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Nothing Phone (2) Review – The Best Battery Life + Flagship Features on an Android Phone

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PROS:


  • Resilient Battery Life

  • Premium Design with more 'Functional' Glyphs

  • Beautifully clutter-free Nothing OS

CONS:


  • The sudden price bump

  • Camera still needs some tuning

  • Glass back is still highly slippery

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Come for the Glyph Interface... Stay for the incredible Battery Life. The Phone (2) nails its basics well and then some. The price bump hurts a bit, but it's definitely worth it for the Mid-Range Flagship Killer.

This year’s Nothing Phone (2) is an even bigger deal than last year’s grand launch. You see, it’s easy to launch a company or a product range, but it’s incredibly difficult to sustain the momentum and energy a year after its launch. Pei shows that he’s still got that mojo, and even more so considering Nothing is rumored to be announcing new products under their CMF sub-brand. It’s been a hot minute since Nothing unveiled the Phone (2) and let’s just say, even with strenuous use, I’ve charged this device probably once every 2-3 days. Sure, one could argue that loading it with multiple apps, media, etc. does have its own effect on battery life, but even for first impressions, this phone’s battery seems to be the biggest standout… especially considering how companies are experimenting with dual-screen folding phones, much to the detriment of the overall battery life.

Click Here to Visit the Nothing Website

About the Phone

The Phone (2) is an iterative exercise in Nothing’s grand scheme of making technology more transparent and more fun. Last year’s Nothing Phone (1) laid the groundwork for the range, and this year, the Phone (2) hopes to carry the baton further with a design that just comes with subtle improvements. After all, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it, right?  The Phone (2) has better versions of everything, from the chipset and hardware to even the Glyph Interface and color (that grey color is just gorgeous to look at). It comes with a few unique accessories too, including a pretty neat-looking charging cable and a transparent SIM ejector tool. Moreover, this year’s Phone (2) also gets an improved Sustainability score over its predecessor thanks to the use of as many as 53 parts made from sustainable materials, including plastic-free packaging. The phone’s also designed to be repairable, using screws to assemble components rather than glue. All this comes at a price, though… and the Phone (2) sees a significant bump by $100, starting at $599 for the 128Gb model.

New and (Slightly) Improved Design

The Phone (2)’s design doesn’t see massive changes – in part because radically changing designs can be incredibly expensive with re-tooling and re-engineering costs really piling up, and also because the Phone (1) was already designed with a recognizable visual language. With the Phone (2), there are four stand-out differences. The first is the presence of a grey colorway over last year’s white. The grey arguably looks better because it provides the right amount of contrast between the transparent elements on the back. It doesn’t respond well to damage, however, as the grey paint scratches off the metal chassis pretty easily if you drop the phone. The second difference is the slightly curved back, which makes the phone look noticeably thinner, more premium, and easier to grip (even though that glass back is notoriously slippery). The third is a little less obvious, but it’s the central alignment of the front-facing camera, and the fourth… well, the fourth difference pretty much gets its own section in this article.

Glyph Interface Gets More Character

Last year’s Glyph Interface felt a bit like an unfinished project. This year’s Glyph Interface opens more avenues for functionality. Now with 11 different zones, the interface has the ability to ‘communicate more’ information, pretty much embodying the same logic of pixels. More pixels, more information. The 11 dedicated zones can be used in a multitude of ways, beyond just the flashy ringtone or camera light. You can assign glyph lights to apps, creating notification lights out of them so you know when you get a notification, and which app it’s from, even when the phone is face-down. The lowest glyph works as a status bar during charging, and now a glyph arc on the top right works as a countdown timer, with LEDs gradually turning off to make the light strip shorter as a visual indication of time. This feature, funnily, wouldn’t work unless the phone detected itself being kept face down. It required a bunch of tries, although when it worked, it worked flawlessly.

