Post by account_disabled on Sept 10, 2023 11:49:49 GMT
It is difficult to create something from nothing. That's why former OnePlus executive Carl Pei decided to name his new company 'Nothing' in 2020. So far, the Nothing brand has released one smartphone and three earbud models. The Nothing Brand's product promotions are working among tech enthusiasts, but they have yet to break into the mainstream.
Nothing's new smartphone upgraded Phone Number List version of Nothing Phone (1), released in 2022. However, I am not sure if it will help the company advance. The design and camera are very similar to the Nothing Phone (1), and the feeling of daily use is almost the same.
The software has improved, but since OS updates are guaranteed even for older models, there is no reason for existing (Nothing Phone (1)) users to upgrade.
In other words, Nothing Phone (2) is a well-made mid-range smartphone at a reasonable price of $599. Of course, there are already many such products on the market. However, not many products have programmable blinking lights on the back.
specification
- 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display
- Rear camera (50Mp, f/1.8 OIS primary camera/50Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera/32Mp, f/2.45 selfie camera) - 4,700mAh battery - 45W wired
charging
-
15W wireless charging
- 5W Reverse wireless charging
- 5G
- Stereo speakers
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5.3
- NFC
- Glyph interface LED lighting
- IP54
- Gorilla Glass
- Android 13/Nothing OS 2.0
- 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3mm
- 201g
design and quality
路 iPhone-inspired design
路 Programmable LED lighting
路 IP54 rating
I tried not to devote this review of Nothing Phone (2) to a comparison with Nothing Phone (1), but there is no significant difference in design. But I admit that Nothing has at least done something interesting with its design. Everyone who saw the Nothing Phone (2) in use wanted to know what it was (or thought it was an iPhone).
Nothing Phone (1) (top) and Nothing Phone (2) (bottom) 鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
Nothing Phone (2) is sturdy and made with a 100% aluminum frame. The back is made of transparent glass, so you can see the neatly arranged interior. Additionally, LED lights in the style of hieroglyphs carved in stone blink to indicate calls, notifications, and other programmable events.
This LED light is slightly different from Nothing Phone (1). For example, the center light now consists of six rows instead of one, and the camera light is divided into two rows. If you place the front side down, you can check the level of charging through the light at the bottom.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
One of the central rows of lights is divided into 16 sections and can display a countdown timer or volume level, as well as the time remaining until the Uber you have called arrives. Nothing is hoping to increase third-party app participation, but compared to what developers can do with information from the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island software, a single string of lights is far less useful.
The Nothing Phone (2) appears to imitate the design of the iPhone 12, from the flat sides to the curved corners, round display, and long, thin buttons, but it is true that it stands out compared to the iPhone 12 thanks to the back lighting.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The Nothing Phone (2) model reviewed this time is a lighter gray model than the Nothing Phone (1), which is closer to black. There is also a white model, but I haven't seen it in person. The back glass has a slightly curved end to give it a soft feel, but the front Gorilla Glass that covers the display is flat. The size is 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm and the weight is 201g. Personally, I felt it was a bit large and heavy, and I definitely couldn't use it comfortably with one hand.
The haptic features were a bit disappointing. The vibration motor that made noise when using the keyboard was very rattling and could be heard in a very quiet room. On the front, a bezel of consistent thickness surrounds the edge of the screen, and there is a hole for the central camera at the top.
The headphone jack is not visible, and there is a USB-C port at the bottom. There is no charger provided with the product. However, Nothing's pretty USB-C-to-C cable with a transparent end is provided. It is also disappointing that it only has an IP54 dust and water resistance rating. In other words, it can withstand being hit by rain or splashed with water, but it cannot survive if dropped into a bathtub, swimming pool, or ocean. The similarly priced Samsung Galaxy A54 and Google Pixel 7a both have a higher IP67 rating.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
screen and speakers
路 6.7-inch OLED
路 120Hz LTPO
路 Decent stereo speakers
Nothing Phone (2) is equipped with a 6.7-inch OLED screen. It is only slightly larger than the 6.55 inches of Nothing Phone (1). Personally, I felt it was a good quality display. It can be played at up to 120Hz, and when this refresh rate is not needed, you can save battery by lowering it to 1Hz with LTPO technology. There are not many smartphones that use LTPO technology at this price.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The problem is that the panel doesn't get bright enough. I tried to increase the brightness indoors with some sunlight, but it was already at the maximum setting. It is very difficult to see the screen clearly outdoors. This is the most annoying thing about Nothing Phone (2). Indoor brightness can reach up to 1,600 nits. Since it gets dark on days with strong sunlight, I often set the light mode to make the screen easier to read. I usually rarely set the light mode. Because I personally prefer dark mode, most other smartphones were reviewed in dark mode.
