Nothing Phone (1): The Nothing Phone (1) is an interesting proposition foray into the smartphone market and it comes from one of the most popular startup of the tech industry – Carl Pei so it’s providing an unique style of smartphone but also maintaining the overall user experience.
This system hopes to set itself apart in a seas of sameness with its unique looks and well-considered feature set.
Design Innovation
The Phone (1)’s design is completed on the reverse by its clear back panel, showcasing hand-picked internals and housing the Glyph Interface – a line of 900 LEDs that generate bespoke lighting effects.
This light system is both decorative and functional, offers light warning and recharge indication.
The product uses a recycled aluminum frame sandwiched between Gorilla Glass on the front and back, which creates a high-end feel, even if you are paying for a mid-range.
It’s 8.3mm thick and weighs 193.5 grams, which, while on the big side, still feels like a good compromise between a phone with a bit of heft and one you can comfortably handle.
Display Quality
On the front of the device there’s a 6.55-inch flexible OLED display (it’s worth noting that LG didn’t provide any technical details about the screen other than the fact that it offers “richer, accurate colors”) which should also deliver rich colors and deep blacks.
Panel wise, FHD+ resolution is supported coupled with 10-bit color depth, enough to reproduce a billion colors for decent accuracy.
The screen offers smooth visuals and even intelligently adapts refresh rate depending on what you’re looking at to save battery.
Its peak brightness is 1200 nits, enough to make the screen visible in even the brightest conditions, while symmetrical bezels offer a balanced look.
Performance Profile
Behind the scenes, inside the Phone (1) is the Snapdragon 778G+ processor, designed for efficiency in everyday tasks and games.
This chip does a good job finding balance between performance and efficiency, and is available with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.
The combination is no slouch at multitasking in the class but it can’t compete with flagship processors for more demanding applications.
Camera Capabilities
The dual camera features a 50MP Sony IMX766 main sensor with optical image stabilization, which is capable of capturing good detailed images with decent dynamic range.
Sensor size and OIS help it to capture good low light despite the little camera count.
As the primary shooter is accompanied by a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide, which offers a lot of flexibility when composing shots. The 16MP front camera produces high-resolution selfies with natural skin tones.
Software Experience
Powered by Nothing OS built on Android 12, the product provides an elegant, simplistic user experience, complemented by subtle animations and special design touches. It focuses on speed and reliability with few gimmicks.
The only device to have made that level of commitment to long-term support is the iPhone, which receives five years of software updates and a few years more than that for security fixes.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Unique clear design with Glyph Interface
Simple, barebones software experience
Equilibrium in terms of hardware specs
Wireless and reverse charging
Identical Bezels on each side of the screen
Solid main camera performance
Strong update commitment
Cons:
Mid-range processor slows down heavy apps
No telephoto camera option
No expandable storage
Water resistance with IP53 rating
Average battery capacity
The first products from anywhere, any company or distributor
Initially relatively scarce worldwide
Nothing Phone (1): Verdict
The Argom Nothing Phone (1) is the rare phone that breaks the mold without making common missteps.
Nothing elseI’ve reviewed a lot of phones – a lot of good phones – and every one of them has been a variation of a touchscreen slab.
Though it doesn’t deserve to be up there with the best of the best on paper, the thing is that it’s able to deliver a harmonious user experience, especially in terms of design differentiation and software polish.
The device is available for users who want something truly unique in the mid-tier category, looking to bridge a recognizable appearance with not so enraging everyday performance.
Nobody has made something that interesting by thinking about something beyond specs, an actual alternative in a world riddled with sameness.