The NothingOS

The NothingOS 2.0 is by far the cleanest, most satisfyingly minimal launcher I’ve seen on any Android phone. It’s one of the things that doesn’t get mentioned often, but is perhaps the most important part of the phone’s entire experience. The Phone (2) comes with Nothing’s OS 2.0 bundled along with it, and the second you switch it on, you realize how unified it looks, how snappy it is, and how incredibly devoid of bloatware the phone is. In a world where smartphone companies still load their phone with apps you probably won’t ever use, the Phone (2) comes surprisingly light. It has JUST the essential apps, all with black-and-white icons, and widgets that fit beautifully into the phone’s home screen. While Nothing claims to make technology fun, the OS actually makes tech fun-ctional. There’s a fair amount of intent with which Nothing built out this OS, and I noticed a fair boost in my focus while using the app. I wasn’t distracted by tonnes of pixels and icons and colors. The OS made me feel rightfully clear-headed rather than distracted.

The Camera

Last year’s phone got a pass for having a fairly decent camera, but this year it seems that even though Nothing took notice, it wasn’t enough. Sure, as far as specs, go the Phone (2)’s camera measures up rather well, with the front camera now getting bumped up to 32 megapixels, and the rear cameras getting a few improvements with HDR, low-light photography, and blur removal. The camera still, however, saturates colors a little too much (sceneries look incredibly green and vivid to the point of looking a little artificial), and low-light photography doesn’t really hold a candle to Google, Samsung, or Apple’s tech. Optical stabilization is good during video, although it feels like the phone overcorrects a bit, and the Macro mode seems quite good at working with details up-close. On its own, the camera is decent, but it’s come a long way when compared to last year’s Phone (1) camera.

The Performance + Battery

If there’s a single area where the Phone (2) vastly exceeded its predecessor, it’s this. Last year’s smartphone had a pretty noticeable problem with heating up while charging or with heavy use, but this year the Phone (2) cruises through with no hiccups. Games work exceedingly well on the app and scrolling through sites is responsive and snappy. However, the one feature we were thoroughly impressed with was this year’s battery upgrade. With a 4700mAh battery, the Phone (2) lasts comfortably long with regular use, and even more on standby. With constant use, I managed to easily cruise through an entire day without needing to pull out the charger. In fact, I could go more than 24 hours without charging the phone. In idle mode, however, the phone comfortably lasted for half a week without needing a charge. If there’s one feature that thoroughly impressed me with this phone, it’s how reassuringly good the Phone (2)’s battery life was.

The Price

I want to say the price bump caught me by surprise but honestly, it didn’t. Ultimately, companies need to make money, and an affordable smartphone doesn’t pay for R&D. Last year’s $499 phone was purely priced to create a hype cycle, but this year’s $599 phone hopes to sustain Nothing’s growth. After all, Pei did the exact same thing with OnePlus, bumping up the price with each subsequent model before launching the OnePlus X (which was a low-range offering), which blossomed into the Nord series. It isn’t inconceivable that Nothing will probably launch a budget-friendly range of phones too, although that would most likely come under its CMF sub-brand. However, until then, the Phone (2) starts at $599 for the 128GB 8GB RAM variant, going up to $669 for the 256GB 12GB RAM model and a sizeably high $745 for the 512GB 12GB RAM variant.

The Verdict

The Phone (2) somewhat loses its title of being the flagship killer, because with an average price of $669, it’s pretty much in flagship territory. That being said, the Phone (2) somewhat makes a case for itself with its features and fundamentals. I don’t recommend it for content creators or people looking to own a phone with a measurably great camera… but for people looking to own a phone that’s exciting, has a great OS, works remarkably well, and stuns with its battery life, the Phone (2) is a solid pick. The Phone (2) stands out brilliantly against a sea of otherwise boring designs, and Nothing does a fairly good job on its promise of making technology fun.

