The wait is over! A new shining (quite literally) star has risen on the Android market and it makes its debut today. The Nothing Phone (1) is set to be one of the most fascinating mid-range headsets of 2022, hence the hype that has been surrounding it in the last couple of months.
The company behind the unique smartphone is the brainchild of a former OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei, so naturally expectations are high. Whether the Nothing Phone (1) will match them is what we really want to know
Design & Display
The Nothing Phone (1) comes equipped with an OLED panel. The latter features a 60-120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 2400 x 1080 resolution. With a total screen real estate of 6.55”, this adds up to a pixel-per-inch density of 402. The display has a built-in fingerprint sensor, 1200 nits peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The real showstopper with the Nothing Phone (1) is not on the front of the device, however. The back of the smartphone is partially transparent and features 5 LED strips which together make up the “glyph interface” of the device. Essentially, the system enables the smartphone to communicate information to the user through LED light patterns. The LED strips will light up simultaneously in specific patterns depending on the information being conveyed. Each pattern will correspond to a specific notification. This means that users should be able to discern the notifications they are receiving, even if the phone is left on its screen. And if this sounds a little bit abstract, you can find a dedicated explanation of the “glyph interface” here.
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On the front, the Nothing Phone (1) resembles pretty much every other premium Android phone from 2022 - edge to edge display, slim bezels and a cutout for the camera. Build quality looks excellent - the tried and tested combination of (Gorilla) glass and aluminum. The Nothing Phone (1) weighs about 194g, has a thickness of 8.3mm and an IP53 water and dust resistance certification. The phone comes in two colors - white and black.
Camera & Audio
The camera module features a 50MP, f/1.8 wide primary sensor and a 50MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide secondary one. This translates to 4K video recording capabilities at 30 frames per second. The selfie camera is a 16MP shooter, supports facial recognition and can record video at 1080p. The Nothing Phone (1) comes equipped with stereo speakers and unsurprisingly lacks a headphone jack.
Software & Performance
The smartphone is running the latest version of Android 12 coupled with Nothing OS. The launcher is quite minimalistic and promises to bring the best of Android, without any bloatware. The company promises 3 years of software support and updates.
The Nothing Phone (1) is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G+ SoC, so performance should be decent but not quite top of the line. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory, while the more high-end models have up to 12GB of Ram and 256GB of internal storage.
Battery Life
The Nothing Phone (1) has a 4500mAh battery. This should, in theory, supply plenty of power for a full day of use, but the 6.55” OLED 120Hz panel could undermine the battery life of the device. The company promises "reassuring power-efficiency" for the display and promises that the phone "lasts all day", but only a battery life test can corroborate these statements.
The smartphone supports fast charging at 33W (100% charge in approximately 70 minutes) wireless charging at 15W and reverse wireless charging as well.
The base model of the Nothing Phone (1) - 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage - costs €469/£399 (about $475). For just €30 more, users can get twice the amount of internal storage. The specced out configuration (12GB RAM / 256 GB of internal storage configuration) comes in at €549/£499.
Users can also buy a 45W fast charger from the company's website (as the phone does not come with one in the box) for €35/£35, which promises a 65% battery charge in 30 minutes.
Starting on July 16th, the Nothing Phone (1) will be available for purchase at the company's London Kiosk and some partner stores, but the units will be limited. General availability for the EU and the UK (including online, through purchases from the company's website) begins on July 21st. A US release date has not been disclosed as of now.
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