One believes in living an extreme life. The other one is (with a plus) not settling. One marks the return of a popular series. The other one is the first T variant in the already wrathful series. They both boast some serious performance power but manage to deliver their mid-segment price tags. Both are so high-profile that anyone wanting to get a phone in the Rs 25,000 – Rs 30,000 range will definitely have to consider them. But which of the Redmi K50i 5G, the phone that marks the return of the Redmi K series to India, or the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G, Nord’s first T phone, should you go for it?
Let us do that for you.
Design and look: Who got the look?
They may compete in the same price bracket, but in terms of looks, the OnePlus Nord 2T and Redmi K50i are almost the same as chalk and cheese. The Redmi K50i has straight sides and a plastic back while the Nord 2T comes with curved sides and a glass back. Nord 2T also comes in more subtle shades of gray and green, while the Redmi K50i’s blue and silver shades are a bit more in your face (black isn’t, but it’s black). The Nord 2T also has larger camera apertures than the K50i, although you’d prefer it to be a matter of personal aesthetics. The Nord 2T is a more compact phone, measuring 159.1mm in height compared to the 163.6mm in the Redmi K50i. It is also less wide (73.2 mm vs. 74.3 mm), and thinner at 8.2 mm vs. 8.8 mm. At 190 grams, we also supply 10 grams lighter than the Redmi K50i.
So which one looks better? We were voting for the Nord 2T, especially the Gray Shadow variant which reminds us of the sandstone finish on the first OnePlus phone. The Redmi K50i isn’t bad when you look at it and actually comes with IP53 dust and water resistance, but it looks more routine than the Nord 2T.
winner: OnePlus Nord 2T
Display: LED AMOLED?
For many spec stalkers, this is the biggest difference between the two phones. The OnePlus Nord 2T comes with a 6.43-inch Full HD + AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and the Redmi K50i appears to be making mincemeat with a larger 6.6-inch Full HD display with an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate that changes according to the content displayed on it. However, there is a factor that may be important to many users – the Redmi K50i comes with an FFS LCD screen, not an AMOLED screen. And this launches another chapter in the battle of LCD vs. AMOLED. Without getting into too many technical aspects, we found that the Nord 2T’s display looked like it had more pleasing colors but those who prefer more realistic shades will love the Redmi K50i, which is actually a pretty good screen in its own right. There is also no doubt that scrolling was much smoother on the Redmi K50i. Nord 2T has AMOLED and lower refresh rate, Redmi K50i has high quality LCD screen and much higher refresh rate. Both are quite good in their own way. We call this a tie.
result: Necktie
Processor: exchange those chips
Regarding the processor, the Redmi K50i shows a clear winner. The MediaTek Dimensity 1300 on the Nord 2T is a very good top-of-the-line processor for the mid-range and can handle most tasks with ease, but the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 on the K50i is close to flagship and the difference in performance is very obvious when getting into editing or heavy-duty gaming. This is a round that the Redmi K50i comfortably wins.
winner: Redmi K50i
RAM & Storage: Store memories and handle tasks
The OnePlus Nord comes with RAM and storage variants: 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB. The Redmi K50i also has two variants, but they are 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. You’d think Nord would get a slight edge here based on these numbers, but the Redmi K50i actually uses LPDDR5 RAM, which beats the LPDDR4X used in the Nord 2T. Both phones come with UFS 3.1 storage, and neither of them has expandable storage. The issue of quality versus quantity becomes here – with the first K50i and the Nord 2T having the latter. We call this a tie.
winner: Necktie
Games and multimedia: very one side
A larger screen with a higher refresh rate, more powerful processor and superior RAM give the Redmi K50i a clear advantage over the OnePlus Nord 2T when it comes to gaming and multimedia. The Nord 2T is a decent gaming machine, as long as you’re willing to tweak the settings. However, no modification is required on the Redmi K50i which rocks most games at high settings easily. The bigger screen makes a difference while playing games or watching videos, and the fact that the K50i not only has better stereo speakers but also a 3.5mm audio jack for those who want to use wired headphones completes the guide. That’s a landslide victory for the Redmi K50i – and no, today’s AMOLED display doesn’t really deliver the Nord 2T here.
winner: Redmi K50i phone.
Cameras: Snap, who got it?