Click Here to Visit the Nothing Website

Photo Credits: Pratik Dhamapurkar

The post Nothing Phone (2) Review – The Best Battery Life + Flagship Features on an Android Phone first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nothing power bank is the perfect matching accessory you need for your Phone (2)

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Going off the mainstream designs comes with its set of rewards but can be a highly risky strategy if things go south. Carl Pie took the leap of faith and went on to implement his life’s philosophy of being transparent to the radical new line of products under the Nothing brand name.

After the initial chalk-and-cheese response for the hyped, first-ever earbuds and the smartphone, Nothing has worked on its mistakes and come up with the impressive Nothing Phone (2). Over the period of two years, we’ve seen a lot of Nothing-inspired concepts, and to be frank, all of them seem right in place!

Designer: Subhav

Now, to pair your powerful Nothing Phone (2) with a matching power bank, another concept ignites our expectations from the London-based consumer electronics manufacturer. Just imagine the cool vibe of all your see-through gadgets on the desk or in your backpack while traveling. A power bank is an essential accessory and every time you plug your Nothing Phone (2) into the gadget, that sense of unison is unmatchable.

The transparent aesthetics of the power bank display the innards in their full glory and are illuminated by the array of small warm-toned LEDs on the inside. This lends the accessory a diffused light on all sides for a Cyberpunkish look inside out. Creating a power bank makes even more sense for Nothing, given the usability and the no-frills nature of the product. With countless options on the market, a transparent power bank in Nothing’s product line would be another step in completing their ever-growing ecosystem.

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BREAKING: Carl Pei’s Latest Brand “CMF” is launching a Smartwatch, TWS Earbuds, and GaN Charger

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Earlier this year, Nothing teased a sub-brand by the name of CMF with nothing more than just a logo reveal. Today, leaked images obtained by Twitter-user @techleakszone show three CMF products in the works. We upscaled these low-res images to get a clearer picture of the three products – a smartwatch, a pair of TWS earbuds, and a 65W GaN charging brick, all scheduled for an end-September release in India. All products have one thing in common – the use of a vibrant orange that draws instant attention to them, in a way contrasting Nothing’s transparent approach to design rather wonderfully!

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The most prominent of the products is the smartwatch, which is priced at a budget-friendly ₹4499 ($54.48 USD) and comes with a 1.96″ AMOLED always-on display. Styled to somewhat lock horns with other budget watches/wearables like the Fitbit, the CMF smartwatch comes with an aluminum alloy case and a silicone band. A 330mAh battery gives it up to 13 days of use on a single charge, and the wearable works as a comprehensive fitness/sports tracker with support for 110 sports, along with features like heart-rate monitoring, blood-oxygen monitoring, stress monitoring, sleep tracking, etc. The spec sheet below compares the watch with other budget smartwatches on the Indian market, comparing features along with an incredibly competitive price tag.

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The second product (code-named Corsola) is a ₹3499 ($42.3 USD) pair of TWS earbuds designed to compete with other brands in the low-budget segment. CMF’s earbuds are significantly different in appearance from the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds. They aren’t transparent, and they come in a circular case instead of a square one. The earbuds have up to 45dB of active noise cancellation and an impressive 37-hour battery life with the charging case. Just like the Ear (2), they are IP54-rated as well, although at half the price.

This is an AI-upscaled Image (Ignore warped graphics on product)

The third is probably the most interesting product of the lot – a GaN charger designed to compete in the accessories market and probably bring in the green for CMF by selling to both Android and iOS users alike. In a world where phone makers are increasingly deciding to ditch the idea of packaging chargers along with their phones, CMF’s 65W GaN charger makes quite an impact. With three ports (two USB-C and one USB-A), the charger can simultaneously power three devices, giving you a multifunctional power brick that takes care of your phone, tablet, and earbuds or power bank. The GaN semiconductor keeps the charging brick’s size extremely compact, and that bright orange color means you’ll never misplace it! The charging brick is expected to have a ₹2499 ($30.2 USD) price tag at launch a month from now.

