Nothing, the company, launched at the end of January 2021 and has since released a phone and a couple of TWS buds, but now it’s time for its second phone. The company is deliberate with its launches, working to build a reputation for trendy and stand-out products because it is trying to enter the very crowded and very competitive smartphone market, a market with a lot of red tape.
The Nothing Phone (2) will be officially presented on July 11, but the Carl Pei & co. have already confirmed a number of key aspects of the device. There have also been unofficial leaks, here’s everything we know so far.
Phone (1) was powered by a slightly customized version of the Snapdragon 778G, phone (2) is getting the high-end Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. While slightly older, Nothing likely lacks the ability to protect Gen 2 chips, not yet. Pei had This to say about the 8+ Gen 1:
Tested to perfection: The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 has been thoroughly tested and continuously optimized through numerous updates since its introduction a year ago. We prioritize user experience rather than being first in the race for specs.
Furthermore, the founder hinted that the chip was the best value for money, i.e. the premium is proportionally greater than the performance increase (presumably referring to the 8th Gen 2).
Importantly, the company has put its own software division to work and is now developing the Nothing operating system in-house. Version 2 of the Custom UI is in the works, and Pei is fully aware of the benefits of extended software support, something that has given a fledgling OnePlus an edge. To that end, the phone (2) will receive 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches. That’s close to Google’s 3/5 commitment, but less than the 4/5 years offered by Samsung and OnePlus.
Like OnePlus’ early years, Nothing’s strategy is to release one phone a year. And this year the phone will be bigger: it will have a 6.7″ display (up from 6.55″ on the original). To support the larger display and beefier chipset, Nothing has also increased the battery capacity to 4,700mAh (up from 4,500mAh). The first model achieved an impressive endurance rating of 108 hours, an achievement due as much to its battery capacity and efficient chipset as well as well-optimized software.
For those who want the company to release something smaller, Pei He says that developing a smaller version costs as much as a brand new product and according to the founder “very few people buy small phones”.
The most recent revelation is the design of the new charging cable that will be included with the phone (2), a cable that now has the same transparent on white aesthetic that is becoming Nothing’s calling card. Marketing is a huge but very vital expense for a relatively unknown brand and luckily by no means Carl Pei is a master at it. You’d think “that’s a cable, who cares?”, but if you check the post you’ll see that it has over 100 comments. There are a lot of eyes on the emerging Nothing Phone.
The company has worked to make the phone’s design (2) more eco-friendly than its predecessor, reducing its carbon footprint to 53.45kg, 5kg less than the phone (1). The new design also uses more recycled materials (the central frame is made entirely of recycled aluminum).
We mentioned bureaucracy in the beginning, and by that we meant all the rules, regulations and contracts that need to be negotiated to launch a phone into a new market. The phone (1) was only available in the US through an unsupported beta program, not really suitable for a daily driver. Carriers are the gatekeepers to US markets and there is no proper launch without their approval, the young company lacking the resources to do so last year.
But now that it’s already operational, Nothing will try to enter the US market with the Phone (2). Maybe not at launch, but that’s a top priority. The phone is expected to arrive stateside later this year.
That’s all the information we have up to this point, although we’re sure the next couple of weeks will bring another teaser or two to keep the hype train going as it approaches launch day. Now let’s delve into the less than official information.
@OnLeaks shared 3D renders of the Nothing Phone (2) which showed off a more rounded design – rounded edges on the sides, bevelled glass front and back – but otherwise not much has changed. Note that Pei has already defined this design as impostor, but it could just be a detour. We won’t know the truth until July 11, so for now we only have rumors to fill in the gaps in the spec sheet.
No phone (2), speculative renderings
The Nothing Phone (2) will presumably pair its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with 8/12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128/256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The 6.7″ display will be an FHD+ panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Nothing unexpected so far.
The main camera will have the same key specs – 50MP sensor, OIS – as the original. There’s not much about the other cameras, but if the renders are accurate, there won’t be a third camera module.
The most important changes to the Nothing Phone (2) compared to the Phone (1) are shaping up to be the new chipset class, more refined software, and reaching new markets. We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground and reporting on any new developments, and you can expect detailed coverage of the phone (2) once it launches.
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