Nothing Phone (1) review

It’s exhausting to think about that any firm releasing its first smartphone may generate the hype that Nothing has for the Cellphone (1), however hype is usually a double-edged sword. 

The trickle of teasers definitely constructed pleasure and anticipation, and the 100,000+ individuals who signed as much as the waitlist to purchase the telephone show it transformed into gross sales, however has it put not possible strain on a tool that’s, in the end, only a telephone? 

Maybe, but it surely helps that Nothing has nailed the telephone half. The Cellphone (1) is probably not life-changing, or the novel break from trade norms that founder Carl Pei would love you to suppose it’s, however this can be a well-specified, inexpensive telephone that gives wonderful worth for cash. 

However from an organization that promised to up-end the smartphone as we all know it, is being ‘excellent’ sufficient? 

Design & construct 

• Distinctive ‘Glyph Interface’ lights 
• Semi-transparent design 
• IP53 ranking 

Let’s begin with what is particular in regards to the Nothing Cellphone (1). Whereas this may seem like a standard sufficient telephone from the entrance – apart from a meticulously symmetrical bezel – when you flip it round you see one thing a little bit totally different. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

For one, there’s the semi-transparent design. Whether or not you go for a white or black model, the telephone is coated in glass (so is, regrettably, a magnet for smudges and fingerprints) however beneath that has a multi-layered and textured design meant to trace on the parts beneath. 

Regardless of the promise of transparency you may’t see any chips or circuitry right here, however as an alternative there’s a central circle marking the telephone’s wi-fi charging coil, a winding strip for a connector, and visual screws that trace on the telephone’s development. 

When you recover from the transparency, the telephone hits you yet again with the Glyph Interface. That’s the (admittedly foolish) identify for Nothing’s distinctive sample of white LED strips that type a part of the rear design. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

These are extra than simply beauty. They’ll do easy stuff like flash in time with ringtones and notifications (that are themselves Nothing-ified, with digital tones that sound like R2-D2 colliding with a synthesizer) however can even illuminate to point out progress whereas charging the telephone, and there’s even a setting within the digicam app to activate each gentle directly as a makeshift fill gentle. 

Do you actually need a telephone that glows, although? The RGB-laden gaming telephone market would counsel that loads on the market do, however Nothing has by no means pitched the Cellphone (1) at players (and its specs definitely aren’t a pure match for it).  

I benefit from the novelty of the lights, however that’s what they’re – novelty. Nothing’s pitch is partly that the lights are a strategy to filter out non-urgent notifications, as you may set patterns to particular contacts or apps, however you may get the identical impact from an always-on show (which, barely superfluously, the Cellphone (1) additionally helps). 

The attraction can even rely on how comfy you might be putting your telephone show down, which is an effective way to scratch the display. Fortuitously Nothing ships the Cellphone (1) with a pre-applied display protector to cut back the possibilities of harm to the glass panel itself, however in case you’re going to maintain it face-down then you definately’ll probably must put money into a number of replacements or case with a distinguished lip.

Dominic Preston / Foundry

The remainder of the Cellphone (1)’s design is much less outlandish, however no much less spectacular. It’s squared-off sides owe loads to the newest iPhones, although using aluminium (recycled, no much less) to construct the body retains the telephone gentle sufficient even supposing it’s a little bit chunky. 

There’s additionally respectable sturdiness. Each the back and front of the telephone are comprised of Gorilla Glass 5 – not the strongest model out there, however nonetheless scratch-resistant sufficient. There’s additionally an IP53 ranking, guaranteeing some stage of mud and water-resistance. 

Show & audio 

• 6.55in 120Hz OLED show 
• Thick however symmetrical entrance bezel 
• Loud stereo audio system 

The Nothing Cellphone (1) is supplied with a 6.55in display – basically bang on common for an Android telephone by way of dimension.

Dominic Preston / Foundry

With 120Hz OLED tech it’s a little bit above common by way of show high quality, although you may definitely discover equally priced rivals with comparable screens. It’s shiny and punchy, with enticing colors and HDR10+ assist.  

The 120Hz refresh charge provides to the smoothness of animations throughout the expertise, although solely jumps to full velocity when wanted. You can even lock it to 60Hz in case you’d desire to avoid wasting battery. 