Images via @techleakszone

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This resurrected ‘iPod’ from Nothing isn’t real… but I honestly wish it was

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You may think that a Nothing ‘Npod’ music player sounds like an absurd idea, but I’m here to say that it makes absolute sense…

There are some undeniable similarities between the Apple of Steve Jobs, and the Nothing of Carl Pei. Both founders started other successful businesses (Jobs also founded Pixar and Pei founded OnePlus) before finding their true calling in tech. In his 2022 presentation, Carl Pei mentioned that tech had stopped being fun, rather subtly casting aspersions at Apple that used to make exciting products once upon a time when Steve Jobs was in his ‘pirates of Silicon Valley’ era. Apple’s breakout product may have been the Mac, but it truly became a cultural phenomenon with a music product – the iPod. Similarly, Nothing made its global debut with a music product too – the Nothing Ear (1). One could argue that the Nothing Phone (1) almost perfectly matches the iPhone 12’s size and shape, so it’s safe to say there’s quite the overlap… and this fan-made Nothing Npod (1) takes things a step further.

Designer: Shreyansh Onial

Designed by Shreyansh Onial, the Nothing Npod (1) simultaneously pays homage to Apple’s iconic iPod Shuffle and Nothing’s transparent design aesthetic and glyph interface. In ways, it’s also a reflection of how Nothing is capable of revolutionizing the music industry through the power of technology and nostalgia.

The Npod (1) is a pretty literal fan-made reinterpretation of the iPod Shuffle, with the signature circular control panel on the front and a matching circular glyph interface on the back. A wireless charging coil on the back also hints at the iPod… er, Npod (1) charging wirelessly, although there’s definitely a USB-C charger on the bottom, judging by the ‘!’ glyph on the back which can also be found on the Phone (1) and Phone (2).

The presence of a glyph interface on the Npod (1) seems like an odd choice, but it isn’t inconceivable that the interface responds and reacts to the music being played. One arc in the circle could act as a volume indicator while the other could serve as a seek bar, showing the progress of the audio file (the Phone (2) had such a feature too).

The Npod (1) is designed to be a tad bit smaller than the Ear (2) case, reflecting the iPod Shuffle’s comparative size too. The Npod and TWS earbuds go together rather well if you ask me, although the music player is clearly missing a pocket clip that would allow you to attach it to your clothes for easy control and usage.

For now, however, the Npod (1) is just a fan-made concept (I imagine Apple’s legal team would sue Nothing into oblivion if they made something this, well, similar). Ultimately though, it’s a fun design exercise that also serves as a pretty strong reminder of the overlap between the current ethos of Nothing under Carl Pei, and of Apple in the turn of the millennium under Steve Jobs.

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Nothing Sound (1) will refresh portable speaker market with aesthetic design and Glyph interface

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Carl Pie kicked off a new chapter of his successful journey with the Nothing Ear (1) TWS earbuds, then followed by the Phone (1). One thing common with every Nothing product release to date is its share of hype and leaks. Ever the more reason for creative digital artists to come up with their proposed concept versions of a Nothing inspired product.

To be honest, any Nothing iteration piques my interest, and this portable speaker follows suit. The concept is an interesting piece since portable speakers should fall right into Nothing’s core technology expertise. So, there’s no reason for anyone to believe that there won’t be a portable speaker on Carl’s timeline in the coming years.

Designer: Hao Ping Chang

Christened the Nothing Sound (1), this portable speaker concept keenly emulates the visual design language that a real Nothing portable speaker would adopt. A fashion accessory for home and outdoor use that’ll turn eyeballs, and will be equally capable when it comes to practicality. Portability and ease of use are the keys to this design that aims to refresh the closely contested portable speaker market.

