I’ve had the Nothing Phone (1) for a number of months now as a part of a prolonged overview for NextPit. With out a lot additional ado, right here is my complete overview that exhibits why this smartphone deserves each little bit of its hype.
NEXTPITTV
Good
- An undeniably cool design
- Good display screen high quality regardless of calibration points
- Good picture high quality with the primary lens
- The battery life is just wonderful
- Nothing OS: a clear pores and skin
- Satisfactory replace coverage
Dangerous
- Digicam module isn’t versatile sufficient
- 33 W wired charging pace is simply too sluggish
- Colorimetry of the display screen may very well be higher
- Nght mode is simply too sluggish
Nothing Cellphone (1) in a nutshell
The Nothing Cellphone (1) is offered within the UK, Europe, Japan, and even India, however sadly, it’s not going to make its approach over to the US. You possibly can choose it up in three totally different configurations of 8/128 GB, 8/256 GB, and 12/256 GB with a price ticket of €469 (~$470), €499 (~$500), and €549 (~$550), respectively. Those that have an interest will be capable to choose it up from the official Nothing retailer and on Amazon.
I’ve taken a very long time to complete this overview, however higher late than by no means, is not it? That is particularly for the reason that quite a few updates deployed by Nothing have improved the person expertise of the Cellphone (1) significantly. The Nothing Cellphone (1) isn’t a flagship gadget regardless of all of the hype surrounding it. It is a mid-range smartphone, actually inside the premium class, however nonetheless mid-range on the finish of the day.
Nonetheless, does it actually supply something totally different than LEDs and a clear again? Effectively, sure! The best high quality of the Nothing Cellphone (1), other than the bling, is its intrinsic simplicity and its wonderful high quality/worth ratio.
Design: A combination of boring and innovation
I nonetheless just like the design of the Nothing Cellphone (1), even after a number of months of use. Its clear glass again that reveals some parts in addition to the LEDs that mild up and that Nothing calls “Glyph interface” which give it an plain “cool issue”.
What I favored:
- Clear design makes fairly an announcement.
- The Glyph interface is a little bit of a gimmick but it surely additionally spices up the expertise considerably.
- IP53 score, twin stereo audio system.
What I disliked:
- Kind issue was impressed by the iPhone 13 (not a flaw in itself, however relative to the reducing fringe of the design).
Seen from afar, the Nothing Cellphone (1) clearly shares the form and options of an iPhone. The glass again, the flat display screen, the straight edges, and the rounded corners. It is a type issue that everybody is aware of and is accustomed to. This acquainted design is maybe a bit reassuring to compensate for the extravagance of the Glyph interface.
The Nothing Cellphone (1) is available in two colours: white and black. Personally, I discovered the black model to be a tad extra stylish.
The design of the Nothing Cellphone (1) follows the identical codes because the Nothing Ear (1). The thought is to disclose a bit, however not an excessive amount of, the inside of the smartphone and its parts. All of it comes collectively in an aesthetically pleasing method that delivers a harmonious design. It is not only a matter of placing a translucent glass plate for enjoyable.
We discover totally different textures, some near the floor of a golf ball with a small diploma of roughness, to not point out an attention-grabbing plate on the proper of the digicam module. The rectangular rectangle within the center has a round grooved floor like a vinyl. As for the plates on the backside, they’ve been organized to evoke the form of a small elephant.
The size measuring 159.2 x75.8 x 8.3 mm are accompanied by a weight of 193.5 g, making it a fairly compact smartphone. For positive it’s not too cumbersome for the hand to understand. However essentially the most attention-grabbing factor is the well-known Glyph interface. Principally, it’s a system of visible alerts (but in addition sound) that perform as notifications, and these notifications are contextual in nature.
This implies you can customise the Glyph interface to affiliate various kinds of mild alerts with various kinds of notifications. I’ve devoted a full video to this, which I invite you to look at (you can even learn my article concerning the best Glyph interface features).
