At the time, OnePlus was a brand that ran on enthusiast phones – One even ran CyanogenMod. Over the years it has grown into a more traditional smartphone maker, but now one of its co-founders, Carl Pei, has started a new company. Is it a new beginning or just a continuation with a different name?
The Nothing (1) phone was announced earlier this week. This is a phone, indeed a company, that prioritizes style. The goal is to break the monotony of current smartphone design trends (the company’s Twitter slogan is “We’re here to make technology fun again”).
A distinctive element of the design is transparency: like the TWS earbuds (1), the phone (1) uses clear glass to show off some of the interior. Nothing took advantage of the one with “Glyph Interface”, which uses several white LED strips on the back for some lighting effects and notifications.
The phone also comes with a custom launcher (which you can try to drive on your current phone). There is also support for ready-to-use NFT and for remote control of some functions of your Tesla. Let’s just say that the Nothing (1) phone was created for a particular audience.
Does this limit its appeal? Or does the perceived exclusivity (part of which is the invitation-only sales system) make the phone even more attractive?
Because if you take away the glitzy exterior, this could easily be a OnePlus Nord model. This is a mid-range phone and priced at € 470 / £ 400 / ₹ 33,000, it’s not as aggressively priced. This is for the 8 / 128GB model, the 8 / 256GB model costs € 500 / £ 450 / ₹ 36,000 and the 12 / 256GB model costs € 550 / £ 500 / ₹ 39,000.
For that you get a Snapdragon 778G + (customized to support wireless charging), a 6.55 “120Hz OLED HDR10 + display with FHD + resolution (not an LTPO panel) and a 50MP main camera (IMX766, 1 / 1.56” with OIS). There is also a 50MP ultrawide unit (114 ° JN1, 1 / 2.76 “), stereo speakers and a 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging (0-50% in 30 min, 0-100 % in 70 min), plus 15 W wireless charging. There is, however, no telephoto lens, no microSD slot and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Nothing promises three years of OS updates (the phone starts on Android 12) and four years of security patches. It is comparable to Samsung Galaxy A series and Google Pixel 6 phones.
Let’s take a look at the competition the Nothing (1) phone faces. We’ll start with OnePlus 9. Its display is pretty much the same and you get the more powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset. The cameras are comparable (and boast Hasselblad modes), as is the battery. An 8/128 GB phone can be found for around € 550 with some shopping around.
The OnePlus Nord 2 normally costs € 400, but can be found for a little less. It has a smaller 6.43-inch 90Hz AMOLED display and is powered by the Dimensity 1300, which should outperform the Snapdragon. The ultrawide camera only has an 8MP sensor and there is no wireless charging.
OnePlus 9 • OnePlus Nord 2T
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G has a 6.5 “120Hz Super AMOLED display (no HDR10 support) and runs on the not-so-exciting Exynos 1280 chipset. The camera department is also pretty basic with a 64MP (1 / 1.7” main) , OIS) and 12 MP Ultra wide. The 5,000mAh battery is larger, but slower to charge (plus, no wireless charging). A 6/128 GB drive costs € 360 on Samsung.com and a little less elsewhere.
You might also consider the Galaxy M53, which is more like the A73 than the A53. It has a larger 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED (no HDR) and works with the less powerful Dimensity 900 chipset. What it has to offer is the 108MP main camera (without OIS), but the 8MP ultra wide angle disappoints. The 4,500mAh battery isn’t great for this size, but at least it does wireless charging. A 6/128 GB drive will set you back € 400. The A53 and M53 have microSD slots, but no 3.5mm jack.
