A new smartphone brand in 2022? And why not ! The Brits from Nothing are trying the adventure with their very first model soberly baptized Phone (1). A mid-range device that relies mainly on its design.
The arrival of a new, ambitious player in the world of smartphones remains an event and we can say that the young brand Nothing went to great lengths to create a buzz around its first model. After months of communication based on practically nothing but a few fairly standard technical elements and a mysterious visual identity, Carl Pei, one of the founders of OnePlus whom he left in 2020 and boss of Nothing has finally revealed the Nothing Phone (1) at the very beginning of summer. On the program, a mid-range smartphone that will have to face the giants of the market already well established in this field which is full of models from Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi or Honor. And to stand out, Nothing, which has so far only produced wireless headphones, is focusing above all on design. Is his smartphone sufficiently well equipped to compete?
What are the technical characteristics of the Nothing Phone (1)?
While it becomes very difficult to distinguish one smartphone model from another, Nothing offers a new approach to not go unnoticed. The brand does not forget to take care of what is under the hood.
Design. If there is one element that distinguishes the Nothing Phone (1) from other smartphones, it is its design. At the front of course, nothing less traditional than a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen flanked by a punch nestled at the top left to let the front camera pass. At the rear, however, it’s a whole different story. The mobile, available in black or white, has a transparent case that lets you see part of the device’s innards. But above all, it is adorned with glyphs of white LEDs. These underline the contours of the photo sensors and the wireless charging coil and point to the USB-C connection port.
Decorative, they also have two functions. The first is to inform about the arrival of notifications using various flashes. Each glyph can illuminate independently of the others. Convenient when the smartphone is laid flat on the screen. The second use of these glyphs made up of LEDs whose light intensity remains quite high, is to illuminate a scene to take a photo for example (even if a standard flash supports the photo sensors). Apart from this original back, the Nothing Phone (1) adopts a design similar to those designed by Apple. The slices are flat and ringed with aluminum and the power and volume buttons are arranged in the same way as on the iPhone. Everything benefits from an IP53 certification which protects the smartphone against splashes but no more. So beware of falling into water or very dusty environments.
Display. For its first smartphone model, Nothing opted for a 6.55-inch OLED panel with a definition of 2400 x 1080 pixels for a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The screen is thus rather bright but remains within the standards of the mid-range market. The refresh at 120 Hz gives a rather pleasant fluidity. Note also that the screen conceals a fingerprint reader responsive enough to unlock the device.
Processor. With the Phone (1), Nothing inaugurates a Snapdragon 778G+ processor developed by Qualcomm especially for the brand. It is thanks to him that the device takes advantage of wireless charging. In terms of performance, the chip has nothing to be ashamed of in the face of the market leaders. Responsiveness is on point. We didn’t encounter any slowdowns during our use. Supported by 8 GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 778G+ was able to maintain a reasonable temperature, even during the heat of summer.
Autonomy. On this point, Nothing once again meets market standards. The device has a 4500 mHa battery which allows it to last the day without going through the recharge box. Warning: the excessive use of LED glyphs can reduce its autonomy. Also, it’s worth noting that Nothing doesn’t provide any loader in the box. The brand offers an optional 45 W USB charger charged at €35. However, any other charger can do the trick, especially since the one offered by Nothing is more powerful than necessary since the smartphone accepts a wired recharge of up to 33 W. The device can also be recharged wirelessly (15 W) and also allows reverse charging to refuel your headphones for example.
System. The Nothing Phone (1) runs on Android 12 enhanced with a simple NothingOS software overlay. It takes up the design of the brand with its easily identifiable typography.
Obviously, there is a settings menu to manage the glyphs on the back of the smartphone in order to choose from the different flashing scenarios for notifications and calls. Small regret: it is not possible to compose the lighting sequences of the glyphs yourself. More than to hope that a software update allows to do what we want. Finally, Nothing indicates that it provides 3 years of major Android updates (enough to go up to Android 15) and 4 years of security updates.
Photo. At a time when smartphone manufacturers are competing in ingenuity to multiply the photo sensors on their devices, Nothing plays the card of sobriety. The Phone (1) thus embeds only two modules. The first is a 50 Megapixel (Mpx) sensor and the second a 50 Mpx ultra wide angle / macro module too. Overall, both sensors produce very decent results. With optimal light, the device delivers quality shots while respecting natural colors. The dive is also there.
In ultra wide-angle mode, the result is less striking with a slight loss of detail and slight edge distortions. Nevertheless, the device provides quite usable shots.
Finally, the macro mode remains very valuable and allows you to produce original photos even if its use is less frequent.
With photos in low light, the Nothing Phone (1) is a little less comfortable. Even after the update to version 1.1.3 of the system two weeks after receipt of the device and supposed to improve night shots, the results are difficult to convince. This small update, however, has the merit of reducing the exposure time required to capture the shot (and thus reduces the risk of blurry photos). The device thus delivers correct shots as long as you do not want to look for details. Note that for portraits in low light, it is possible to put the Led glyphs placed at the back of the mobile to contribution in order to take advantage of more light. This results in more detailed but also colder shots.
For selfies, the brand opted for a 16MP sensor. It offers satisfactory performance but does not match what Vivo can offer for example.
What is the Nothing Phone (1) worth?
We were able to use the Nothing Phone (1) for several weeks. And it seems obvious that this mobile does not leave indifferent. Its design obviously tickles curiosity. Number of people crossed first took the Phone (1) for an iPhone covered with an original “geek” shell. The shape of the mobile, its edges, its sensors… everything is inspired by the iPhone. Glyphs also have their small effect on assist. Apparently gadget, however, they quickly turn out to be useful so as not to miss the notifications… provided you agree to put the smartphone flat on the screen to take advantage of them. After this good design surprise, we found a fairly classic mid-range smartphone. We appreciated the simplicity of Nothing OS even if we would have liked to take advantage of more customization options, in particular regarding the management of glyphs. The behavior of the mobile did not disappoint us. Even in the heat, the device remained smooth and responsive without ever overheating. As for the photo part, for the asking price, the Nothing Phone (1) offers quite correct services. A device that suits those looking for a bit of modernity and originality without sacrificing performance in a universe of smartphones that is always a little austere.
What is the price of the Nothing Phone (1)?
The mid-range smartphone comes in three versions. A first 8-128 GB configuration is billed at 469 euros. An intermediate version, 8-256 GB has a price of 499 euros. Finally, the most solid version, 12-256 GB is marketed at 549 euros. The prices place it above Samsung’s Galaxy A range but facing the Oppo Find X3 and above all directly in direct competition with the OnePlus Nord from the company co-founded by Carl Pei.