Trying on the telephone head-on, the black bezel across the edges is only a contact thicker than you could be used to today, however the flipside is that Nothing has labored to make it completely symmetrical, with the identical width on each aspect. It’s a delicate contact, however one which speaks to the obsessiveness of the telephone’s design. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

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To mood the keenness, I’ve had one persistent technical drawback with the display. At random intervals the telephone has been chopping out blue gentle, leading to sudden and jarring shifts within the white stability of the display, at occasions switching between the 2 each couple of minutes. I’ve spoken to Nothing in regards to the challenge, and the corporate says it’s not conscious of the drawback elsewhere, so this can be a fault restricted to this specific unit. 

Nonetheless, you may see the affect in my photographs, which have been taken whereas the telephone insisted on an orange hue, which is why the show appears to be like so washed out and flat.

As for audio, there’s no headphone jack I’m afraid – it’s wi-fi or USB-C headphones solely. The stereo audio system are respectable, although. They’re loud and pretty crisp. Cellphone audio system are telephone audio system on the finish of the day, however these are definitely higher than most different mid-range telephones. 

Specs & efficiency 

• Mid-range Snapdragon 778G+ chipset 
• Numerous RAM and storage choices 
• Restricted connectivity within the US 

The Nothing Cellphone (1) is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G+ – a mid-market chipset launched in October final 12 months.  

It’s this chip greater than anything that provides away the Cellphone (1)’s mid-range value, because it’s each a tier beneath the flagship Snapdragon 8-series and in addition getting a little bit previous. It’s since been supplanted by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. 

I don’t wish to overegg the downsides although. Certain, in case you’re anticipating to make use of your telephone for aggressive on-line gaming then you might discover the 778G+ holds you again, but it surely’s obtained sufficient energy for nearly anything you may throw at it. 

Benchmark efficiency outcomes are strong, and typical for the value – it’s in keeping with the OnePlus Nord 2T, and outpaces Samsung’s under-powered Galaxy A53. In the true world, I’ve discovered the telephone quick and responsive, with little lag to talk of. Principally, it’s quick sufficient, however not spectacular.

The 778G+ is paired together with your alternative of 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage – although observe that the most affordable 8+128GB model of the telephone is barely out there in black, not white. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

Then there’s connectivity. The Cellphone (1) has the same old suite: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC for Google Pay. 

The one factor to flag is that the telephone isn’t assured to work effectively in North America, the place sign bands are fairly totally different. Nothing warns customers can count on “unpredictable” service on T-Cellular, no voice-over-4G on AT&T, and no service on Verizon in any respect. 

In equity, the telephone isn’t on sale there anyway, but it surely’s one thing you’ll must know in case you’re an American contemplating an import, or just somebody who travels to the States typically. 

Battery & charging 

• Disappointing battery life 
• No charger included 
• Wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging 

The Cellphone (1) is supplied with a 4500mAh battery, which is one other of the options that’s mainly common. I believe it’s been poorly optimised although, as a result of battery life is unquestionably beneath common. That is nearly a full day telephone, however I wouldn’t wish to push it too far, and I’ve had it run out early on me as soon as. As all the time with telephones, that may solely worsen over time too.  

It’s potential the restricted battery is right down to the Glyph lights, however I believe not – the telephone itself chalks up most of its energy drain to the show, which is typical. For its half, Nothing says that even blasting each gentle on full for 10 minutes – a reasonably excessive use case – solely consumes 0.5% of the battery capability, so the Glyph affect appears to be negligible. 

The excellent news is that if the additional lights aren’t accountable, it’s potential that Nothing can wonderful tune the telephone to cut back battery consumption with software program tweaks and patches.

Dominic Preston / Foundry

On the subject of charging, the telephone can cost at as much as 33W, which I discovered was sufficient to revive 67% of battery in half an hour. That’s sooner than you’ll typically get from Samsung, Apple, or Google, however lags effectively behind speeds present in telephones from Xiaomi, OnePlus, and others, even at this inexpensive value. 

It maybe doesn’t assist that Nothing has joined the latest pattern of transport the telephone with no charger. That’s definitely extra environmentally pleasant, however shall be a frustration in case you don’t already personal a USB-C charger and wish to choose one up (Nothing will, in fact, fortunately promote you one for £45). 

The trade-off for all of that is that the Cellphone (1) has wi-fi charging, supporting the widespread Qi normal at as much as 15W, together with reverse wi-fi charging to prime up your headphones and the like. 

This is without doubt one of the telephone’s standout options, with the iPhone SE the one comparably priced telephone to incorporate it. That implies that in case you’re an Android consumer who hates wires, the Cellphone (1) is the most affordable strategy to scratch your itch. 