Nothing Phone (2) is shipped with a screen protector installed, which is made of cheap plastic. Even though it is a smartphone that is always recommended to be placed with the front facing down so that the rear lighting is visible, the product used in this review suffered severe scratches within three days. To protect the screen, it is recommended to use a case with a border, and if you want to see the light, it must be a transparent case.
Nothing Phone (2) is equipped with dual stereo speakers, which are standard for mid-range smartphones. It provided sufficient volume for podcasting, YouTube, and gaming, but music sounded a bit thin and sharp at the high notes.
Specifications and Performance
路 Snapdragon 8+ 1st generation chipset
路 8/12GB RAM
路 128/256/512GB storage capacity
The internal upgrade of Nothing Phone (2) compared to Nothing Phone (1) is the Snapdragon 8+ 1st generation chipset. The point is that it is installed. 5G support is possible thanks to this silicon, which is also installed in the OnePlus 10T and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. It's not Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 2nd generation, but it's fast enough for everything from everyday use to playing 30 minutes of Call of Duty Mobile.
But it wasn't perfect. There were moments when the OS was a bit slow. Although Nothing Phone (2) is a high-performance smartphone, the software integration was not as smooth as the latest OnePlus or Samsung products in the same price range.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The Nothing Phone (2) reviewed this time is equipped with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and the 12GB RAM seems to help performance. You can also choose the basic 8GB/128GB version or the generous 12GB/512GB version. There are no models equipped with a microSD slot, but all models have a physical dual SIM card slot.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The CPU and GPU benchmark test results comparing Nothing Phone (1) with competing smartphones with similar specifications and prices are as follows.
Nothing Phone (2) benchmarks
Infogram
The in-screen fingerprint scanner is located at the bottom of the screen and works well. You can log in to third-party apps using biometrics. Unlike facial recognition, it is fast and effective for unlocking smartphones.
camera and video
路 Basic 50Mp lens (disappointing)
路 50Mp ultra-wide angle
路 32Mp front
The Nothing Phone (2) used the Sony IMX890 f/1.88 sensor for the main camera, which is incredibly similar to the IMX766 sensor used in the Nothing Phone (1). It's similar to that extent. This means that there is almost no improvement compared to Nothing Phone (1). I was disappointed with the photos I took myself.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
IMX890 is actually the same sensor used in the recently released One Plus 11. In fact, the review showed that the OnePlus 11's main camera performed consistently and was of excellent quality. The Nothing Phone (2)'s main camera was not like that. It's good for taking pictures when you're in a hurry, but it's far from perfect. It was worse than the Pixel 7a, which was more than $100 cheaper.
As with most smartphones released in 2023, the main camera is usable in broad daylight. By default, you can take 12Mb still photos, but you can also take up to 50Mp. Colors are expressed relatively close to the real thing. The response was smooth when I pressed the screen to change focus.
However, Nothing鈥檚 image processing is excessive. In all but the best lighting conditions, it adds an orangey tint to skin colors and surfaces, or increases the sharpness of the photo too much. Even when the sunlight was bright, it was difficult to take good pictures. Depending on the focus, there were many times when the subject was photographed too dark or the sky was photographed too pale. Shutter lag was particularly severe when zooming in, and sometimes the shutter button didn't respond at all.
Videos are as good as expected from a smartphone in this price range. It can record at up to 60fps in 4K. The stabilization (both optical and electronic) is excellent, and the action mode does a good job of suppressing shaking, but it's not as good as the iPhone 14's action mode (although the iPhone 14 is more expensive).
The ultra-wide-angle lens is suitable for capturing more scenes with the 50Mp f/2.2 Samsung JN1 sensor. Low-light shooting is also possible, but image quality deteriorates, with details being lost when zoomed in. There is no telephoto lens, but you can use digital zoom to take 2x enlarged photos with a toggle in the app, and you can zoom up to 8x. In fact, I am most satisfied with the 32Mp front camera. The photos come out clear, bright, and well-detailed.