On paper, I discover it to be fairly the gimmick. On the similar time, this sort of perform isn’t speculated to transcend your existence to the core. A perform isn’t ineffective simply because it’s non-compulsory. Quite the opposite, I discover this route of gamification to be fairly good, particularly for the reason that producer plans to implement new alerts based mostly on person group suggestions. For many who usually are not liable to such a gimmick, you can even decide to disable this Glyph interface.
Display screen: OLED 120 Hz panel
The Nothing Cellphone (1) packs a 6.55-inch OLED show with a Full HD+ decision of 2400 x 1080p, HDR10+ compatibility with a 120 Hz refresh charge, a 240 Hz contact charge, and a most brightness of 1,200 nits.
What I favored:
- 120 Hz refresh charge.
- HDR10+ suitable.
- No edges or chin.
What I disliked:
- Comparatively low 240 Hz contact sampling charge.
The OLED screen of the Nothing Cellphone (1) is simply what you’d anticipate from a smartphone on this worth vary. I discovered the colorimetry to be a bit too saturated with the Alive colour mode activated by default. And by switching to Customary mode, I didn’t discover a transparent distinction, a minimum of to the bare eye.
I’ve seen that a number of reviewers who’re well-equipped with devoted probes and software program discovered that the display screen colorimetry was not likely correct on the Nothing Cellphone (1). In each day use, it did not trouble me, but it surely’s true that the rendering may have been a bit extra pure.
The refresh charge isn’t very adaptive by default, It will possibly mechanically swap from 60 to 120 Hz in sure situations, with out every other interval. The modifications occur reactively. Nonetheless, I discovered the 240 Hz contact sampling charge to be a bit weak, particularly for gaming use.
However other than these gripes, the flat, bezel-less display screen is sweet to take a look at and most significantly, it does not have an enormous chin as remains to be typically the case within the mid-range phase. It is usually pierced by a small punch on the high left nook to accommodate the selfie digicam. The fingerprint reader underneath the display screen may be very responsive in nature. And the haptic engine produces very clear suggestions. It is a foolish factor to say, but it surely reinforces the premium really feel of the smartphone.
Person Interface: Nothing OS, a really mild Android 12 pores and skin
The Nothing Cellphone (1) runs on Nothing OS, which is a pores and skin based mostly on Android 12. It is a very mild interface with some very considerate customizations thrown into the combination alongside visually authentic customization parts.
What I favored:
- A lightweight and uncluttered pores and skin
- Some very good customization parts
- 4×4 utility icons
- Virtually all Android 12 options can be found
- No bloatware
- 3 Android updates and 4 years of safety patches
What I disliked:
- A seemingly late transition to Android 13
- A bit too minimalist for my style
- Not sufficient Nothing widgets
I actually like Nothing OS, as this pores and skin seems uncluttered and is likely one of the closest to inventory Android amongst all different skins. Now we have all of the widgets of Android 12 right here, dynamic themes, and the Privateness Dashboard. The interface is free from adverts and bloatware (in any other case generally known as these pesky pre-installed purposes). As well as, the customization choices additionally characteristic Nothing’s design language with out bogging it down.
For instance, you’ll be able to create enlarged utility icons on the house display screen. That is helpful for apps that you just’re used to opening incessantly, reminiscent of Settings or maybe your favourite IM app.
Within the fast entry menu, there are six slots for settings and capabilities as an alternative of the standard 4. If we have been to swipe down, we now have two large circles on the high of the display screen. We will scroll by way of three ranges of choices inside the left circle to handle cell information, WiFi, and connection sharing. This design aspect is considerably much like the widget stacks present in iOS 16 and helps to visually lighten the menu with out sacrificing the variety of accessible settings.
Within the “native” purposes (the picture gallery and the file supervisor belong to Google), we discover a barely retro look, composed of dotted strains in pixel artwork format. It is good, however I believe Nothing may have provided extra variety in its widgets and particularly extra superior customization in some apps.
For instance, I favored the design of the voice recorder that evokes the analog nature of a tape recorder. I want Nothing would have equally been as impressed for the digicam app and gone a bit additional in its delirium. I used to be generally left a bit annoyed by the admittedly meant sobriety, which was adopted by the producer.
