Nothing Phone (1) - 8GB RAM + 256GB, Glyph Interface, 50 MP dual camera, Nothing OS, 6.55” 120Hz OLED display, White

Product Information

I used a variety of apps with the Nothing Phone 2, including the latest games and all of the latest benchmarking software. While we benchmark every phone we test extensively, we do not rely on benchmarks to form our opinions, only for reference. Benchmarks do not always reflect real world performance. Audio: The stereo speakers can get pretty loud and remain clear even at higher volumes, but the audio is wildly imbalanced due to the tinny earpiece speaker. Thankfully, there’s support for a wide range of Bluetooth codecs for wireless audio.

Unlike some pricier phones, the 120Hz refresh rate only switches that top number and 60Hz, rather than down to as low as 1Hz. This is known as a variable refresh rate screen, and it can save battery by working the screen less in situations that aren’t as demanding. It’s a feature of the newer Nothing Phone (2) if that’s of importance to you. With LTPO technology, the screen can slow down to one refresh per second or ramp up to 120Hz, as needed. That makes for an always-on display that won’t drain your battery significantly, and Nothing does a nice job designing the always-on screen and making it very useful.You can customize ringtones with the glyph lights, and you can set different lights for different people, or different types of notifications. That’s kind of useful, but I could have a simple sound effect do the same thing. You can use the lights as a fill lamp for the camera, but it isn’t powerful enough to light up your subject unless you’re fairly close.

Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope Sensor, Accelerometer (G-Sensor), Magnetometer, Motion Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor However, in benchmark tests and gaming the phone delivers the results I would expect at this price point. It can handle long bouts of Call of Duty Mobile without getting hot and when I am in apps the performance is steady. Meanwhile, the Phone (1)’s wide-angle camera produced mixed results in testing. If you’re blessed with plenty of natural light there’s not much to complain about, but as the sun begins to set the visual noise creeps in. The camera adds a warm hue to these low-light images as well. For charging, I used an Anker charger capable of up to 65W, much more than the 45W charging that Nothing Phone 2 offers. Nothing says this phone can charge to 100% in 55 minutes and I can verify that claim. I got to a full battery in under an hour. Things have been improved with the Android 13-based Nothing OS 2.0 on the Nothing Phone (2), however, and Nothing has promised that the update will hit the Nothing Phone (1) in the coming months. Battery LifeWhile the Nothing Phone 2 isn’t technically as sharp as its rivals, like the Pixel 7, it can get much brighter than other phones in this price range, and that’s a perfect trade-off. I had no trouble shooting photos on the Nothing Phone 2 display in bright sunlight or reading directions on a hiking map. With that said, what is on offer with the Nothing Phone (1) is more than enough for most users. RAM comes in either 8 or 12GB sizes, while the mid-range Snapdragon 778G+ chip has been tweaked especially for Nothing thanks to the addition of both wireless, and reverse wireless charging.

Nothing says the Phone (1) is made from 100% recycled aluminium, with 50% of the plastic components coming from ‘bio-based and recycled sources’.The Nothing Phone (1) is unique in its approach to design. The mid-priced handset is transparent, allowing you to take a peek at the internal componentry, with an intriguing set of LED lights on the rear. Nothing calls this the “Glyph Interface” and it’s used for ringtones and notifications, as well as a charging indicator and a fill light for the rear camera. Unlike OnePlus, Nothing isn’t touting the Phone (1) as a flagship in terms of performance. In fact, the spec list here is very modest. If a top-tier Qualcomm chipset or ridiculously fast charging is a must-have feature, you might be better off looking at something from Realme or Xiaomi – or even the newer Nothing Phone (2). For reference, the newer Nothing Phone (2) sports an identical dual-50MP camera setup, though with a different main sensor and an improved ISP that can capture much more data – though whether this results in notably better results is yet to be seen. Performance