Nothing's new smartphone upgraded Phone Number List version of Nothing Phone (1), released in 2022. However, I am not sure if it will help the company advance. The design and camera are very similar to the Nothing Phone (1), and the feeling of daily use is almost the same.
The software has improved, but since OS updates are guaranteed even for older models, there is no reason for existing (Nothing Phone (1)) users to upgrade.
In other words, Nothing Phone (2) is a well-made mid-range smartphone at a reasonable price of $599. Of course, there are already many such products on the market. However, not many products have programmable blinking lights on the back.
specification
- 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display
- Rear camera (50Mp, f/1.8 OIS primary camera/50Mp, f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera/32Mp, f/2.45 selfie camera) - 4,700mAh battery - 45W wired
charging
-
15W wireless charging
- 5W Reverse wireless charging
- 5G
- Stereo speakers
- WiFi 6
- Bluetooth 5.3
- NFC
- Glyph interface LED lighting
- IP54
- Gorilla Glass
- Android 13/Nothing OS 2.0
- 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3mm
- 201g
design and quality
路 iPhone-inspired design
路 Programmable LED lighting
路 IP54 rating
I tried not to devote this review of Nothing Phone (2) to a comparison with Nothing Phone (1), but there is no significant difference in design. But I admit that Nothing has at least done something interesting with its design. Everyone who saw the Nothing Phone (2) in use wanted to know what it was (or thought it was an iPhone).
Nothing Phone (1) (top) and Nothing Phone (2) (bottom) 鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
Nothing Phone (2) is sturdy and made with a 100% aluminum frame. The back is made of transparent glass, so you can see the neatly arranged interior. Additionally, LED lights in the style of hieroglyphs carved in stone blink to indicate calls, notifications, and other programmable events.
This LED light is slightly different from Nothing Phone (1). For example, the center light now consists of six rows instead of one, and the camera light is divided into two rows. If you place the front side down, you can check the level of charging through the light at the bottom.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
One of the central rows of lights is divided into 16 sections and can display a countdown timer or volume level, as well as the time remaining until the Uber you have called arrives. Nothing is hoping to increase third-party app participation, but compared to what developers can do with information from the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island software, a single string of lights is far less useful.
The Nothing Phone (2) appears to imitate the design of the iPhone 12, from the flat sides to the curved corners, round display, and long, thin buttons, but it is true that it stands out compared to the iPhone 12 thanks to the back lighting.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The Nothing Phone (2) model reviewed this time is a lighter gray model than the Nothing Phone (1), which is closer to black. There is also a white model, but I haven't seen it in person. The back glass has a slightly curved end to give it a soft feel, but the front Gorilla Glass that covers the display is flat. The size is 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm and the weight is 201g. Personally, I felt it was a bit large and heavy, and I definitely couldn't use it comfortably with one hand.
The haptic features were a bit disappointing. The vibration motor that made noise when using the keyboard was very rattling and could be heard in a very quiet room. On the front, a bezel of consistent thickness surrounds the edge of the screen, and there is a hole for the central camera at the top.
The headphone jack is not visible, and there is a USB-C port at the bottom. There is no charger provided with the product. However, Nothing's pretty USB-C-to-C cable with a transparent end is provided. It is also disappointing that it only has an IP54 dust and water resistance rating. In other words, it can withstand being hit by rain or splashed with water, but it cannot survive if dropped into a bathtub, swimming pool, or ocean. The similarly priced Samsung Galaxy A54 and Google Pixel 7a both have a higher IP67 rating.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
screen and speakers
路 6.7-inch OLED
路 120Hz LTPO
路 Decent stereo speakers
Nothing Phone (2) is equipped with a 6.7-inch OLED screen. It is only slightly larger than the 6.55 inches of Nothing Phone (1). Personally, I felt it was a good quality display. It can be played at up to 120Hz, and when this refresh rate is not needed, you can save battery by lowering it to 1Hz with LTPO technology. There are not many smartphones that use LTPO technology at this price.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The problem is that the panel doesn't get bright enough. I tried to increase the brightness indoors with some sunlight, but it was already at the maximum setting. It is very difficult to see the screen clearly outdoors. This is the most annoying thing about Nothing Phone (2). Indoor brightness can reach up to 1,600 nits. Since it gets dark on days with strong sunlight, I often set the light mode to make the screen easier to read. I usually rarely set the light mode. Because I personally prefer dark mode, most other smartphones were reviewed in dark mode.
