but also supports HDR10+ with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. You won’t have a problem using either outdoors, as long as you’re not working in direct sunlight. Both phones also have a monochromatic always-on display to show the time and notifications. They feature an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is placed in an odd and awkward position at the very bottom of their screens.
The OnePlus 10T ships with Android 12 as the underlying foundation for OnePlus' OxygenOS 12.1, while the Nord N20 has OxygenOS 11 out of the box, which is built on top of Android 11. OnePlus has promised to take the Nord N20 to Android 12 and OxygenOS 12, and it seems to be delivering on that promise, albeit slowly. Opponents of the “colorification” of OxygenOS may like the idea of keeping a Nord N20 on OxygenOS 11, but the downside is that it will also leave you stuck with Android 11.
More importantly, while OnePlus 10T owners have already received Android 13 and can expect to be covered for another two major updates, Android 12 is the end of the road for the Nord N20. OnePlus has generally been a bit stingy with its software updates, offering only one or two major Android updates for all but its flagship phones. Although the company recentlychanged its policy, this only applies to phones released in 2023 and beyond. It remains an open question whether the OnePlus 10T will go beyond Android 15, but the Nord series is almost certain to be left behind.
Since both phones now use OxygenOS 12 or later, you’ll find the user experience remarkably similar —for better or worse. Android 13 and OxygenOS 13 have finally rolled out to the OnePlus 10T, so it’s a small step ahead, butconsidering how long it took to arrive, it’s hard to count on future updates showing up in a timely manner. Still, a late update for the OnePlus 10T is arguably better than a “never” update for the Nord N20 5G.
Performance: How do they run?
With its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, the OnePlus 10T boasts more raw power than the company’s flagship OnePlus 10 Pro. It’s the same chipset that’s packed into other top-tier phones released in the latter part of 2022, and you’ll have a hard time finding anything the OnePlus 10T can’t handle, especially if you opt for the configuration with 16GB of RAM,
On the other hand, the Snapdragon 695 in the Nord N20 does a pretty respectable job for a midrange processor. There’s ample performance here for everyday tasks, even if the phone tends to lag sometimes, but don’t expect the Nord N20 to handle the latest mobile games. It should work okay with popular titles optimized for older hardware, such as Call of Duty: Mobile; however, it’s barely up to handling Fortnite, much less demanding 3D games.
Battery life and charging
Despite having a slightly smaller battery — 4,500mAh vs. 4,800 mAh — the Nord N20 actually manages to surpass the more powerful OnePlus 10T in how long it lasts on a single charge. While neither phone provides outstanding battery life, the 60Hz screen and Snapdragon 695 consume less power, giving Nord N20 owners a solid day of battery life — possibly even two with lighter use. Unless you disable some of its more power-hungry features, such as the 120Hz screen, the OnePlus 10T will likely need to hit a charger every night, and you may even have to top it up sooner if you’re using it more extensively.
However, the tradeoff is that the OnePlus 10T can charge nearly four times faster than the Nord N20. In fact, it’s one of the fastest-charging smartphones available in the U.S., with a 125W rate that will take it from nearly dead to 100% in about 20 minutes. OnePlus 10T models sold outside the U.S. can go even faster, with charging speeds of up to 150W. Nevertheless, the 33W charging on the Nord N20 is nothing to scoff at, and it can still get you up to a 75% charge in about 40 minutes. Note that neither model supports wireless charging.
Cameras: It’s a tie
Neither of these two phones is a flagship camera phone — that’s the exclusive domain of the Hasselblad-tuned OnePlus 10 Pro — but they both take decent enough photos for casual photographers. While the OnePlus 10T features a 50MP main camera, and the Nord N20 5G boasts an even higher 64MP, it’s important to remember that these are bothbinned downto 12.5MP and 16MP, respectively.
The Nord N20 offers three cameras, but the two secondary ones are a monochrome-only filter camera and a macro lens which are mostly useless for everyday photography. The OnePlus 10T replaces the monochrome camera with an 8MP ultra-wide lens that’s still not especially impressive. Neither phone is ideal for doing much more than sharing casual snapshots on social media. Although there may be many reasons to pick the more expensive OnePlus 10T over the Nord N20, the cameras aren’t one of them.
Which is right for you?
Ultimately, the decision between the OnePlus 10T and Nord N20 5G comes down to the choice between performance and price. At $300, there’s little doubt that the Nord N20 5G offers impressive value for what it can do today. It’s one of the best smartphones you’re able to buy in this price range, provided you’re willing to live with its limitations: you’ll only get 5G service on T-Mobile, and don’t expect to take it beyond Android 12.
Although the OnePlus 10T comes in at more than double the price, you’re getting one of the best mobile chipsets in any smartphone. With the fastest charging speeds in the U.S., it’s a great flagship phone in almost every way except its camera system. Plus, the raw power offered by its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip may be a great tradeoff for those who care more about gaming and performance than photography. Finally, you have the assurance that Android updates will cover you for another couple of years.
The OnePlus 10T is one of the most powerful smartphones on the market today, thanks to its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. Combined with a sleek design and promised updates through Android 15, it’s a phone that will serve you well for years to come.
The Nord N20 5G offers an impressive set of capabilities for its modest asking price, and it’s the best money you can spend on a smartphone right now for folks on a budget.
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