One other instance that espouses my view – the climate utility has good widgets however once you press it, you’re redirected to the net model of Accuweather. The clock has a really abnormal inventory Android look as nicely. I additionally seen some very tough translations within the course of in case you are utilizing a unique language.
Nothing ensures three main Android updates and 4 years of safety updates. Nonetheless, the transition to Android 13 goes to be a little bit of a wrestle. Carl Pei had initially relativized the significance of Android variations in lieu of the person expertise. Nonetheless, the producer shortly confirmed that the deployment wouldn’t happen earlier than the primary half of 2023. The beta ought to start by the top of 2022.
Efficiency
The Nothing Cellphone (1) packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC that was manufactured utilizing the 6nm course of and mated to an Adreno 642L GPU, all coupled with 8 or 12GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage.
What I favored:
- Distinctive stability
- No overheating
- No aggressive thermal throttling
What I disliked:
- Graphical concessions are to be anticipated
- Sophisticated to play in 60 FPS or greater
There isn’t a doubt that the Snapdragon 778G+ is a mid-range chipset. Actually, it is this level specifically that has brought on a little bit of disappointment amongst a few of those that puffed up the handset, hoping the Nothing Cellphone (1) can be an ultra-premium flagship.
| Realm GT Neo 3 Dimensity 8100 |
Nothing Cellphone (1) Snapdragon 778G+ |
|
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Wild Life | 3,509 | 2,809 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Stress Take a look at |
Finest loop: 3,514 Worst loop: 3,406 |
Finest loop: 2,832 Worst loop: 2,816 |
| Geekbench 5 | Single: 963 Multi: 4,056 |
Single: 796 Multi: 2,889 |
For all of the above, it is a platform that Qualcomm has had time to optimize and which is far much less power consuming than its high-end equivalents and particularly, which overheats much less. Effectively, the uncooked efficiency is clearly not that nice, this a lot we agree. However the stability is fairly distinctive.
On the Wild Life Stress Take a look at benchmark by 3DMark, the Nothing Cellphone (1) maintained a stability of 99.4% over the 20 minutes of the take a look at. The smartphone didn’t exceed 31° on this benchmark though it’s speculated to simulate intensive gaming use.
Do not get too carried away, although. We insist that this handset provides efficiency that continues to be inside the mid-range area. You may be caught at 30 FPS usually with common and even poor graphics settings on most video games. Not less than you will not have the indignity of affected by abrupt framerate losses or aggressive thermal throttling.
For me, it is a success for Nothing. Hardly ever do I see such secure efficiency once I overview an Android smartphone.
Picture: Two lenses, no fuss
The Nothing Cellphone (1) is supplied with a twin digicam module spearheaded by a 50 MP broad angle lens and the Sony IMX766 sensor in addition to a 50 MP extremely wide-angle lens. As for the selfie digicam, it provides a 16 MP decision shooter.
What I favored:
- The primary lens is excellent in the course of the day
- Passable degree of element and dynamic vary in broad angle
- Night time mode works nicely with a pure rendering (doesn’t mild up the scene an excessive amount of)
What I disliked:
- Any digital zoom does not look nice
- Ultr-wide angle lens is fairly common
- The night time mode is simply too sluggish
We will salute the truth that Nothing didn’t trouble to combine pointless 2 MP depth or macro sensors. THANK YOU! In the course of the day, the primary lens clearly carried out very nicely. We all know all concerning the Sony IMX766 sensor, as we already noticed it in motion on many smartphones this yr.
The colorimetry is fairly correct, the place the sharpness is there and the dynamic vary is fairly nicely managed. Nothing’s software program offers very successfully with extra advanced scenes. It manages to take care of a balanced distinction in opposition to the sunshine, for example, and shadows don’t drown the remainder of the picture.
The purely digital zoom is fairly abnormal although. The 2x magnification does the trick, however past that, outcomes usually are not convincing sufficient. It is a pity, the Nothing Cellphone (1) loses some versatility right here but it surely’s not that dangerous in comparison with different fashions on this worth vary. Removed from it.