This portable speaker is a balanced mix of contoured and geometric shapes, bringing to life a very aesthetically pleasing form. The audio accessory can sit pretty on a desk just like an Xbox Series X. Compare that to an earlier conceptual design that heavily weighed in on the contoured shapes and see-thought aesthetics. The Nothing Sound, however, keeps things simple without missing out on the classy vibe.

Controls of the chick portable speaker are seamlessly integrated into the design in the form of a rotary knob on the speaker’s top. This allows for intuitive interaction with the gadget such as volume adjustment, power on/off, and Bluetooth connectivity. Enhancing the user experience are the Glyph interface LEDs that are programmed to interact dynamically with the beat of the music. If desired, they can be deactivated for a more subtle experience.

According to Hao, the speaker is inspired by a book’s form, since they are a common companion for many on their journeys. Therefore, the aspiration is that “Nothing Sound” will accompany “its owner in a myriad of contexts and situations.” The focus of this product design is to have a pursuit of uniqueness, self-expression, passion and a style that is second nature to Nothing!

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Nothing Phone (2): A Fine-Tuned Flagship Killer, With A Touch of ‘Fun’

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Last year, Carl Pei took to the stage to proclaim that Tech had become boring, and it was time to inject some fun back into the industry again. In hindsight, the Phone (1) was an ideal proof of concept to show how exciting phones could be… The Phone (2), which officially launched today, shows a more iterative, refined version of exactly where Nothing is heading as a “small team with big ambitions”.

The launch of the Phone (2) is just as informal as last year’s Phone (1) keynote, and it’s a conscious effort on Nothing’s part to make sure that phone announcements aren’t highly precise, highly engineered, rehearsed monologues that are repeated year after year (major shots fired at Apple). Instead, Carl doubles down on the idea of keeping things fun by pairing up with Casey Neistat and sitting on a rollercoaster for the first few minutes, before vlogging the keynote just like Casey would.

Designer: Nothing

The Phone (2) comes with some significant improvements, but its design still remains familiar. The reason? Not just cost (because retooling, re-engineering, etc. eats into a lot of capital), but also to make sure that the phone’s design remains iconic and memorable. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it… but definitely refine it to make it better. To that end, the Phone (2) comes with some pretty eye-catching visual refinements in the form of a new Glyph Interface that’s much more detailed and responsive than in the past. Unlike last year’s interface, this year has 11 individual LED panels, with individually addressable LEDs that can respond to different apps and features. The back of the phone also has a mildly curved glass that creates a uniquely comfortable experience as you hold the phone (so that edge doesn’t dig into your palm), and on the front, the selfie camera now shifts to the center instead of sitting in the corner. The phone also ditches the black colorway for a slate, anthracite-like gray that helps you appreciate the transparent rear fascia.

Pei mentions that even though Phone (1) was a proof of concept in a lot of ways, its overwhelmingly positive response proves that the company’s on the right track. Nothing has sold nearly 2 million Phone (1) units to date, and the device has even won a lot of design and tech awards (we gave the Phone (1) an award at the Mobile World Congress this year too). This has helped Nothing hire more designers, engineers, and solidify partnerships to make Phone (2) even better. Every aspect of the Phone (2) sees some form of an upgrade, from the chipset to the display, battery, camera module, and even the OS.

The front shows a great amount of iterative refinements on Nothing’s parts, in the form of a 6.7″ OLED display that now has 0.35mm slimmer bezels than before, and a 1600 nits peak brightness. The camera hole punch gets shifted to the center to aid the phone’s symmetric appeal and the UI, and the screen is now OLED LTPO, which means it can rapidly alternate between 120Hz and 1Hz refresh rates to reduce battery consumption and give you an always-on screen that rivals most flagships. The screen pulls power from the Phone (2)’s upgraded 4700mAh battery, and while Carl doesn’t specifically mention how the battery upgrade translates into hours of usage, he does mention a 40% bump in battery life compared to the Phone (1).

