After successfully penetrating the phone market, it was time for Nothing to expand – and Nothing Phone (2) did just that, going from the original’s 6.55in to 6.7in. Given that open sales of the second-generation model begin next week, we wanted to vote on whether this was the right direction for ‘nothing’.
Besides being bigger, the new OLED panel is also LTPO-like, so it can accurately dial in a 1-120Hz refresh rate. That’s something out of reach for the Galaxy S23/S23+, Pixel 7/7a and iPhone 14/14 Plus.
That said, let’s get into Nothing Phone’s pricing (2). The base 8/128GB model costs $600 / £560 / €680 / AU$45,000. That’s higher than the price of the Pixel, on par with the Galaxy S23, lower than the S23+ and Moto Edge+/Edge 40 Pro, and well below the iPhone 14s.
In our hands-on review, we note that using the Phone 2 is very similar to using the Pixel. The only additions to stock Android are a few nifty widgets that match the aesthetics of the phone, and of course the app that controls the lights from Glyph’s interface, but that’s about it. It’s reminiscent of the early days of OnePlus, with the hype machine led by Carl Pei. By the way, nothing has confirmed that the phone (2) will see 3 OS updates and 4 years of security patches.
The price increase over the original phone (1) also results in a more powerful chipset, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a new 50MP sensor for the main camera (IMX890) and a better selfie camera and boost battery – 4,700 mAh with 45 W wired and 15 W wireless charging (instead of 4,500 mAh and 33/15 watts).
However, with the higher price also comes higher expectations. Glyph’s interface brings a breath of fresh air to an industry that has become stagnant in terms of design and nothing has come up with fun new features to get users interacting with Glyph. You can see it in action in our hands on video. Is that enough to make the phone stand out from the crowd, though?
Pre-orders for Nothing Phone (2) are already live and open sales start tomorrow (July 17), except in India where they start on Thursday (July 21).
And just in case you missed it, yes, the Phone 2 is also available in the US and Canada, adding a new option to the list of alternatives to the Apple/Samsung duopoly. There he will have to face OnePlus, but you don’t have to worry about Xiaomi, Pocos, Realmes, etc. in the world.
Where are you on Nothing Phone (2)?