The ultra-wide angle has problem in providing constant colorimetry with that of the primary lens. The extent of element additionally drops significantly and the FOV of 114° isn’t that nice. I used to be additionally not impressed by the macro photographs, however I doubt {that a} devoted 2 MP macro sensor would have accomplished higher.
The portrait mode may be very efficient although. Cropping is clear even when the main target to detect the proper topic within the foreground is usually capricious. Particular point out concerning the Glyph Interface which might exchange the LED flash and thus permits a lot much less burning of the picture once you take portraits of different folks in low mild settings.
Video recording is restricted to 4K definition in 30 FPS utilizing the primary lens.
Battery life: Wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging
The Nothing Cellphone (1) packs a 4,500 mAh battery that helps 33 watts of wired quick charging, 15 watts of Qi wi-fi charging, and 5 watts of reverse wi-fi charging.
What I favored:
- Wonderful battery life
- Wi-fi charging is uncommon on this worth vary
What I disliked:
- Charger isn’t included
- Quick charging at 33 watts is simply too sluggish
As soon as once more, Nothing repeated what labored nicely with its Ear (1). It provides each wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging in a worth vary that usually does with out these options.
I used to be afraid that the Glyph Interface would have an effect on the battery life an excessive amount of, however I used to be pleasantly stunned to see that this was not the case in any respect. On the PC Mark benchmark, the Nothing Cellphone (1) took 14:15 hours to dip beneath the 20% remaining battery life mark. It is a superb rating, putting it proper on the echelons of the Android smartphone market.
In on a regular basis use, you’ll be able to simply final a day and a half or two full days with none points. The wired charging. nevertheless, is a bit sluggish at 33 watts. Utilizing the official 45W USB-C charger (which isn’t included within the field), it took me half-hour to go from 0 to 50% and nearly one and a half hours for a full cost.
Simply be aware that the producer doesn’t supply a proprietary charging technology of its personal. To make the most of the 33-watt quick charging in wired mode, any charger compatible with the USB PD 3.0 standard will do.
Technical specs
| Technical specs | |
|---|---|
| System | |
| Picture |  |
| Display screen | 5.9-inch OLED, Full HD+ decision, 120Hz refresh charge |
| Dimensions & Weight | 159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3 mm | 193.5 g |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus |
| Reminiscence | 8/128 GB | 8/256 GB | 12/256 GB |
| OS | Android 12 | Nothing OS |
| Expandable Storage | No |
| Foremost Digicam | 50 MP | f/1.9 aperture | 24 mm focal size | 1.0 µm pixel dimension | PDAF | OIS |
| Extremely Broad Angle Digicam | 50 MP | f/2.2 aperture| 114° FOV |
| Selfie | 16 MP | f/2.5 aperture |
| Video | 4K at 30 fps max |
| Audio | 2 stereo audio system |
| Battery | 4500 mAh |
| Quick charging | 33W wired | 15W wi-fi QI | 5W wi-fi reverse |
Conclusion
Was the Nothing Cellphone (1) overhyped or oversold? No. The promise of a balanced smartphone, at an inexpensive worth with a putting design was delivered for my part.
It is likely one of the two smartphones that I’m significantly contemplating shopping for within the subsequent few months. The opposite one can be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it surely prices a whopping $1,800. Psychologically, I do not actually see myself taking over a 24-month cost plan for the foldable gadget even when I am very tempted.
So, the Nothing Cellphone (1), at lower than $600, is a bit simpler to apprehend as a purchase order determination. I additionally sincerely suppose that the standard/worth ratio provided by the producer is among the many most attention-grabbing available in the market at this time.
The smartphone is cool, it appeals as an object of want. Its efficiency is extremely strong by way of stability and temperature management. The digicam module is respectable and the battery life is just wonderful.
Severely, do you actually need a flagship? I believe Nothing has been taking part in it good for the reason that starting and managed, till now, to all the time supply merchandise which can be ok to be related, low cost sufficient to be manageable by way of buying energy, and funky or authentic sufficient to enchantment to customers who’re much less obsessive about specs than an enormous geek like me.
