Nothing Phone (1) is undeniably a unique smartphone.Nothing's launch event was the weirdest and most different I've ever attended. This device is really trying to be something different to attract people's attention. The first sale was also sold through a clothing store, not a gadget store. Obviously they are trying to do something different from the normal norm to make them different from others.
According to Carl Pei, the founder of the Nothing brand – he wanted to bring back the feeling of excitement when a device was launched and give users the pleasure of using a basic device.
After a few weeks of using this device, I admit it gives a different usage experience. But is the marketing hype enough to convince you to buy this device? Are the Glyph lights just a gimmick or do they actually have a function? In this review article I will share with you what I feel about this device and whether it is worth owning.
Specifications And Design
Nothing Phone (1)
6.55″ OLED screen, 1080 x 2400
(~402 ppi), HDR10+, 120Hz
Snapdragon 778G+ processor (6nm)
1 x 2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 chip
3 x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78
4 x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55
Adreno 642L Graphics Chip
RAM 8/12 GB LPDDR5
Internal Storage 256 GB UFS 3.1
Main Camera 50MP, Wide Angle f/1.8, OIS/EIS
50MP Ultra Wide Angle 114°, f/2.2, EIS
Extreme Night Mode, Night Video,
Expert Mode, Bokeh, HDR
Selfie Camera 16MP, f/2.45, EIS
4500 mAh battery
33W Wired PD 3.0
15W Wireless
5W Wireless Reverse
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano 5G
VoLTE
NFC Yes
Audio No audio jack
Stereo speakers
Waterproof IP53
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Sale Price RM2,399 (8/256 GB)
RM2,699 (12/256 GB)
Nothing Phone (1) is one of the most beautiful and sexiest smartphones I have ever seen. I really like to see this device in front of my eyes because it is very different from other devices in the market. It's definitely the transparent back panel that stands out the most but the front screen of this device is in my opinion one of the best I've seen on an Android device. The bezel used is like an iPhone with the same thickness on all four sides.
Speaking of the iPhone, this device has roughly the same size as the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Even when I put the Phone (1) into the official frame of the iPhone 13 Pro, it fits neatly, only the power button, volume control and the rest switch are not aligned. This is not something that I see as a negative because the design of the iPhone 13 Pro is one of the neatest and most pleasant to use on the market right now.
The difference is that Phone (1) is lighter than an iPhone. The use of a transparent panel on the back makes it feel a bit bulky in the hand. Holding this device for daily use however is very attractive and comfortable. It's not slippery and the buttons are all easy to reach and nice to press. It feels very ergonomic for those looking for a device that is easy to use with one hand.
The downside here is that this device does not have a drop-down switch like the iPhone or OnePlus to control the ringtone whereas this is a feature that Carl Pei once boasted about. But this is beyond Nothing's jurisdiction since the intellectual property of this side drop-down button design belongs to OnePlus. With Carl Pei looking to establish his own image with the new company, the features most synonymous with him during his time at OnePlus need to be forgotten.
Use And Software
This beautiful yet sexy screen uses a 6.55-inch OLED panel. It only has FHD+ resolution, but HDR10+ display is still limited on YouTube and still can't be used on Netflix. After more than a week on the market, it's a bit disappointing that Netflix's official HDR support has not been given. In comparison the OnePlus Nord 10T supports it from day one.
Despite this it still looks beautiful, has bright colors and provides a satisfying video watching experience. The unit I received didn't have the green screen problem that happened to many early customers but customers need to be aware that this issue exists and depends a lot on luck.
The 120Hz refresh rate is also very fast and smooth despite not being from the LTPO family. For a mid-range device I understand why Nothing doesn't use LTPO panels to keep costs down. Users need to choose to use 120Hz or 60Hz mode only on the Phone (1).
Nothing OS software is smart enough to keep the refresh rate running smoothly. Scrolling on the device feels smooth and good, there are rarely problems with the system crashing or lagging.
Nothing OS
Talking about the software, Nothing OS is the operating system used on this device. There's not much I want to share on the review, because it's pretty much the same usage as it was at first glance. Only in this review I will state what is good and what is not about Nothing OS.
Nothing OS is built on Android 12 and uses native Android concepts. Therefore it makes additional features feel empty when compared to One UI, MIUI and ColoroS launchers. But I like the simple design of Nothing OS because it feels light and provides a hassle-free usage experience. The addition of non-native Android features to other launchers results in a larger RAM size being required and the device not being as smooth.
