Nothing Phone (2) Review: Carl Pei was right, you don’t need the latest processors
The Nothing brand demands attention, and it continues to do so with the Phone (2).
Ever since the release of the Nothing Ear (1) in mid 2021, the London-based company has kept the tech world curious about it’s next move. Why? Because the Ear (1) was the first ever transparent product to hit the mainstream tech market.
Riding on the hype, Carl Pei, the founder of Nothing (and former co-founder of OnePlus) brought the same see-through design language to the Nothing Phone (1) in 2022. It was at this juncture where Nothing once again brought out a never-before-seen feature on a smartphone – the Glyph Interface.
The set of LEDs on its transparent back panel was proof of Nothing’s innovative prowess. They have since gone on to launch the Ear (stick) in late 2022 and Ear (2) in early 2023.
Fast forward to July 2023, where the Nothing Phone (2) was finally unveiled after a wave of anticipation.
Many wondered if Nothing could push the Phone (2) further than it already has come, or if it would signal the beginning of the end. Much like any new kid on the block that tried on to take on the longstanding giants of the neighborhood.
After testing it ourselves, we’ve developed our own opinions about the Phone (2), which we’ll explore more below.
Nothing Phone (2) pricing details in Malaysia
The good about the Nothing Phone (2) is that all variants come in a healthy 12GB RAM. The 12GB/256GB variant is priced at RM2,999, while the 12GB/512GB variant retails at RM3499.
These prices are at the lower rungs of the high-end market scale. It’s possible the use of a year-old CPU allowed Nothing to drive the prices down for the Phone (2) in order to to make it more appealing to those sitting on the fence.
How much of a factor does that really play? Well, let’s see.
Snapdragon 8+ Gen1: Is using an older chip really a problem?
Prior to the launch, there were talks about Nothing wanting to take it up a notch and compete in the flagship market.
As such, a few eye brows were raised when Carl Pei announced that the Phone (2) would be using a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (a 2022 processor) instead of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Personally, it didn’t really matter.
My take is – unless you’re a major tech geek whos constantly conducting speed tests, the 8+ Gen 1 vs 8 Gen 2 debate doesn’t really apply.
In all likelihood, the vast majority of users just want a device that can offer smooth scrolling experience with little to no lag. If your primary screen time involves mainly Instagram, X, YouTube, Netflix, and some web browsing – you’ll have no issues.
In fact, even gaming was a breeze when tested on Mobile Legends and PUBG.
There was no issue in daily usage, and it certainly didn’t feel like I was slowed down in any way by an ‘older’ processor.
On a side note, the bigger 6.7″ OLED screen (vs the 6.55″ on its predecessor) is a huge welcome.
Glyph Interface: Better, but not quite there yet
Here’s probably what people want to know the most. Is the Glyph Interface (we’ll call it GI for short) still just a lightshow?
Compared to the Phone (1), which had 12 LED lighting zones, the Phone (2) now boasts 33 light zones. In that regard, the GI on the Phone (2) has added functionality compared to its predecessor.
Which is a good thing, because with more usable functions the less gimmicky it gets.
Probably the most useful additions is the Essential Notifications option, which allows you to set the corner strip of the GI to light up whenever there is a notification from your desired app.
The GI on the Phone (2) now also indicates volume levels and timers. You can also view charging status via the bottom middle vertical strip, but you will need to wiggle the phone for it to light up – which bugs me because it sometimes takes more than a wiggle to have it light up, more like a semi-vigorous shake. If you’re going to have to hold the phone for the indicator to light up, you might as well pick up the phone or have it lying face up.
In certain regions, the Phone (2) supports third party integrations with Uber, where a strip on the GI acts as a progress bar. But in Malaysia, we still have none of that.
The Flip to Glyph – which you’ll find on the Phone (1) too – is still an excellent feature. What this does is it turns your phone silent and activates lights-only notification from the GI just by flipping your phone.
If I were to put the Glyph Interface on the Phone (2) on a spectrum between functionality and gimmick, I’d still say it floats in the gimmick half. However, compared to the GI on the Phone (1), the needle has certainly moved in the right direction towards functionality.
Nothing OS 2.0: Still the best thing on the Phone (2)
One of the joys of the Nothing Phone (2) is the Nothing OS 2.0.
Even on the Nothing Phone (1), we’ve always found that sleek monochrome theme and icon designs a breath of fresh air from all else out there.
The apps that come with the Phone (2) out the box have their own customized Nothing OS-themed icons. When you do download new apps, it will retain the original app icon – which may look out of place and a little jarring. The workaround that is putting them into folders and changing the icon of the folders with one of Nothing’s design.
Best of all though is being able to enlarge icons up to four times it size, which allows you to blow your important apps. There’s lesser chance of overswiping when the app is right in your face. If not for function, then at least it gives more design and character on your home screen compared to boring 1×1 icons.
Beyond that, I quite liked that you have the option to show whatever widget that you insert in the lock screen (eg. WiFi, On / Off Glyph Interface, Clocks) to also appear on Always On Display.
Cameras: Good, but nothing to shout about
By upgrading to a flagship processor, Nothing also gets the chance to improve on its camera capabilities.
Overall, we found the camera quite good in terms of photo quality. Photos were clear with no distortion, and colours were rendered quite accurately. Even the zoom proved to be quite impressive, with minimal loss of detail.
If you were to compare against other flagships – it seems to lack that selling factor, like a Samsung 200MP camera, or a Xiaomi x Leica collaboration.
But for a casual point-and-shoot, the cameras on the Phone (2) will definitely suffice.
Final Verdict on the Nothing Phone (2)
All things considered, the Nothing Phone (2) offers a more-than-decent performing phone for a very good price.
We get that it’s still unfamiliar ground that many would not like to tread yet, especially if you’re gonna fork out up to RM3,499.
To that we can say in full confidence – the Phone (2) is a good buy. It runs quick and smooth, has decent cameras, and the new Nothing OS 2.0 which finally brings a new take on the boring ol’ interface.
As for the Glyph Interface, we’ll say that it’s still in its infant stage. Functional enough to keep it in hype, but not groundbreaking enough to cement it is a must-have feature. There’s a ton of potential in it though, and we’re excited to see what Nothing does next for the Phone (3).
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