It's almost ten years since a young, unknown manufacturer from China announced that he wanted to mess with the big mobile phone manufacturers.
Under the motto "Never Settle" ("Never be satisfied"), the One Plus One brought a smartphone onto the market that, despite the current high-end hardware, cost just as much as an average mid-range phone with only a few compromises.
For a long time, One Plus cell phones were able to inspire customers, but now it has become difficult to distinguish them from the high-end devices of other manufacturers in terms of technology and price.
Carl Pei once co-founded One Plus but left the company in 2020. Since then, he has been working on his comeback under the name "Nothing," which has now been heralded with the introduction of the Nothing Phone (1).
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Features of Nothing Phone (1)
- Transparent back
First of all, the design of the mobile phone is striking. The back is transparent and reveals the top layer of the inner workings.
Several LED strips are also integrated, which the manufacturer calls a "glyph," which lights up when notifications are received. These can also be configured in individual patterns, for example, based on which app a notification comes from or which contact is calling.
There is also a red light-emitting diode, which is noticeable when you use the camera's video function.
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Nothing Phone (1) Transparent back, credit: Nothing
- Body
The housing has an aluminum frame that is protected against splash water and dust according to the IP53 standard. It also prides itself on sustainability. The aluminum used is therefore 100 percent recycled, and more than 50 percent of the plastic used in the components is of biological origin.
- Display
A 6.55-inch display can be found on the front. It has an OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and HDR10 with a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits. It offers "Full HD+" resolution with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels. A fingerprint scanner is integrated into the screen.
- Processor
Nothing has chosen the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ as the processor. Although it plays in a league below the current top model Snapdragon 8 Gen1 and can be assigned to the upper middle class, it should still be able to handle more complex apps and games.
- Memory
Depending on the model, the processor is flanked by 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of data storage.
CNet's first look at Nothing Phone (1).
- Network
In terms of telecommunications, it is state of the art. The cell phone supports 5G, Wifi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. There are two SIM slots for more flexibility when traveling and choosing a tariff. Wired data transfer is possible via USB-C interface (USB 2.0). There is no 3.5mm audio jack. Stereo speakers were installed for direct sound output.
- Power
Long battery life is also promised. A Li-Po battery with a nominal capacity of 4,500 mAh is installed for this purpose. It is charged by cable with a maximum output of 33 watts via fast charging.
Wireless charging with up to 15 watts is also possible. The Nothing Phone is also capable of reverse wireless charging and can charge other devices wirelessly but is limited to a power of 5 watts.
Credit: Nothing
- Camera
For a new smartphone, the Nothing Phone has surprisingly few camera sensors. While other manufacturers like to install four different image sensors in the main camera, Nothing phone (1) is content with a dual camera. They have optically stabilized 50 MP sensors with wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle versions. The front camera has a resolution of 16 MP and a wide-angle lens.
- OS
Android 12 is preinstalled in the self-adaptation "Nothing OS." In addition to additional features, this should be characterized above all by the absence of any other installed software from third-party manufacturers besides the necessary system apps and Google services. The manufacturer promises three Android version updates and security updates for four years.
Credit: Nothing
- Price and availability
In terms of pricing, the strategy is a bit reminiscent of One Plus' earlier years, even if the phone isn't technically a "flagship killer." In the smallest version, with 128 GB of data storage and 8 GB of RAM, the Nothing Phone costs 469 euros (approximately ₦225,000 in Nigeria). The top variant with 256/12 GB storage costs 549 euros (approximately ₦264,000 in Nigeria). Orders are currently scheduled for delivery by the beginning of August.