72 hours with Nothing Phone (2) was enough

We began to learn more about Nothing Phone (2)), the second smartphone from the company founded by Carl Pei (one of OnePlus’ co-creators) since the start of the year, when the London-based firm confirmed during Mobile World Congress that the device will feature Snapdragon 8 SoC, Qualcomm’s high-end processor lineup. This is just one of the most relevant changes in the smartphone, but not the only one.

Non-phone phone (2), in fact, It comes with several new features compared to its predecessor., although it appears to include the same design. Its screen is bigger and brighter, it has a better main camera, more battery, and the Glyph, which the company calls a combination of lights on the back, gets a little better with more features and hardware components that make it more useful.

The brand’s new mobile phone, yes, has risen in price in part due to the processor: Snapdragon 8+ first generation that we have seen so much in high-end mobile phones in the past year. These are changes that are now yes, in a high-end smartphone, but let’s look at them in more detail.

None Phone (2) Datasheet

Minor facelift

A few weeks ago, Carl Pei, founder of Nothing, hinted in a post on his Twitter profile that a Nothing Phone (2) would be released with the same look and feel as Nothing Phone (1), but with a terminal in hand. Let’s just say it would feel different. You are partly right. The new smartphone practically retains the same design line as its predecessor, which I can understand, given that this is a new brand and its goal at the moment is to become recognizable among the public.

The Nothing phone (2) has the same flat bezels, the same transparent back panel and the same photo module. So, where are the changes? The back is now not quite straight, but slightly curved at the edges. The terminal also has flat bezels, very similar to those we see on the iPhone 14, and a bezel with slightly smaller bezels.

Are there any other changes besides this curvature in the back? Yes, Nothingphone (2) comes with a new tone; slightly lighter gray. Also available in classic white. On the other side, the so-called Glyph now has a slightly different arrangement of LEDs, since the ones around the wireless charging coil are now separated. It’s something seemingly minor, but it has a purpose: to make the function much more versatile.

The lighting system at the back, in fact, is no longer just aesthetic. Nothing has updated it with features that can be useful day after day. One of them is the ability to use flashlights as a flashlight, or to activate a timer when one of the bands dims the light as a countdown. Glyph of the Nothing Phone (2) can also be used as a volume indicator or to alert you to important notifications.

On the other hand, nothing exposed Glyph to third parties. so that developers can adapt their applications to the lighting system. For now, only Uber supports this feature, allowing users to know the distance to their order or car when light fills the gap.

My favorite feature is without a doubt called Glyph Composer, which enters app mode and lets you use sounds produced by the Swedish House Mafia to create a personalized ringtone. It is interesting to see how the light changes to the beat of the music and how you can choose different melodies.

Glyph, by the way, now has an ambient light sensor is designed to automatically adjust the brightness depending on the lighting in the environment. In the Nothing OS 2.0 settings, there is also an option to manually adjust the brightness level.

More power and more screen

The Nothing Phone (2) processor ceased to be a secret a few months ago when a Qualcomm executive confirmed that the smartphone would come with Snapdragon 8+ first generation. In this case, this happens with two versions of RAM: 8 and 12 GB, as well as three options for internal memory: 128, 256 or 512 GB. It’s a bit of an odd decision that Nothing chose last year’s high-performance chip.

Cause? Probably making the price of Nothing Phone (2) not that high and, in turn, be able to choose from some of the benefits offered by Qualcomm’s highest-end processors. In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers interesting improvements in the photographic section of those phones that include it. Apart from, of course, more power compared to the phone’s Snapdragon 778G+ (1).

It grows in performance as well as on screen. Phone (2) now has 6.7″ flexible OLED panel. The same resolution as the previous model (Full HD +), due to which the density of pixels per inch is somewhat lost. Brightness levels have increased significantly, from a typical 500 nits to 1000 nits and from a peak 700 nits to 1600 nits. All this on top of a 120Hz refresh rate.

The battery is another area where there are also changes. Nothingphone (2) now has one of 4700 mAh, compatible with 55W fast charging, which the manufacturer says can provide a 50% battery charge in about 20 minutes. It should be noted that Nothing Phone (2) supports wireless charging; something unusual in mobile phones of this price range.

It’s Camera Phone Nothing (2)

The camera has also changed on this Phone (2). The company has opted for 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor; The same element that we see in smartphones such as OnePlus 11 or Find X6. That’s a pretty big jump. First of all, if you consider that the processor can also affect the results. This sensor also comes with new image signal processor (IPS), which, among other things, allows you to improve the detail of photos and get more realistic tones.

Nothing, mind you, retained the old ultra-wide camera: asSamsung 50 megapixel sensor capable of taking 114-degree shots, which, again, may produce better results thanks to the processing and processor, although, and in the absence of detailed testing of this section, we do not expect such drastic changes compared to the Phone’s ultra-wide-angle camera (1).

The front camera is also changing, which changes from 16 megapixels to 32 megapixels thanks to the new Sony IMX615 sensor. Nothing has changed the video section either, allowing content to be recorded in 4K at 60fps.