Nothing Phone (2) is shipped with a screen protector installed, which is made of cheap plastic. Even though it is a smartphone that is always recommended to be placed with the front facing down so that the rear lighting is visible, the product used in this review suffered severe scratches within three days. To protect the screen, it is recommended to use a case with a border, and if you want to see the light, it must be a transparent case.
Nothing Phone (2) is equipped with dual stereo speakers, which are standard for mid-range smartphones. It provided sufficient volume for podcasting, YouTube, and gaming, but music sounded a bit thin and sharp at the high notes.
Specifications and Performance
路 Snapdragon 8+ 1st generation chipset
路 8/12GB RAM
路 128/256/512GB storage capacity
The internal upgrade of Nothing Phone (2) compared to Nothing Phone (1) is the Snapdragon 8+ 1st generation chipset. The point is that it is installed. 5G support is possible thanks to this silicon, which is also installed in the OnePlus 10T and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. It's not Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 2nd generation, but it's fast enough for everything from everyday use to playing 30 minutes of Call of Duty Mobile.
But it wasn't perfect. There were moments when the OS was a bit slow. Although Nothing Phone (2) is a high-performance smartphone, the software integration was not as smooth as the latest OnePlus or Samsung products in the same price range.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The Nothing Phone (2) reviewed this time is equipped with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and the 12GB RAM seems to help performance. You can also choose the basic 8GB/128GB version or the generous 12GB/512GB version. There are no models equipped with a microSD slot, but all models have a physical dual SIM card slot.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
The CPU and GPU benchmark test results comparing Nothing Phone (1) with competing smartphones with similar specifications and prices are as follows.
Nothing Phone (2) benchmarks
Infogram
The in-screen fingerprint scanner is located at the bottom of the screen and works well. You can log in to third-party apps using biometrics. Unlike facial recognition, it is fast and effective for unlocking smartphones.
camera and video
路 Basic 50Mp lens (disappointing)
路 50Mp ultra-wide angle
路 32Mp front
The Nothing Phone (2) used the Sony IMX890 f/1.88 sensor for the main camera, which is incredibly similar to the IMX766 sensor used in the Nothing Phone (1). It's similar to that extent. This means that there is almost no improvement compared to Nothing Phone (1). I was disappointed with the photos I took myself.
鈸扝enry Burrell / Foundry
IMX890 is actually the same sensor used in the recently released One Plus 11. In fact, the review showed that the OnePlus 11's main camera performed consistently and was of excellent quality. The Nothing Phone (2)'s main camera was not like that. It's good for taking pictures when you're in a hurry, but it's far from perfect. It was worse than the Pixel 7a, which was more than $100 cheaper.
As with most smartphones released in 2023, the main camera is usable in broad daylight. By default, you can take 12Mb still photos, but you can also take up to 50Mp. Colors are expressed relatively close to the real thing. The response was smooth when I pressed the screen to change focus.
However, Nothing鈥檚 image processing is excessive. In all but the best lighting conditions, it adds an orangey tint to skin colors and surfaces, or increases the sharpness of the photo too much. Even when the sunlight was bright, it was difficult to take good pictures. Depending on the focus, there were many times when the subject was photographed too dark or the sky was photographed too pale. Shutter lag was particularly severe when zooming in, and sometimes the shutter button didn't respond at all.
Videos are as good as expected from a smartphone in this price range. It can record at up to 60fps in 4K. The stabilization (both optical and electronic) is excellent, and the action mode does a good job of suppressing shaking, but it's not as good as the iPhone 14's action mode (although the iPhone 14 is more expensive).
The ultra-wide-angle lens is suitable for capturing more scenes with the 50Mp f/2.2 Samsung JN1 sensor. Low-light shooting is also possible, but image quality deteriorates, with details being lost when zoomed in. There is no telephoto lens, but you can use digital zoom to take 2x enlarged photos with a toggle in the app, and you can zoom up to 8x. In fact, I am most satisfied with the 32Mp front camera. The photos come out clear, bright, and well-detailed.