In the evolving world of technology, innovation is paramount. Companies are striving to outdo each other with new designs, specifications, and features. However, there's something different about the Nothing Phone 2 - a smartphone that is turning heads, and not just because of its unique design.
Today we dive into a Nothing Phone 2 full review, sharing our Nothing Phone 2 first impression, Nothing Phone 2 pros and cons, analysing its camera capabilities, and providing an overview of what to expect.
Nothing Phone 2 Design
The exposed rear look on this phone is retained from the Phone 1, and it adds loads of personality to the Phone 2. This new grey colour option looks quite cool as well. However, hold the Nothing Phone 2 in your hand, and you are immediately reminded of the iPhone Pro Max.
This smartphone is big and boxy. Sure, its rear glass panel is slightly curved around the sides, but its sheer size ensures that it’s not the most comfortable thing to grip.
Another iPhone inspiration comes in the form of the volume rocker, which is on the left side instead of being on the right, and might take some time getting used to.
The iPhone inspiration does not stop there, but this third one works in favour of this phone. The display bezels are symmetrical, which contributes significantly to the Phone 2's premium appearance.
Also, the selfie camera hole punch has been repositioned to the centre, as opposed to on the side on the Phone 1.
Also Watch: Exclusive First Look: Nothing Ear (2) Black Edition Revealed
Nothing Phone 2 Display and Utility
The Nothing Phone 2 can take two 5G SIM cards, but there’s no place for memory expansion. You do get up to 512GB of internal storage, but variant upgrades are rather expensive, which we’ll talk about later.
The optical in-display fingerprint scanner on the Phone 2 works well, but its positioning is too low for comfort. The Nothing Phone has an IP54 rating as well, but I think Nothing should have aimed for IP67 with this device.
As for the display. the 6.7-inch OLED on the Nothing Phone 2 is a top-notch panel. This 120Hz display comes with LTPO tech, which is a first in the upper midrange segment. It is also vibrant and contrast-rich, and boasts a max brightness of 1600 nits.
Nothing Phone 2 Specifications and Software
The Nothing Phone 2 is powered by Nothing OS 2, which is pretty much on its way to become the best custom Android skin. It is clean and minimalist, and you get zero bloatware on this device.
That’s right, no pre-installed apps, no spammy notifications, no glance lock screen.
In fact, the overall look of the OS has a unique black and white aesthetic which feels absolutely amazing, however, it's disappointing that Nothing does not have custom icons available for a lot of apps.
Nothing OS 2 will bring up memories of the fluidity and simplicity of Oxygen OS from a few years back.
Coming to internals, you get a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset on this smartphone, which is quite close to flagship levels of performance. You also get 8 or 12GB of RAM. This makes the Nothing Phone 2 quite a solid performer overall.
However, I must mention that while you can play demanding games on the Phone 2, the frame does tend to get warm pretty quickly.
Nothing Phone 2 Camera Review
The Nothing Phone 2 gets two 50MP cameras at the back. The main sensor is a Sony IMX890 with OIS, while the ultra wide sensor is a Samsung JN1.
This phone’s camera system cannot beat the flagship phones of the world, but as an upper mid-range device, it's quite good.
The main 50MP camera produces great photos with a slight saturation boost and good levels of detail. The camera’s dynamic range in challenging scenarios is good enough by segment standards.
On the other hand, the camera’s nighttime performance is a hit or miss, as it produces soft photos and has the tendency to lose focus.
You can also use glyph lights as a filler flash at night, but either way, the results are not very impressive. Videos from the main sensor come out to be quite stable and saturation rich in daylight, however, low light videos aren't much impressive.
The 50MP ultra wide camera is better than most 8MP cameras on similarly priced phones. Its photos are sharp without much barrel distortion.
But, colour consistency with the main camera needs to be improved. Thanks to its high resolution, the ultrawide camera can also shoot decent quality videos at 4K 30fps.
Nothing Phone 2 Battery Life
The Nothing Phone 2 comes with a 4,700mah battery in an era where 5,000mah batteries are becoming the norm. But, Nothing is fairly good at optimisations, so you can expect roughly 7-8 hours of screen time on this phone.
The Phone 2 also supports 45W watts of wired fast charging. But there is no bundled charger, and it would surely pinch you in this case, since the Nothing Phone 2 is already on the pricier side.
That being said, the option of wireless charging, with reverse power share, is a welcome addition here.
Nothing Phone 2 Features (Glyph Interface)
While all its talents are accounted for, Nothing is still counting heavily on the Glyph interface of this phone to lure you into buying one.
While it appears quite similar to the Phone 1’s, the Glyph interface is updated and more functional here. You see, the broken Glyph pattern makes this second glyph on the right display the volume level and act as a timer bar as well.
It can also sync with third party apps, but the support is non-existent as of now. And it remains to be seen how many developers are willing to add support for this feature.
And that brings me to a fundamental problem. After the novelty wears off, you’d have to consciously get used to placing this phone upside down for the entire glyph interface to make sense.
And trust me, that’s easier said than done. So, Glyphs are cool and all, but I won't recommend buying this phone solely for its flashy lights.
Nothing Phone 2 Price in India and Verdict
The Nothing Phone is like a jack of all trades, with a healthy dose of flair thanks to its design. Even if you don’t care about the Glyph interface, it can still be on your bucket list because of its clean software and great display.
However, its upper variants can get quite expensive because there is a 5000-rupee jump between each variant.
The Nothing Phone 2 price in India starts at ₹44,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model. By stepping up to ₹49,999, you'll gain access to the variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For the premium experience, the model featuring 12GB of RAM coupled with an expansive 512GB of storage, is available at a price tag of ₹54,999.
But, if the Nothing Phone 1’s price is anything to go by, do watch out for one of those Flipkart sales for a great deal on this smartphone.
Also Watch: Nothing Phone 1 Review