The Glyph Interface on the back is perhaps the most visible refinement of all. With multiple LED bands, it can now say and do a lot more than its predecessor. It’s a lot more responsive, customizable, and has a few tricks up its sleeve like a custom LED strip can light up to let you know you’ve got an ‘important’ notification pending. An LED arc on the top right works as a progress bar, helping you intuitively use the phone’s countdown timer; and integration with apps like Uber and India’s food delivery giant Zomato can show progress meters like how close your cab driver or delivery agent is next to you.

The new Glyph Interface has 11 zones instead of last year’s 5.

The new curved glass back highlights the phone’s premium appearance and hand-feel.

The new Nothing OS 2, which is expected to roll out soon, shows a beautiful monochromatic consistency with app icons, widgets, and other home-screen elements. Unlike other smartphones that have an explosion of color on their displays, with app icons fighting for your attention, the Nothing OS 2 focuses on, well, nothingness… or rather on Pei’s vision for a phone OS that’s fun and classy to look at. Last year, Pei revealed the Nothing OS by highlighting the company’s audio recording app. This year, Nothing unveiled a new Glyph composer feature, with a collaboration with Swedish House Mafia to help users build their own ringtones, glyph patterns, and personalized audio-visual experiences.

While the cameras look relatively the same, Nothing touts a few improvements on the camera front too, thanks in big part to the phone’s new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, and a new ISP that shoots better images and video. The front camera gets a bump up to 32 megapixels, after last year’s 16-megapixel camera, and the dual-lens primary shooter features a 50MP camera like last year, but with a few significant software upgrades including better HDR, motion detection, blur removal, and low-light photography. How this pairs up to the smartphones of 2023 is still to be determined as the phone hasn’t gone on sale yet. We’re also excited to see what MKBHD’s camera tests for this year reveal, given that the Phone (1) didn’t fare pretty well last year. Our own verdict should be out soon too, as we review the Phone (2) for ourselves.

That being said, the Phone (2) is quite an interesting development for Nothing, proving that it’s getting something right as it slowly moves towards smartphone domination as other Android competitors still push out ‘boring’ phones that all look the same and don’t deliver anything materially different. The Phone (2) goes on sale this week, with pre-orders open on the nothing.tech website, and a flagship-killing $599 price tag.

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Nothing Launches Ear (2) TWS Earbuds in Black with Hi-Res Audio, Active Noise Cancellation, and a $149 Price Tag

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Riding on the heels of the Phone (2) unveiling, Nothing has also finally announced a black variant for its flagship Ear (2) TWS earbuds, for people who want to embrace the dark side. Just like its white counterpart, the Ear (2) Black comes with Hi-Res Audio certification and LHDC 5.0 technology. The earbuds come equipped with an 11.6 mm custom driver, delivering deep, powerful bass and crystal-clear highs. The new dual chamber design enhances the overall sound quality by improving airflow. Additionally, the earbuds feature Dual Connection for seamless device switching, Personal Sound Profile for a personalized audio experience, and improved wind-proof + crowd-proof Clear Voice Technology. The Personalized Active Noise Cancellation feature adapts to the unique shape of the user’s ear canal, providing bespoke noise-canceling that’s tailor-made to your needs.

Designer: Nothing

A recent winner of the Red Dot Award: Product Design, the Ear (2) has that familiar design that we all know and love. Now in a black finish, it explores the use of transparency, glossy black plastic, and matte-black housing and ear-tips. This contrast allows the Ear (2) to stand out so wonderfully, as does its unique case, which still remains one of our favorites in the aesthetics department.

Along with the Ear (2) black variant, Nothing announced upgrades to both the Ear (2) and the Ear (stick) in the form of a new, advanced equalizer. “This new advanced equalizer gives users even more freedom to control how they want to hear their music through an intuitive and simple graphical interface,” says the Nothing team. “It allows a deep level of customization through a parametric 8-band equalizer with a real-time preview of the changes, the full Q factor, and frequency control.” Available via the Nothing X app, this new feature will also let users share their EQ profile or download others through a QR code.