However, this does not mean that Nothing OS is as simple as AOSP. There are Game Mode features, Tesla car controls, NFT widgets, and most interestingly – a custom notification tray for easy access to network connection access and audio accessory connections.
For Bluetooth audio accessory connectivity, Nothing wants to offer an open ecosystem where any friendly device can be used with Nothing OS. But this early stage is still nothing to brag about. Nothing OS is so simple that there is no built-in Nothing Ear (1) support. Owners of the Ear (1) need to download the application from the Play Store to use this TWS better.
The big issues I'm having are with the camera app being slow as well as the lock screen which is often problematic. The fingerprint scanner under the screen is quick to detect when working properly. But sometimes the fingerprint icon on the scan zone doesn't light up causing the password to be entered. Sometimes while the finger is being scanned, the screen almost unlocks but locks itself again for no reason. The Face Scan system is not fast, but I don't feel it is secure enough because it is not of the 3D type.
Nothing OS is the fastest and best operating system I have ever used after Pixel and Oxygen OS (old version). During the review period of several weeks, I received two updates that fixed some of the initial problems reported by users.
Nothing promises 3 years of updates for Android versions and 4 years for security updates. This is still not as good as what Samsung offers (up to 5 years) but is comparable to other manufacturers. Will Nothing fulfill this promise? Only time will tell because if you remember HTC and OnePlus used to promise fast updates in the early stages before being forgotten.
Glyph Interface – Gimmick Or Good Function?
The Glyph light on the back panel of this device is really interesting to use. But for daily use, believe it or not it is quite functional and not just a gimmick. During the review period many people reprimanded me and asked what phone was used because the Glyph's flashing light was able to attract many people's attention.
The problem with this Glyph is, it's forcing me to relearn how to use a smartphone. I need to memorize which type of light represents which contact and which application, if the device is in mute state and only lights up. If there is sound it helps a little, but the ringtone provided on this device although I like it, infuriates my co-workers because it sounds like a broken radio trying to find a station. Sounds that are admittedly unique but at the same time can disturb concentration.
I also had to get used to placing the device with the screen down to make sure I could see the offending Glyph. Having known for a long time to put the device on the table with the screen up, to change this habit is quite difficult.
Well after more than two weeks I'm used to putting the Phone (1) with the screen down. To answer people's questions, does the Glyph consume battery? After testing it myself I didn't notice a noticeable difference in battery life whether it was on or off.
Bench mark
The device I tested was the 8GB RAM version with 256GB storage with the Snapdragon 778G+ chip. With this basic model I have already received a satisfactory use experience. This is because of the simple and lightweight Nothing OS that doesn't have heavy themes and system apps running in the background. After a few weeks of using this device, I still feel it is one of the best mid-range devices I have ever used.
In the benchmark tests, the scores obtained were as I expected. The device also did not overheat after doing some benchmark tests. In the AnTuTu 3D test, 583,079 scores were recorded and in Geekbench 5, 819/2935 scores were recorded. This is roughly the same score as the OnePlus Nord 2T which uses Dimensity 1300.
AnTuTu 3D
Nothing Phone (1): 583,079
OnePlus Nord 2T: 593,120
Geekbench 5
Nothing Phone (1): 819/2935
OnePlus Nord 2T: 868/3,333
Playing games on this device depends on the games you want to run. Permua Beatstar can be played smoothly because the screen detects every touch accurately. So is Monument Valley 2 with beautiful colors.
Games with higher graphics requirements such as Asphalt 9 are able to run smoothly at high settings. For games like PUBG Mobile, the graphics settings are up to HDR and Ultra only. The Snapdragon 778G+ is a mid-range chip so the performance shown here is compatible with chips in the same class. After a long initial session, the device just feels warm.
Camera
A mid-range device, the Nothing Phone (1) lacks the photographic capabilities of a flagship device. The camera app is also quite basic with not many additional features. The camera does not have artificial intelligence that processes the photo after it is taken, no photo filter feature and also no feature to put a watermark on the photo taken. Compatible with the name Nothing, additional photographic features are not provided. Although basic, the performance of the camera app is quite disappointing with every icon being difficult to press.