If the Redmi K50i escapes with the gaming and processor rounds, the OnePlus Nord 2T is back in the camera department. Both phones come with a triple camera arrangement on the back. On paper, the Redmi K50i appears to have its own specs with a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 2MP macro camera, compared to the 50MP Nord 2T’s 8MP main camera. Ultra-wide 2MP monocular lens. However, the main sensor of the Nord 2T is a flagship-level Sony IMX766 with OIS mode for good metering, and delivers images that are much better in terms of color and detail, both in normal and low light conditions. Video quality was also noticeably better in the North. This superiority extends to selfie vampires as well, with the 32MP Nord 2T shooter 16MP outperforming the Redmi K50i very comfortably. The Nord 2T obviously has the cameras that more people would say cheese!
winner: OnePlus Nord 2T
Software: User Interface Wars
Remember the chalk and cheese on the design tour. It appears again here as well. Both phones run Android 12, but what lies above is what makes them different. The Redmi K50i comes with Xiaomi’s slick and feature-rich MIUI 13, while the OnePlus Nord 2T has the spartan and narrower OxygenOS running on it. Both interfaces have their pros and cons. The Redmi K50i gives you more out of the box, while OxygenOS leaves you to do most of the tweaks and tweaks. Two years ago, OnePlus was going to take this round thanks to its better track record of updating software and ads in MIUI but recently Xiaomi has seen its ad improvement and update while OnePlus has had some issues with the update interface. Which interface you like depends on your preferences and tastes. We call this a tie.
winner: Necktie
Battery life and charging: a matter of milliamperes and watts
Here’s a fun roundup The Redmi K50i comes with a 5,000mAh battery compared to the 4,500mAh in the Nord 2T. Both get through a day of use with ease, with the Redmi K50i lasting longer, despite having a larger screen and a higher refresh rate. However, while the K50i comes with a 67W Turbo Charge in the box, the OnePlus Nord 2T comes with an 80W SuperVOOC. Realistically, the Redmi K50i takes about 45 to 50 minutes to fully charge from scratch, while the Nord 2T does the same in about half an hour. Faster charging or longer battery life? The choice is really yours. We call this a tie. Yes, another one.
winner: Necktie
General use: every day, routine things
Both phones handle routine tasks like calls, messages, web browsing and social networking with a degree of ease. Nord’s more compact frame makes it easier to handle but that feature is negated by the better audio on the Redmi K50i, which also offers the added benefit of a 3.5mm audio jack. We felt the Nord 2T handled calls a little better, but the Redmi K50i is good enough at calls and also has Bluetooth 5.3 and infrared connectivity. We also felt that the fingerprint sensor on the side of the Redmi K50i performed better than the in-display sensor on the Nord 2T. However, Nord 2T has an ingenious alert slider which is very convenient for those who want to switch between different phone modes. It’s hard for us to pick one winner here, so we’ll have another match.
winner: Necktie
Value for money: price matters
Redmi K50i has some advantages in terms of pure pricing. The phone is priced at Rs 25,999 for the 6GB/128GB variant and Rs 28,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant. This is lower than the OnePlus Nord 2T, which starts at Rs 28,999 for the 8GB/128GB and has a 12GB/256GB variant priced at Rs 33,999. If money is tight, the Redmi K50i is the clear winner here – its base variant (6GB/128GB) is priced a full 3,000 rupees less than the Nord 2T, even though the latter comes with 8GB of RAM.
winner: Redmi K50i
Which should I choose: Ok with K or One for OnePlus?
As you can see, it’s a very close battle between the two phones, with five of the ten comparison criteria ending in relationships. Of the remaining five, the Redmi K50i takes three while Nord 2T wins two. However, what really works for you is really a matter of preference and needs. The Redmi K50i is more than a beast of specs while the OnePlus Nord 2T is all about simple beauty. Those who are looking for ultimate processor power and gaming will be better served by the Redmi K50i. The Redmi K50i is also the best audio device by some distance, thanks to very good speakers and the 3.5mm audio jack. However, if you are looking for a neat looking compact phone with good cameras, that navigates through routine daily tasks with ease and gets charged in no time, the OnePlus Nord 2T stands out as a better option. Nord 2T will also be the choice of those who want a cleaner and less cluttered interface. Either way, you will end up with one of the best phones this segment has to offer.
With input from Akrit Rana