The launch of last year’s nothing Phone 1 was nothing (pun intended) short of exciting – spearheaded by former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, the company has continues to challenge competitors in the Android market and has finally announced its latest flagship smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2. At first glance, it might seem like there’s not much of a difference between this year’s LED-equipped Android champion and the first-gen Nothing handset, but take a closer look and there are more surprises waiting underneath.
External Design
Nothing has decided not to stray too much from what made the Phone 1 distinguishable from the rest of the competition – you’ll still find strengthened glass panels on both the front and back, with a flat metal frame that encompasses the sides of the phone. We also see the return of the Glyph interface, Nothing’s custom LED notification system that serves as the main physical highlight of the Phone 2.
Nothing says that the Phone 2’s Glyph interface features even more LED segments, allowing for more versatility in terms of function and customisation, with regards to how users can setup the lighting system depending on their needs. This means the LEDs can now serve as countdown timers, delivery progress indicators, and even features a new Essential Glyph Notification, which works by keeping the top-right LED segment turned on when a notification remains unchecked by a user.
The front of the display has also seen some upgrades, with a larger 6.7-inch width. The LTPO AMOLED screen also features an adaptive refresh rate that maxes out at 120Hz. Additionally, the camera cutout has now been placed at the centre of the screen, a minor but obvious change. The display does retain the built-in fingerprint scanner for biometrics.
Internal Hardware and Cameras
While last year’s Phone 1 stuck to a 7-series Snapdragon chip, the Phone 2 comes with a faster chipset more befitting of a flagship device. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 powers the Phone 2, and while it’s not exactly the latest 8 Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm, it’s still great to see a more powerful SoC inside the Phone 2. This also means that the Phone 2 will be somewhat more affordable compared to most other Android flagships.
The 8+ Gen 1 is paired with up to 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, should you opt to get the maxed-out storage variant. There’s also a 4700 mAh battery inside, which Nothing says supports fast-charging speeds – users can replenish up to 50% of power in under 20 minutes charging time.
The phone also launches with Android 13, with a layer of Nothing OS 2.0. Nothing’s proprietary Android interface has been one of the more minimalist and cleaner-looking ones that we’ve seen from third-party OEMs, and it packs some new improvements for fluidity and usability.
For optics, the Phone 2 comes with a dual-array camera on the rear panel, which features a couple of 50MP sensors. The main camera uses Sony’s IMX890 sensor, which in addition to photos can capture videos of up to 4K resolution at 60fps, and comes with both optical and electronic image stabilization. The main lens is supported by a secondary ultra-wide shooter, as well as a 32MP camera in front for video calls and selfies.
Pricing and Availability
The Phone 2 will be available in white and dark gray colour variants, and buyers in the UK and Ireland can choose from several storage options which include 8GB/128GB (£579 GBP, €679 EUR), 12GB/256GB
(£629 GBP, €729 EUR), and 12GB/512GB (£699 GBP, €849 EUR).
Buyers in the UK will have the chance to grab the Nothing Phone 2 should they choose to purchase directly from Nothing’s Soho Store in London, which includes a discounted Limited Launch Edition box, which includes a 12+512 GB Phone (2) in the new dark grey colourway, 45W fast power adapter, case and Ear (Stick). Meanwhile, buyers in the US, UK, and Europe will be able to pre-order the Phone 2 online from Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 16:30 BST. The phone will be made available for more regions including Europe and India on 17th July.