For image results, this device has more or less the same quality as a device like the OnePlus Nord 2T. It is capable of taking auto mode photos well and has impressive results. With only two cameras, there isn't much that can be done. Most disappointing is the result of the ultra wide angle which is not beautiful, sharp and has details even though the sensor used is 50MP. The colors produced are not very sharp and bright, the HDR feature also does not make the picture look more interesting.
Portrait mode is also not very neat. More disappointingly, video recording is stuck at 4K settings even though the Snapdragon 778G+ is powerful enough to record at these settings.
Disappointment with the camera is a little remedied with a Glyph light on the back that can be used to provide softer lighting than a flash. Selfie photos are also ordinary and do not provide satisfactory images. Our performance Phone (1) clearly shows it is a mid-range device. In this class, the camera performance of the Oppo Reno8 Pro is still far ahead.
Audio
The speaker of this device is actually quite disappointing because it is not very good when streaming videos or music. The audio feels hollow and boring. The volume level is inconsistent when changed and most importantly – the audio is unbalanced with the bottom speaker being louder. Even the speaker grille is easily closed with the palm of the hand when held horizontally. Devices under RM2000 like the Poco X4 GT in my opinion have stronger speakers. Nothing also doesn't work with any audio companies to tune the sound to sound better.
Since Nothing also prides itself on their voice recorder app, I also tested the microphone quality of the device. It's good, but not as good as the iPhone or Pixel yet. The quality is good enough to make voice notes for reference or reminders. One more thing, there is no audio jack because this is normal for modern devices in 2022.
Telephony And GPS
Usually mid-range devices have only average network connection quality. On Nothing Phone (1) the experience is comparable to flagship class devices. At home WiFi networks can be enjoyed quickly and show full power access. Network access on this device is quite stable and satisfactory.
The 4G LTE connection on other mid-range devices is usually intermittent but on the Phone (1) this problem does not exist. I can stream YouTube and Netflix at high resolution smoothly. Users can also choose to activate VoWiFI and VoLTE to get clearer call quality especially in weak cellular network areas.
The quality of phone calls is also clear and there is no noise effect that disturbs any call session. My own voice according to the recipient of the call is very loud and nice. For GPS, this device also has no problem for the use of intricacies and locks the location well. It's fast and accurate, like a flagship device.
Although Phone (1) supports 5G network, it cannot be used with DNB's 5G network in Malaysia at this time. There is no information on when it will finally be supported with the brand Nothing is displayed on the page under support will be received in the near future.
Battery
While competing devices are racing with fast charging technology and dual-cell battery technology, the Nothing Phone (1) only supports medium fast charging. The 4500mAh battery supports only 33W charging with USB PD 3.0 and Quick Charge 4.0 formats. A little disappointing because the cheaper OnePlus Nord 2T supports up to 80W. Battery recharging takes around 60 minutes.
Despite this, the device has excellent battery life. In my daily use such as streaming music, videos, using the camera, being active on social media apps and browsing the web – the battery can last up to 8 hours SOT. It also goes to 5-6 hours SOT if first played.
In the box
1x Nothing Phone (1)
1x Guidebook
1x USB-C to USB-C Cable
1x SIM Pin
Conclusion
The Nothing Phone (1) is proof that marketing gimmicks are still needed in 2022. By offering unique features that other devices don't have, a mid-range device manages to attract as much attention as a flagship device.
When using the Nothing Phone (1) in public, many people ask what phone is this? If you want attention, this is the perfect device for you because it's impossible not to notice because the Glyph lamp is so unique.
The device has a premium build, beautiful screen, and great performance despite only being equipped with a Snapdragon 778G+. The battery can last quite a long time although the charging system is not the fastest on the market. After a few years, the Nothing Phone (1) will probably be one of the iconic devices that people will remember for its very unique design. Only time will tell if this gimmick lasts and will be expanded to other devices released by Nothing.
At a starting price of RM2399, the Nothing Phone (1) is sold at a more premium price than its competitors. However, the uniqueness offered is enough to make the purchase worthwhile.
Pro
Unique, sexy and elegant design.
Fast, bright and satisfying screen.
Nothing OS is smooth, powerful and simple.
Surprising performance for a mid-range device
Unique and different Glyph lighting system
Cons
Charging of the device is quite slow
A fairly basic camera
Annoying Nothing OS screen lock bug
The audio is not satisfactory.
Not supported by Malaysia's 5G system.