Consumer Tech

Nothing Phone 2 review: 2023’s stylish mid-range finisher and a touch of price tag

A year later, the Nothing Phone 2 remains a solid successor to Phone 1 and a smart buy.

Image Credit: Andrew Lanxon

Carl Pei, the visionary behind OnePlus and co-founder of Nothing, has consistently challenged industry norms. His Nothing Phone series, known for its distinctive design, has been a testament to this.

Following the successful launch of the Nothing Phone 1 in 2022, the company unveiled the Nothing Phone 2 in July 2023. While the Nothing Phone 2a has since joined the lineup, this review will focus on the Nothing Phone 2 for the key improvements.

Inside the Nothing Phone (2) box: phone with pre-applied screen protector, USB-C to USB-C cable, SIM ejector pin, and manuals. No charger included to reduce carbon footprint. | Phone Arena

In Africa, the Nothing Phone 2 is priced at ₦950,000 ($571) for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model, reflecting a $200 increase over its predecessor. Globally, the base version comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

This price puts the Phone 2 in direct competition with the Pixel 8a and Samsung S23, both strong contenders in 2024.

The Nothing Phone 2 builds on the foundation set by its predecessor, featuring the signature glyph lights and pushing its capabilities further. But can it stand out in such a competitive market? Let’s explore the details.

Pros and Cons for the Nothing Phone 2 mid-ranger.

Design and Build

162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm, 201g
Glyph Interface, Recycled aluminium and glass design
IP54 rating
Fingerprint sensor: In-display
Headphone jack: None

The Nothing Phone 2 keeps the distinctive transparent design of its predecessor, the Nothing Phone 1, which helped establish its unique brand identity. This time, it swaps out the black variant for a sleek light grey, giving the clear back a more refined look. The glass back is now slightly curved at the edges, offering a more premium feel, while the exposed screws and connectors inside remain visible.

From left to right: Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2. The only giveaway is the colour difference.

A key feature of the Phone 2 is its Glyph Interface—LED patterns on the back that light up for notifications, battery status, and even as a fill light for videos. This version adds new functions like customisable light patterns and a countdown timer. It's a fun feature, but still more about style than necessity.

The Nothing Phone 2 Glyph light patterns.

The Phone 2 is a bit larger and heavier than its predecessor, measuring 162.1mm by 76.4mm and weighing 201.2 grams. It has front and back glass with Corning Gorilla Glass protection and an aluminium frame. The front camera has moved to the centre, and the slimmed-down bezel gives it an 87.2% screen-to-body ratio, which looks sleek but isn’t the best in class.

Its IP54 rating for dust and water resistance is an upgrade but still not as high as some competitors. A transparent case would be a wise choice to protect the Nothing Phone 2’s stylish design.

Nothing Phone 2 in White and Grey

Display and Audio

6.7in LTPO OLED, 2412 x 1080 (394ppi), 1-120Hz
Hybrid Stereo Speaker

The Nothing Phone (2) steps up its game with a larger 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display, offering adaptive refresh rates from 1-120Hz to match what you're watching. The display is vibrant and supports HDR, but the default auto-brightness setting feels a bit conservative.

You might find yourself manually adjusting the brightness to make content pop, especially since it doesn’t fully show its potential until it’s turned up.

While Nothing offers up to 1000 nits, with a peak of 1600 nits, this choice seems geared toward preserving battery life, which might explain the slightly subdued default brightness.

The design also plays into the minimalist theme, with the Nothing icon pack stripping colour from app icons to give a monochrome look. It takes some getting used to, but the toned-down colours can work with the display's lower brightness, making it feel intentional.

Despite expectations for a higher resolution, the FHD+ panel still delivers a solid experience with great viewing angles, good colour accuracy, and smoothness thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. The flat design enhances the overall look of the Phone 2, and with a pixel density of 394 ppi, it holds up well for everyday use.

Audio-wise, the hybrid stereo speaker setup is decent. The front earpiece, which doubles as a speaker, handles the higher tones, while the bottom speaker does most of the heavy lifting. As the volume increases, the bass takes a hit, and things can sound a bit strained, but it's still a reasonable setup for most situations. The fingerprint scanner under the display is reliable and quick, rounding out the core features nicely.

Nothing Phone 2 Hybrid Speaker | Stuff.tv

Camera

Main: 50MP, 1/1.56in, 1µm, f/1.88
Ultra-wide: 50MP, 1/2.76in, 0.64µm, f/2.2
Front: 32MP, 1/2.74in, 0.8µm, f/2.45
Video capture: 4K at 60fps

The Nothing Phone 2 offers a dual-camera setup on the back, featuring a 50 MP Sony IMX890 main sensor and a 50 MP ultra-wide camera. It sticks to the idea of providing two solid cameras rather than loading the phone with unnecessary sensors.

While the hardware isn’t dramatically different from the Nothing Phone 1, the newer Snapdragon processor helps with image processing, leading to improvements in colour accuracy, exposure, and HDR. In well-lit environments, both cameras perform well, producing vibrant and sharp photos that are generally consistent between the main and ultra-wide lenses.

The Nothing Phone 2 Camera design

In daylight, the Nothing Phone 2 produces clear images with good dynamic range, addressing some of the exposure issues from the Phone 1. Low-light performance has improved thanks to larger apertures and live HDR, but it still struggles in darker settings.

Images tend to lose detail, and noise becomes noticeable, with over-smoothing under artificial lighting. While it's decent indoors, it falls short compared to phones like the Pixel 7A, which handle low-light conditions better.

