Back before OnePlus branched out into premium flagships, mid-range phones, and all that, the company had a reputation for making one or two "flagship killers" a year. The original OnePlus One had an iconic sandstone-feeling back that became so recognizable, the company kept it around in the form of cases even after the OnePlus 3 switched to a metal back, and the OnePlus 6 started doing glass. If you've missed that classic feeling on the back of your phone, and you don't like using a case, we've got some good news — the upcoming Nord 2T might just mark the return of sandstone.

OnePlus has been doing mid-range phones for a minute now — last year brought us the OnePlus Nord 2, and we've heard for some time the company has been preparing a follow-up, in the form of the Nord 2T. Now 91Mobiles is showing off how the phone might look when it arrives, and it's not quite what we were expecting.

nord-2t-mockup-91mobiles

It goes without saying that this isn't an official render, and looks more like a mock-up to our eyes (perhaps based on real data). The rectangular camera module is sort of in line with recent OnePlus releases like the Nord CE 2, but takes a more Huawei-like spin, with two circular sub-modules — the top one holding what we can presume is the main sensor, and the bottom one packed with two smaller ones. And then we have the back panel itself, with what the original report thinks might be sandstone. It sure does look textured, but this image is just so rough around the —well, everything— that it's hard to take much away with great certainty.

Given how this is a T refresh, we're expecting an official announcement sooner rather than later, at least considering how long the Nord 2 has already been on the market.