Digital camera & video 

• Two succesful rear cameras 
• Respectable selfie shooter 
• Video recording LED 

The digicam is arguably the core spec that Nothing has pushed the furthest, and in a means that’s out of step with many rivals. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

It’s more and more widespread for telephones at this value to characteristic three and even 4 cameras on the again, however normally solely one among them is actually ok to make use of. 

In contrast, Nothing has restricted itself to 2 rear digicam lenses: one fundamental, and one ultrawide. Neither are flagship high quality, however they’re each succesful contemplating the value, although there’s positively a drop-off at evening. 

The primary lens makes use of the 50Mp Sony IMX766 sensor, which might be present in telephones starting from mid-range rivals just like the OnePlus Nord 2T proper as much as top-tier flagships just like the Oppo Discover X5 Professional.

It’s shiny, punchy, and able to some actually enticing pictures in most lighting situations. There’s even sufficient element to carry up effectively whenever you punch into the 2x digital zoom possibility. (Should you’re on desktop, you will have to pull to slip by the slideshow).

Help for optical picture stabilisation (OIS) helps the principle digicam even deal with low gentle effectively sufficient, although far beneath flagship requirements. That is the place software program and digicam algorithms work their magic, and as a fledgling firm it’s no shock Nothing isn’t competing with the massive canines right here.

Gentle sources will nonetheless grow to be blown out, and there’s a softness to most evening mode pictures regardless of the OIS, however the telephone does handle to select particulars that may in any other case be misplaced in darkness. There’s additionally the choice of utilizing the Glyph interface fill gentle as a much less aggressive tackle a flash for close-up night-time pictures. I discovered the outcomes a little bit harsh, but it surely beats flash and is a neat additional choice to have for portraits or meals photographs in dimly lit eating places. Right here’s the identical shot taken with the common digicam, with evening mode, after which with the Glyph fill gentle within the common mode & evening mode:

Then there’s the ultrawide. Though that is additionally a 50Mp shooter it doesn’t use the identical Sony sensor. As an alternative it’s Samsung’s JN1 picture sensor and, there’s a transparent lower in high quality in comparison with the principle digicam.

Pictures from this digicam come out washed out and pale in comparison with the principle lens, although you might desire the extra subdued hues. With out OIS there’s additionally a extra noticeable drop at evening, with particulars usually misplaced right into a blurry smudge. It’s not a horrible lens – and nonetheless higher than the ultrawides in most rivals, to be truthful – however don’t count on one thing to match the principle digicam.

The most important shock for me was the 16Mp selfie digicam. On paper it’s nothing particular, however I discovered pictures got here out effectively uncovered and attractively lit, whereas the portrait mode did an honest job of topic detection. No complaints right here. 

As for video, you may document at as much as 4K@30fps on each rear lenses, however the entrance digicam is capped at 1080@30fps. Video settings are fundamental and fairly typical, however there’s a welcome choice to activate a flashing crimson LED on the rear whereas recording – one other enjoyable flourish.

Dominic Preston / Foundry

That is additionally the place the Glyph Interface fill gentle possibility comes into its personal, including additional lighting that vloggers will admire – although be warned that the tip impact is delicate, and never on the extent of a correct ring gentle.  

Software program & updates 

• Nothing OS is a straightforward Android 12 pores and skin 
• Nonetheless some bugs to iron out 
• Three Android OS updates promised 

The Cellphone (1) ships working Android 12 with the merely named Nothing OS on prime. 

Should you tried out the general public beta of the telephone’s launcher a number of months earlier than launch, then you definately’ve already skilled most of what the corporate’s customized Android pores and skin has to supply.  

A number of customized wallpapers, minimalist clock and climate widgets, and a retro-styled audio recording app make up most of what’s new. You can even make particular person app icons or folders bigger in order for you, and there are additionally built-in controls for the corporate’s Ear (1) earbuds in case you personal them too. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

The one different integrations are much less interesting. Tesla house owners can apparently entry shortcuts to regulate their automotive, whereas NFT aficionados can show their monkey photos in a devoted NFT gallery. These inclusions inform you one thing in regards to the market that Nothing is attempting to attraction to, however could also be simply as more likely to put the remainder of us off. Fortunately, in case you’re not then they’re simple to disregard (in contrast to Tesla and NFT followers themselves, sadly). 

