How to survive in a market that is more than bottled? By trying to keep a slight difference to stand out. This is what Nothing has expected since its creation in 2020, following in the footsteps of Carl Pei, former co-founder of OnePlus. Focused first on audio with its transparent Ear (1) headphones, but with promising high-quality sound, the British company launched into the smartphone market with a philosophy: “less distractions, more soul for deeper interactions” and above all the whole idea of “returning to ourselves”.
From there a Phone (1) was born that had symbolized all his theory in a finding on the back of the device, the Glyph interface, LEDs lighting up according to the nature of the notifications received or the calls. A first test praised by specialists and users for its originality and its concept. Nothing revealed this Tuesday his successor, the Phone (2), which refines the achievements and improves the set to go high-end.
The Glyph interface, the real asset
In terms of design, the screen is wider with a 6.7-inch adaptive 120Hz AMOLED panel (versus 6.5-inches) without changing the size thanks to a slight refinement of all edges. We find the inspiration of the iPhone so dear to Carl Pei with the very straight edges in aluminum and glass on the back for a premium finish.
The transparent and curved back of the Phone (2), to hold it better in the hand, is also its true hallmark with the possibility of seeing all the innards (or almost). Above all, this gives the redesigned Glyph interface a field of expression to make it more relevant and efficient in its desire to minimize screen interactions.
The LED zones are more segmented to multiply the possibilities and customization of light and sound when important notifications arrive. Now it is possible to have LEDs that, for example, will gradually light up to indicate that your taxi is approaching or the delivery of your order, the end of a countdown, etc.
The segment at the top right lights up more strongly when it is a message from a known contact. Others may indicate the charge level of the smartphone.
There’s also a composition tool for your custom Glyph ringtone (including a partnership with Swedish electro group Swedish House Mafia who offered sounds from their forthcoming album). The Glyph interface will also take advantage of the light sensor to manage its brightness. This will also help you use the Glyph as a flashlight.
Functions to disconnect from your smartphone
Everything is done to minimize the need to look at your screen. This one, too, is redesigned to get down to business with the ability to put multiple widgets for just about anything with Nothing OS 2.0, based on Android 13 (accessible even on the locked screen). It will be possible to change the interface to monochrome to avoid colors in all directions, and even remove the labels of the different applications.
On the photo side, the phone (2) is solid with two 50 Mpx sensors each (wide and ultra-wide). On the front, there is a 32MP selfie sensor. But it is in the software that Nothing has focused its progress against the Phone (1). The successor wants to be able to process much more data at the same time to offer more precise and detailed photos, especially in HDR.
Inside the device is a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, which is not Qualcomm’s most powerful, but last year’s version. A component that the brand expects to be enough to play without overheating, while saving your battery. In terms of autonomy, the Phone (2) announces more than a day in standard use with 45 W recharging and compatibility with wireless charging (15W). As with the competition, the power adapter is no longer supplied.
Prices and availability of the Nothing Phone (2)
The Phone (2) is offered in white or dark gray, with several configurations to choose from with 8 or 12 GB of memory, from 128 to 512 GB of storage.
It will be on pre-order at Boulanger, Fnac-Darty, Bouygues Telecom and LDLC from July 17 with the Ear (Stick) headphones on sale, on sale on July 21 from 679 euros to 849 euros.
Source: BFM TV