Daytime shots on the Nothing Phone too | Pocket-lint

The upgraded 32 MP front camera performs well in bright conditions but falters in lower light. Without HDR preview, framing shots can be tricky, and final images often appear overly smoothed or sharp. Some HDR situations can even introduce a halo effect around subjects, impacting the overall selfie quality.

Nighttime and Low-light performance on the Phone 2 | Digitrends

Videography on the Nothing Phone 2 holds up well with 4K and 1080p recording at 30/60fps, and decent stabilisation thanks to OIS and gyro-EIS. However, with no dedicated zoom lens, you’re left with a digital zoom that works adequately at 2x but falls short at 10x, where details get muddy, especially from a distance.

Overall, the Nothing Phone 2’s for casual shots performance in daylight offers acceptable results for most users. But it’s still not quite on par with competitors when it comes to low-light performance or fine image details. If photography is your top priority, alternatives like the Pixel 7A might be more appealing at this price point.

OS, UI, Battery Life

Android 13 with Nothing OS 2.0
3 years of Android updates
4700mAh, 45W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse

The Nothing Phone (2) runs the latest version of Nothing OS. One of its standout features is the option to switch to a monochrome display, perfect for those who prefer minimal distractions. While you can customise it however you like, the monochrome theme ties in with the device's overall minimalist approach. Nothing promises three years of OS updates and four years of security patches—a reasonable timeline like that of its competitors.

The Nothing Phone (2) brings a clean and unique user interface with its signature dot-matrix design across widgets and icons. It’s a fresh break from the usual Android layouts. The widgets are simple and useful, allowing quick access to features like hotspot and Do Not Disturb mode. Running on a customised version of Android 13, the phone offers a minimal, distraction-free experience.

The focus seems to be on usability, and the widgets look like they’ll come in handy for daily tasks.

Battery-wise, the 4700mAh cell paired with the efficient LTPO display and processor makes it capable of handling six to seven hours of active use. The battery life is competitive for this class, and in most cases, you’ll get through the day comfortably unless you’re really pushing it with heavy gaming or streaming. For those who like to push their devices hard, you might need a mid-afternoon top-up.

Charging speeds are solid too, with 45W wired charging taking the phone from empty to full in under an hour, and 15W wireless charging as a useful backup option. There's also 5W reverse charging for powering smaller devices, like the Nothing wireless earbuds. While 45W isn’t the fastest compared to some other phones in this price range, it holds up well. In real-world testing, it went from 2% to 64% in just half an hour. Wireless charging is slower but still convenient.

Both the battery and charging performance should meet most users' needs—nothing extraordinary, but nothing concerning either.

The Nothing Phone 2 as a wireless power bank for an Ear 2 bud.

Performance, Storage and Gaming

Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1,
8/12GB, 128-512GB
Special features: 5G-enabled, IP54 water resistance, flashing rear lights

The Nothing Phone (2) uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, a slight step back from the latest, but it still delivers flagship-level performance. It's reliable for everyday tasks and can handle demanding apps without any noticeable lag. You might wonder if an older chip affects its power, but in practice, it holds up well.

For gaming, the Phone (2) handles most titles at high settings comfortably, though after extended play, particularly with games like Genshin Impact, performance starts to dip. It doesn’t overheat easily, but there is a noticeable drop in frame rate over time. Compared to other phones with the same chip, it’s decent but doesn’t excel in gaming.

Available in 8GB RAM with 128GB storage or up to 12GB with 512GB, the Nothing Phone (2) offers solid options for most users. It’s a considerable improvement over the Phone (1) in terms of speed and usability, and while it doesn’t compete with the very latest devices, it’s more than capable of delivering a reliable experience.

Geekbench 6 benchmark scores for the Nothing Phone 2

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2?

Well, yes, for a few reasons. First, it’s a new phone, and there’s always something exciting about getting your hands on the latest tech. There’s also that eye-catching design that continues to stand out. If you liked the first Nothing Phone, this follow-up feels like a polished version of what worked well.

That said, it doesn’t quite break new ground in ways some might expect. The Glyph Interface, though visually striking, is more of a fun extra than a game-changer. The camera, particularly in low light, also falls short compared to its competitors.

Recent marketing missteps, including unfulfilled promises like iMessage’s blue bubbles for Android, have cast some doubt on the brand. However, these issues don’t affect the phone’s performance or features directly.

Another consideration is the price hike. The $200 increase puts it in a competitive range where alternatives like the Pixel 8A offer better value, especially if camera quality is important to you.

But if the design and overall experience appeal to you, the Nothing Phone 2 is still a compelling choice. Just be sure it aligns with what you’re looking for in your next device.

Image Credit: Smartprix

Pricing and Availability

In Africa, the Nothing Phone 2 starts at ₦950,000 ($571) for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage model. For those looking for more storage, the 12GB RAM/512GB version is priced at ₦1,250,000 ($752).

Both models are available for purchase from Nothing’s online store and on Jumia.

If you’re considering buying the Nothing Phone 2, keep an eye out for discounts and deals. Just make sure to choose a reliable source to ensure you’re getting the best price.

The Nothing Phone 2 price matches the starting price of the Google Pixel 8 and $100 less than the OnePlus 11, making these two strong competitors. It sits between the flagship Samsung Galaxy S23 and Motorola Edge Plus (2023), which are both priced around $200 less.

Consider alternatives like the OnePlus 10T is a great option, offering the same powerful Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor and a comparable camera setup for just $400. Another solid choice is the OnePlus 10 Pro, known for its excellent camera system, priced at $418.