The larger headache is that the software program nonetheless wants a little bit work. I had a foul time with bugs after I reviewed the Ear (1) at launch, and whereas the Cellphone (1) software program definitely appears extra secure, it’s not with out flaws. 

For one, there’s the truth that when you’re in a position to set particular Glyph LED patterns to particular person app notifications, you may’t do that from inside the Glyph controls, however as an alternative must dive into every particular person app’s notification settings, which is fiddly and cumbersome. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

I’ve already talked about by issues with the show’s white stability, however I’ve additionally had occasional points charging. Whether or not on wired or wi-fi connections the telephone struggles to keep up a continuing cost, dropping out and in of the charging state – and on a pair situations stopping completely. Not splendid whenever you’re attempting to cost up in a single day, and particularly when Nothing doesn’t ship its personal charger, forcing you to determine compatibility by your self. 

The excellent news is that the corporate is promising a reasonably cheap three Android model updates for the telephone – sufficient to take it by Android 13, 14, and 15 – with a fourth 12 months of safety updates. That’s not fairly a match for Samsung’s promise of 4 Android updates, which continues to be the perfect on the Android aspect, however is best than most, and may prevent from a rush to improve in two years’ time. 

Worth & availability 

The Cellphone (1) is accessible to order now within the UK, Europe, and Asia, forward of an official launch on 21 June. As a reminder, it received’t be launching formally within the US or Canada, and importers must be cautious, because the telephone might not work totally in North America. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

I’ll admit that I used to be a little bit shocked after I was advised the Cellphone (1)’s value. I knew it could be positioned competitively, however the ultimate value nonetheless appears bullish. Right here’s how the three variations stack up: 

• 8GB + 128GB: £399/€469/₹32,999 
• 8GB + 256GB: £449/€499/₹35,999 
• 12GB + 256GB: £499/€549/₹38,999 (launching in late summer season) 

Should you’re tempted, you may seize the telephone direct from Nothing, or from Amazon, Selfridges, or O2 within the UK. It’s additionally out there from Amazon throughout Europe, and from Flipkart in India, and now we have a devoted information on the perfect Nothing Cellphone (1) offers we’ve discovered.

I’ve already talked about its fundamental opponents. Carl Pei’s former firm OnePlus affords the wonderful Nord 2T at virtually the identical value, whereas the Samsung Galaxy A53 and iPhone SE are additionally shut. The Google Pixel 6a can be proper across the nook, making this spot out there much more aggressive than it usually is. 

Try our rating of the perfect mid-range telephones for extra choices, and to learn the way we charge the Nothing Cellphone (1) in opposition to the competitors. 

Verdict 

As a telephone, the Cellphone (1) is an virtually unqualified success. The restricted battery life and minor bugs and points I’ve encountered are the one actual weaknesses, whereas the succesful cameras, IP53 ranking, and wi-fi charging all stand out from pack. 

That’s earlier than we even get to the design. Maybe it can show divisive, however you definitely couldn’t name the Cellphone (1) boring trying, and in the end the semi-transparent rear and LED patterns will show the principle purpose to contemplate choosing the Cellphone (1) up. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

As step one in a smartphone revolution, I’m much less impressed. Past all of the glowy bits there isn’t actually something right here that we haven’t seen earlier than, and as soon as the novelty wears off all that you simply’re left with is a telephone, the identical as all of the others.  

Foldables just like the (now pretty inexpensive) Galaxy Z Flip 3 have carried out extra to alter the best way I take advantage of my telephone than something in Nothing’s handset, so in case you have been caught up within the hype then you definately may wish to re-assess your expectations. 

Making an excellent telephone is tough although, and making an excellent telephone as your second ever product is completely exceptional. So even when that is nothing particular, it’s nonetheless an excellent alternative. 

Specs 

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ 
• 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM 
• 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage 
• 6.55in 120HZ OLED show 
• Rear digicam: 
  • 50Mp, f/1.9 OIS fundamental digicam 
  • 50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide digicam 
• 16Mp, f/2.5 selfie digicam 
• 4500mAh battery 
• 33W wired charging 
• 15W wi-fi charging 
• 5W reverse wi-fi charging 
• 5G 
• Stereo audio system 
• Wi-Fi 6 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• NFC 
• Glyph Interface LED lights 
• IP53 
• Gorilla Glass 5 
• Android 12 with Nothing OS 1 
• 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3mm 
• 194g