You may be better off with the Galaxy S21 FE. It has a 6.4 ”120Hz AMOLED display with HDR10 + and a Snapdragon 888 chipset, also in Europe. The 12 MP (1 / 1.76 “, OIS) main camera and 12 MP (1 / 3.0”) ultra wide-angle camera are nothing to write home about, but there is also an 8 MP 3x telephoto module (with OIS). This also has a 4,500mAh battery with support for wireless charging. The S21 FE and A53 will receive better software support than the M53. The S21 FE (6/128 GB) regularly drops below € 500.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G • Samsung Galaxy M53 • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
The Redmi Note 1 Pro + 5G in Europe costs 400 €, has a 6.67 “120Hz Super AMOLED display (HDR10) and is powered by the Dimensity 920. Like the M53, it has a 108PM main camera and an 8MP ultra wide camera. . The phone has a 3.5mm jack and microSD slot, as well as a 4,500mAh battery with 120W fast charging (0-100% in 15 minutes, but without wireless). You can get one for € 350 ( 6 / 128GB drives) and you’ll get both a microSD slot and a 3.5mm jack.
The Poco F4 uses the older Snapdragon 870 and has a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +), a 6 / 128GB drive costs € 400. The Poco X4 GT uses the more exciting Dimensity 8100 chipset and has a 6.6-inch 144Hz LCD (HDR10), plus a 3.5mm jack. Neither phone has particularly interesting cameras (64 + 8 + 2MP, with OIS on the F4). As for the battery, they only have wired charging (67W), the X4 GT’s battery is bigger (5,080mAh vs 4,500mAh).
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro + 5G • Xiaomi Poco F4 • Xiaomi Poco X4 GT
The Realme GT Neo 3T also goes for the Snapdragon 870 and packs a 6.62-inch 120Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +). The 64 + 8 + 2 MP camera setup also doesn’t impress here. There’s also a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging (wired only). An 8/128 GB phone retails for € 430, unless you want the Dragon Ball edition (8/256 GB for € 500).
The Realme GT2 works with the Snapdragon 888 and has a 6.62-inch 120Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +). The main camera uses the same IMX766 (50MP, 1 / 1.56 “with OIS) as the Nothing phone, but the 8MP ultra wide angle can’t compete. There’s a 5,000mAh battery with 65W charging (0- 100% in 30 minutes, without wireless.) An 8/128 GB drive is quite expensive at € 550.
Realme GT Neo 3T • Realme GT2
If software support is your primary concern, you’ll find the Pixel 6 in some countries for € 530 (8/128 GB). It uses Google’s custom Tensor chipset and features a 6.4-inch 90Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +). The main 50MP sensor is large (1 / 1.31 “with OIS), the ultra-wide 12MP camera is behind in resolution. The 4,610mAh battery supports both wired and wireless charging.
Google Pixel 6
The Motorola Edge 30 also has a Snapdragon 778G +, albeit without the wireless charging modification. It has a 6.5 “144Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +) and a 4,020mAh battery with 33W wired charging. The camera setup is competitive with a 50MP main sensor (1 / 1.55”, OIS) and 50 MP ultra wide angle (1 / 2.76 “). The price on Motorola Germany is 450 € (for an 8 / 128GB drive), but you can also find it for less.
Also worth a look is the older Moto Edge 20, which uses the original 778G chip and has a larger 6.7 “144Hz AMOLED display (HDR10 +). The main camera boasts a 108MP (1 / 1.52) sensor. “, Without OIS) and there is an 8MP 3x telephoto lens, as well as the 16MP ultra wide angle lens. Like its sibling in the 30 series, it has a small 4,000mAh battery. You can pick up one for € 360.
The Moto G200 has a similar configuration, albeit with a 144Hz LCD (HDR10) and a Snapdragon 888+ chipset. The 108MP (1 / 1.52 “main camera, without OIS) is fine, but the tele module is no longer there. At least you get a bigger 5,000mAh battery (still no wireless charging). These cost around € 499 ( for an 8/128 GB drive).
Motorola Edge 30 • Motorola Edge 20 • Motorola Moto G200 5G
Well, it’s time to vote: who will join the community of owners of Nothing phone (1)?
PS. if you are having trouble voting using the poll widget above, vote here.
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