The latest entrant in the smartphone market- Nothing brings a successor to the Nothing Phone 1 the brand’s first smartphone was launched last year. The Nothing Phone 2 is the brand’s new smartphone, bringing major specs upgrades over its predecessor, but it gets a price bump. The brand takes no time to set sail toward the flagship smartphone. It’s just a second-generation smartphone and Nothing chose to go with the flagship one for the Phone 2 which makes it sits in a premium position in the market than its predecessor- the Phone 1 boasts a mid-range chipset. One thing that I’m pretty sure, the Phone 2 brings noticeable upgrades that tempt a lot of Phone 1 users. The Phone 2 has so much to show- the flashy shiny back, powerful chipset, flagship camera, and bigger battery but can it stands in the market competition?
Nothing Phone 2- Entry to the Flagship Arena
Design-wise, the Phone 2 hasn’t changed a lot just minor changes on the Glyph interface and the selfie camera position is changed from the top left corner to the center. Yes, it gains some grams compared to the Phone 1 because of the bigger display. The Phone 2 sports a big 6.7-inch OLED FHD+ panel with a dynamic 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certifications. It is 8.6mm thick and weighs 201 grams. Nothing packs the aluminum chassis and transparent glass panel on the rear side of the device.
Nothing embedded upgraded Glyph lighting system in the Phone 2 with a new layout, new way to set sounds and lights for call alerts, notifications, and third-party app integration. The light show not only stops here, Nothing offers a bunch of visual customizations including the phone’s charging status, voice assistant, volume adjustment, and whole much more. The Glyph lighting indeed looks mesmerizing and it’s also more brighter than before.
Nothing Phone 2 inherits Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 powerful chipset coupled with up to 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage. In terms of optics, you’ll get a dual rear camera setup on the back, a 50MP Sony IMX890 main camera with electronic and optical image stabilization (EIS and OIS) support paired with 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide shooter with a 114° field of view and EIS support while on the front, it has a 32MP selfie camera with HDR. The device can record videos up to 4K 60 FPS resolution.
There is a big 4,700mAh battery with support for 45W fast wired charging as well as 5W wireless charging, an in-display fingerprint sensor, an IP54 water and dust-resistant rating, and stereo speakers.
The Phone 2 runs on Nothing OS 2.0 (pre-installed) based on Android 13 out of the box. The new OS is very similar to the Nothing OS. The Nothing OS 2.0 brings more customization options for the lock screen, home screen, and widgets. Nothing promises three major Android upgrades (up to Android 16) and four years of security updates (up to 2027).
Nothing Phone 1 Vs Nothing Phone 2: Head-to-Head Comparison
There’s no doubt, Nothing Phone 2 got meaningful specs upgrades over the Phone 1. The Phone 2 ships with a Qualcomm flagship processor compared to the mid-range chipset on the Phone 1. It got a bigger 4,700mAh battery (up from 4500mAh on the Phone 1) with faster wired charging support.
The Phone 2 has a bigger display and weighs more than the Phone 1. The upgraded Glyph Interface offers more customizations option with more controllable LEDs than the predecessor.
Nothing Phone 2 falls in the premium flagship range and of course the price of the smartphone is higher than the Phone 1. Though, the Phone 1 was not launched in the US, converting the UK price £399 to USD- Phone 1 launched at $472. Compared with the Phone 2, starting at a $599 price tag in the US, it doesn’t look like the Phone 2 is overpriced in the US market. Here’s an in-depth comparison between Phone 1 and Phone 2. Have a look at what upgrades you get on the Phone 2.
