Nothing Phone 2 – Our first impressions: Don't trust what you see

A lot feels the same after first seeing Nothing Phone 2 in pictures and compared to its predecessor, but actually using the phone gives a completely different feeling.

We recognize the basics of Nothing's concept. The LEDs on the back of the phone in Phone 2, just like in Phone 1, should let you know without taking too much of your attention. In addition to sharpened performance and a long list of improvements and refinements, Nothing Phone 2 offers software that clearly interacts with the hardware.

     Although I think Nothing Phone 2 is extremely similar to its predecessor in pictures, I quickly notice when I get the phone in my hand and start testing it, that the pictures do not do the phone justice. Despite many clear similarities, the Phone 2 gives a completely different impression, a real flagship. In practical terms, the Glyph interface with lights on the back has been segmented into more parts and thus gained more areas of use, the cameras are clearly improved, and a slight curvature of the glass at the edges on the back gives a real lift in feel and perhaps the most obvious is the investment in software.

      When I start the Nothing Phone 2, I choose whether I want the default home screen look with Google's usual icons and stripped-down style or Nothing's monochrome style with almost everything in black and white with red as the highlight color. This means that all app icons will be in black and white without the app maker or you have to do anything. This resonates well with the idea Nothing introduced with its Glyph interface, which is about minimizing your screen time and maximizing utility. Put the phone with the screen on the table and you can receive only the most important notifications via the light signals with just a glance.

    You can set a timer and visually see the countdown ticking towards the end time in a light loop on the back of the phone. You can, thanks to a special collaboration with Uber, see on the Glyph diodes how your ordered car is approaching and you can select a favorite app you want to have full control of so that a special light to the right of the cameras is constantly lit when that app has an unread notice. This can be set in more detail. When I choose Instagram as the selected app, I can, for example, choose to signal all notifications with light or to only show direct messages but not comments I received, but not live videos, likes, or new followers.

    The lights on the back of the Nothing Phone 2 can be customized in several ways, including because they are divided into several segments.

You can also compose your own ringtones in the Glyph interface so you get your own combination of sound and light, you see the charge level when the power cable is connected and if you put the phone on the table with the screen down, you can automatically activate silent mode that way.   

    In the phone, you can choose between a monochrome mode or a more normal Android look in color.

The idea of ​​the monochrome mode is that you should only use the phone for what you planned to do and not be held back unnecessarily. It does Nothing by removing Personally, I find it a bit difficult to get used to an almost completely monochrome interface and find it difficult to find the right app that I'm looking for, but of course, those who want an interface with colors in the icons can switch to it or simply, as on any Android, customize the appearance of the home screen to your own preferences.

    

In terms of pure hardware, the Nothing Phone 2, as we already know, is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. That fact together with well-optimized software and a fast, good screen with up to 120-hertz refresh rate means that the phone always feels fast. It supports LTPO which means it can adjust the refresh rate between 1 and 120 frames per second. When the active lock screen (always on display) is on, the image is updated only once per second, which is the best for battery life in that context. Our first impressions of the camera are also positive.

    The phone goes on pre-order today and will then be released on July 21. However, Nothing has a special event in Stockholm, so at Inet on Sveavägen, a limited number of phones are already being sold on July 15. Nothing Phone 2 is released in two colors, white or gray, and comes with 8 GB of working memory and 128 GB of storage for SEK 7,500. A variant with 12/256 GB is also sold for SEK 8,500 and 12/512 GB for SEK 10,000.

We at Mobil will of course have a full test of the phone shortly, already this week.

Facts Nothing Phone 2

Generally

Model Phone 2

Manufacturer Nothing

Launch date 2023-07-11

Dimensions 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6 mm

Weight 201.2g, 99%

Back material Glass

System Android

System version 13

Chipset Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1

Manufacturing process 4 nm, 72%

Screen

Dimensions 6.7 inches, 103%

Resolution 2412 x 1080 pixels

Pixel density 394 ppi, 98%

Type AMOLED

Type of screen glass Unknown

Maximum brightness 1600 nits, 136%

Image refresh rate 120 Hz, 106%

Memory

RAM memory 8/12 GB, 111%

Storage memory 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB

Memory card slot No

Battery

Capacity 4700 mAh, 99%

Wireless charging Yes

Included charger No

Maximum fast charge 45 W, 96%

Web

GSM band 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz

3g band 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz

4g band Band 1 (2100 MHz), Band 3 (1800 MHz), Band 4 (1700 MHz), Band 7 (2600 MHz), Band 8 (900 MHz), Band 20 (800 MHz), Band 28 (700 MHz ), Band 38 (2600 MHz TDD)

5g Bands 1 (2100 MHz), 3 (1800 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 8 (900 MHz), 20 (800 MHz), 28 (700 MHz), 40 (2300 MHz), 77 (3700 MHz) , 78 (3500 MHz)

Dual SIM card slots Yes

Support for e-sim No

Wifi call support Yes

Camera

Resolution 50 Megapixel, 50 Megapixel

Wide angle lens Yes

Optical zoom No

Optical image stabilization Yes

Max resolution, video recording 4K

Resolution of the front camera 32 megapixels

Connections

Connection connector USB Type C

Headphone jack No

Included headset adapter No

Bluetooth 5.3

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6

Miscellaneous

Durable No

IP class IP54

FM radio No

NFC Yes

Stereo speakers Yes

In-screen fingerprint reader