The Nothing Ear (2) Black is available now via a limited drop on the Nothing.tech website and will be more widely available from 21 July.

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Nothing headset (1) concept headphones with detachable amplifier bumps up audio listening experience

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Nothing Phone 2 is just around the corner and Carl Pie is pinning down targets with maximum conviction. So, what’s going to be the next prime target in his crosshair? Over-the-ear headphones sound like the next big untapped product to capture for now.

Since we are talking about a consumer-centric gadget, a wireless pair of headies looks like the most probable bet. Whether it’ll please purist audiophiles or not, still the market is huge to get a big chunk of the pie.

Designer: Yungwon Kang

If you already loved the head (1) wireless headphones concept, then there’s another one that’ll pique your interest. These pair of cans christened headset (1) are envisioned for high fidelity audio delivered right to the ears and come with a detachable amplifier to amp the quality on demand. No need for steeply-priced AMPs, DACs or high-fidelity cables – just attach this amplifier to the outside of the headphones nd the audio instantly sounds lively.

The exterior design and color theme look inspired by the AirPods Max, albeit the round-shaped cushions lend them a signature look. The see-through character is sensibly kept limited to the outer shell of the cans, suggesting they are not open-back headphones and provide good sound isolation for noisy environments.

Addition of the dedicated amplifier module promises bidirectional audio output for a life-like soundstage. Something that’s very close to what the audio creator intended to achieve and is replicated in the output of the headphones. All the amplifier controls are embedded on the surface, while the controls for ANC, volume and power lie on the sides of the cans.

Yungwon has chosen the signature white and black color options for the headphones. It’ll be interesting to see if Nothing draws inspiration from this concept design to create a pair of wireless headphones to take on the likes of Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and Apple.

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Nothing Phone (2) to roll out in summer 2023 with Snapdragon 8+. Here’s what it might look like…

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The moment Carl Pei departed OnePlus and unveiled the Nothing brand, all of us knew exactly what was in store. When the Ear (1) TWS earbuds dropped, we knew it was just a precursor to a smartphone. Surely enough, Pei took the stage in the summer of 2022 to announce the Phone (1), a device that promised to shake the status quo. The Nothing phone (1) was unveiled with pretty impressive specs and a ridiculous £399 GBP ($475 USD) price tag – ridiculous by flagship standards, definitely. It’s been almost a year since that landmark moment, and looks like Nothing is gearing up for round 2. The company just announced that the Phone (2) will be revealed at a keynote event ‘this summer’, and following Pei’s visit to Mobile World Congress this year, we know that it’ll be using the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 chipset.

However, the upcoming Phone (2)’s specs just dropped online, and the company (just like last time) released a cryptic render of a close-up that highlights one thing for sure – the Phone (2) will be an exercise in iterative improvement, just like the Ear (2) which released earlier this year. This concept by YouTuber Concept Central showcases what the new Nothing phone could look like. It retains the transparent design language and Glyph Interface, but makes just enough changes to really set the 2nd generation model apart.

Designer: Concept Central

The thing with making smartphones is that it’s an incredibly difficult task on a shoestring budget. For a company like Nothing, changing the design of every subsequent model means redesigning, re-engineering, and re-tooling… and that can drain a startup’s capital. That’s why the Ear (2) looked so similar to the Ear (1) because it hoped to establish two things. One, that Nothing’s design is on point, and that something that doesn’t look old and outdated doesn’t need revamping. And two, it’s easier to establish a brand by sticking to a visual design but making minor changes over the years. The Phone (2) concept from Concept Central reinforces that fact.