| Nothing Phone 1 | Nothing Phone 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.55-inch OLEDFlat Gorilla Glass 5 cover2,400 x 1,080 resolution120Hz refresh rate (as low as 60Hz)240Hz touch sampling rate1,200 nits peak pixel brightnessHDR10+ support10-bit color depth | 6.7-inch LTPO OLEDFlat Gorilla Glass 5 cover2,412 x 1,080 resolution120Hz variable refresh rate (as low as 1Hz)240Hz touch sampling rate1,600 nits peak pixel brightnessHDR10+ support10-bit color depth |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 |
| GPU | Adreno 642L | Adreno 730 |
| RAM | 8/12GB LPDDR5 | 8 /12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 128 or 256GBUFS 3.1No microSD card slot | 128, 256, or 512GBUFS 3.1No microSD card slot |
| Battery | 4,500mAh battery33W USB PD 3.0 wired charging15W wireless charging 5W reverse wireless charging charger inbox | 4,700mAh battery45W USB PPS/PD wired charging15W wireless charging5W reverse wireless charging No charger in the box |
| Cameras | Rear:- 50MP wide (Sony IMX766, ƒ/1.88, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1µm pixel size, 24mm focal length, OIS, EIS, HDR)- 50MP ultrawide (Samsung JN1, ƒ/2.2, 1/2.76-inch sensor, 114-degree FoV, EIS, HDR) Front:- 16MP wide (Sony IMX471, ƒ/2.45, 1/3.1-inch sensor) |
Rear:- 50MP wide (Sony IMX890, ƒ/1.88, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1µm pixel size, 24mm focal length, OIS, EIS, HDR)- 50MP ultrawide (Samsung JN1, ƒ/2.2, 1/2.76-inch sensor, 114-degree FoV, EIS, HDR) Front:- 32MP wide (Sony IMX615, ƒ/2.45, 1/2.74-inch sensor, HDR) |
| Video | Rear wide:- 4K at 30fps- 1080p at 60 or 30fps Front:- 1080p at 30fps |
Rear wide:- 4K at 60 or 30fps- 1080p at 60 or 30fps Front:- 1080p at 60 or 30fps |
| Audio | Triple micsDual stereo speakers No 3.5mm headphone jackBluetooth 5.2 | Triple micsDual stereo speakers No 3.5mm headphone jack Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Durability | IP53 rated | IP54 rated |
| Biometrics | Optical in-display fingerprint sensor Face Unlock support | Optical in-display fingerprint sensor Face Unlock support (insecure) |
| SIM | Dual physical SIM | Dual physical SIM |
| Connectivity | 4G: Gigabit with 4×4 MIMO5G: Gigabit 5G Dual Mode (NSA & SA) with 4×4 MIMOWi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G dual-band, 2×2 MIMO and MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi DirectBluetooth 5.2NFC support | 4G: Gigabit with 4×4 MIMO5G: Gigabit 5G Dual Mode (NSA & SA) with 4×4 MIMOWi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G dual-band, 2×2 MIMO and MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi DirectBluetooth 5.3NFC support |
| Ports | USB-C Dual-SIM tray | USB-C Dual-SIM tray |
| Software | Nothing OS based on Android 12Three years of Android upgradesFour years of Android security updates | Nothing OS 2.0 based on Android 13Three years of Android upgradesFour years of Android security updates |
| The Glyph | 12 individually addressable LED zones covered with Gorilla Glass 5 White light only-NO RGB | 33 individually addressable LED zones Covered with Gorilla Glass 5 White light only- No RGB |
| Dimensions and weight | 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3mm 194g | 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm 201g |
| Colors | Black or White | Dark Gray or White |
| In-box contents | Nothing PhoneUSB-C to USB-C cables tool Pre-applied screen protect paperwork | Nothing Phone 2 Transparent USB-C to USB-C cable Transparent SIM tool Pre-applied screen protect paperwork |
Nothing Phone 2 premium pricing and its Rivals
Nothing’s Phone 2 has a bunch of competitors in the market- a newly launched iQOO Neo 7 Pro and OnePlus 11R launched earlier this year. Both of these smartphones have fairly similar specifications with one or two slight changes but both come with affordable price tags- the iQOO Neo 7 Pro at $426 and the OnePlus 11R at $487 in global markets. Compared to the Phone 2- $599 pricing, both phones are available at cheaper prices with fairly same specifications. The Phone 2 has an edge over the Phone 1 when it comes to processor, camera, and battery but that upgrade comes at a cost.
Nothing offering premium glass build with aluminum chassis, flagship cameras, IP54 rating, and wireless charging in the Phone 2. On the other hand, OnePlus 11R features a plastic back, a bigger battery, a 100W fast charger in the box, and a super Fluid display. Both phones have their pros and cons but they do comes with the same chipset with different pricing. For those who want some change, and want to try a new smartphone and have no budget issue- Nothing’s Phone 2 might be a great option but you have a tight budget that you can’t exceed by a hair and still want to experience a flagship smartphone then OnePlus 11R/iQOO Neo 7 Pro is the best options you can look up to.
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