The Phone (2), for the most part, looks a lot like its predecessor, but has one glaringly obvious change – the camera array. Now with three cameras instead of two, the smartphone gets a minor (yet significant) makeover. The Glyph Interface gets a slight change, which in turn acts as a visual symbol of progress, and the camera system gets an upgrade, with a third lens added to the mix. This 3-lens array would also probably help the Nothing Phone (2) shine better in MKBHD’s blind smartphone camera tests.

The Glyph Interface has a touch of familiarity, but is different enough to look like an ‘upgrade’.

The side profile remains unchanged, giving the phone consistency.

The unique camera bump not only looks appealing on the Phone (2), but it would also make the device differentiate itself from the iPhone

The front of the phone looks exactly the same, although it runs the latest NothingOS 1.5 launcher on top of Android 13. Google is expected to announce Android 14 this week, although I’ll be surprised if the new Nothing Phone (2) gets the upgrade this soon.

As per GSMArena, the upcoming Phone (2) is rumored to come equipped with the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, along with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Its display is expected to measure 6.55 inches and feature an AMOLED panel with FullHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The potential specs also include a 50MP main camera with OIS, as well as two other cameras, likely an ultrawide and auxiliary cam. The Phone (2) is also said to have stereo speakers and NFC capabilities. Additionally, the phone is rumored to boast a large 5,000 mAh battery that supports fast charging and wireless charging.

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Nothing Voyage (1) is an outdoor mixed-reality headset concept with the Phone (1) inspired Glyph Interface

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Maybe AR/VR isn’t meant for homes… this conceptual pair of Nothing MR goggles transform the outdoors, immersing you in new worlds while keeping you aware of your current one.

Dubbed the Voyage (1), this ski-goggle-shaped headset enriches outdoor experiences, bringing you into a new world. Most MR devices find themselves being used in highly technical fields like medicine or engineering – the Voyage (1) doesn’t take that approach. Instead, it finds the ‘killer app’ of the MR world, just like health monitoring became the ‘killer app’ of the Apple Watch. Quite like how Pokemon GO used AR to push people outside their homes, the Voyage (1) enables people to experience a new reality layered over their own existing reality. It transforms mundane streets into foreign destinations, a boring highway into a mountainous drive, and a bland sky into an aurora-filled one in the arctic circle.

Designer: Junha Kam

The Voyage (1) sits on your eyes, with a sleek design that doesn’t weigh you down or look awkward on your face. A built-in Glyph Interface helps you be aware of your surroundings as well as the world around you be aware of your movements, and depending on your use, a pair of handheld controllers let you navigate your MR experience.

The glasses are unusually sleek, in a way that keeps in line with Nothing’s catalog of products. The only thing that stands apart is the lack of a transparent housing anywhere on the device.

The Voyage (1) is designed to be worn while moving. The mixed-reality ability gives you pass-through features that let you see the world around you so you’re fully aware of your surroundings, and the Glyph Interface ends up being an indicator of sorts, letting others know where you’re looking or turning as you cycle, skateboard, hoverboard, or jog with the MR headset on.

Although primed for outdoor use, the headset’s made to be worn indoors too, with a pair of controllers that help you use the Voyage (1) like a traditional VR headset for browsing the web, playing games, or engaging in indoor-based VR experiences.

Ultimately, the Voyage (1) tries to do what every metaverse company’s been trying to do too – figure out what’s the killer app for AR/VR/MR experiences. Zuckerberg and Tim Cook have been pushing the metaverse pretty hard for the past 5 years (Meta’s focus has been on VR, Apple’s on AR), but even though these devices have existed for quite long now, they feel like a novelty. Everyone who buys an Oculus Quest ends up letting it sit on a shelf and gather dust after 2-3 months of intense use. Maybe with a focus on reinventing the outdoors, the Voyage (1) will be able to help boost mass adoption for the metaverse. Sadly though, this device is entirely conceptual – but if Carl Pei is reading this…

The post Nothing Voyage (1) is an outdoor mixed-reality headset concept with the Phone (1) inspired Glyph Interface first appeared on Yanko Design.