Nothing Phone 1 hands-on: Attention to detail
After almost half a year of rumors, leaks, teasers, and pre-announcements, theNothing Phone 1is finally official. It wasintroduced during Nothing’s “Return to Instinct” event, involving the usual amount of pathos and claims of how much attention to detail went into the designing and production process. There is something to these claims, though — I can say as much after using the product for four and a half days. The Nothing Phone 1 may be a mid-range phone, but itlooks and feelslike it can match some of thebest Android phonesout there.
Design and hardware
The design is probably the most divisive thing on this phone. In contrast to theEar 1 earbuds, Nothing opted for a more reserved approach to transparency for the Phone 1. Instead of showing off all the raw technology inside the phone, Nothing engineered custom covers for individual components, making for a much more uniform and refined look than something like theFairphone 3, which went for a full transparent effect.
Despite the complicated forms and shapes visible on the Phone 1, the back is still understated and clean when you look at it from afar. Only when you move closer there are many small details to discover. And let’s not even get started with the phone’s so-called Glyph interface that lights up when you receive calls and messages, which if you’ve been following the leaks you’ve likely seen by now. There are 900 LEDs arranged as part of various strips illuminating the back, forming different shapes and designs as they light up in differing succession. It’s a neat party trick and something that truly distinguishes the Phone 1 from anything else in the industry, but I also wonder how much utility it really brings.
Even with all the challenges that come with a transparent design, the Phone 1 feels sturdy and solid in the hand. It doesn’t creak or bend, and it feels well-balanced and has just the right weight for its size.
The only gripe I really have with the design is the boxy shape, as much as I enjoy the aesthetics. A similarly sized phone with curved edges and glass like thePixel 6just feels ever so slightly smaller in the hand and more comfortable to hold during long doom-scrolling sessions. This very much comes down to preference, though, and a boxy design like this seems to work well enough for millions of people using the iPhone 13 Pro Max that comes in an almost identical footprint.
While the Phone 1’s design isn’t exactly useful, it’s different, and that might be all that matters in this crowded market.
The Nothing Phone 1 is a mid-range device through and through, but it does feature some standout specs that make it one of the more intriguing options — even when we disregard its unique design. The Phone 1 is the only phone with a Snapdragon 778G+ on the market that supports wireless and reverse wireless charging (15W and 5W, respectively). Nothing told me it worked closely with Qualcomm to enable this feature. The processor is joined by either 8 or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
Snapdragon 778G+
6.55-inch 2400x1080 120Hz OLED
RAM & Storage
8GB + 128GB 8GB + 256GB 12GB + 256GB
Battery and charging
4,500mAh, 33W PD3.0 Quick Charge 4.0, 15W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wireless
Operating system
Android 12, Nothing OS
Front camera
16 MP Sony IMX471 sensor
Rear cameras
50 MP Sony IMX766 primary, 50 MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide
Dimensions
159.2mm x 75.8mm x 8.3mm, 193.5g
White and black
The rest of the phone also sports slightly better specs than I would expect for the price. It has a fast in-display optical fingerprint sensor, IP53 splash and dust resistance (no proper water resistance, sadly), and dual SIM support. The display is a 6.55-inch 60-120Hz OLED panel with a punch-hole for the selfie camera in the top left corner. The 4,500mAh battery can be topped up with up to 33W wired using Quick Charge 4.0 or with up 15W wirelessly, as mentioned earlier.
Software: Nothing OS
After the first few days with Nothing OS, I can confidently say that it is one of the least obstructive Android skins I’ve used in a long time, right up there with the Pixel 6 and6 Pro. Apart from the camera, a recorder, and some widgets, there are no additional pre-installed applications from Nothing.
You basically get the clean and fresh Pixel experience, with no needlessly duplicated core services. In fact, Nothing only built on top of what Google already provides and enhances smaller aspects of the experience. For example, the Phone 1 features a slightly revamped notification shade that shows you six quick toggles rather than only four.
Nothing also promises certain third-party brand integrations, though right now, only the one for Tesla is live. The company told me that when you have a Tesla and connect it to your Phone 1, you will be able to control certain aspects of your vehicle right from a quick toggle. Sadly, the Nothing folks didn’t provide me with a Tesla unit for testing, so I’m going to have to take their word on it.
Nothing promises three years of Android updates and four years of security patches every two months for the Phone 1. That’salmostas good as what Google does with the Pixel lineup with three years of Android updates and five years of security patches. I just wish Nothing would have opted for a monthly security patch rhythm, and one more year of Android updates. It would have been right up there with industry leader Samsung then.
I haven’t been able to test the cameras extensively just yet, but based on the first few shots with it, they provide a solid experience. The shutter button is quick to react and the resulting images are consistent, which is not always the case for phones in the price range.
As for the setup, it consists of two cameras on the back. A 50MP Sony IMX766 primary is joined by a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide — no needless time-of-flight sensors or macro cameras to be seen anywhere. In a punch hole on the front, a 16MP Sony IMX471 serves duty for selfies.
It’s great to see that Nothing opted for Google Photos as its pre-installed gallery rather than a custom one, which means that you won’t have to deal with these peskyout-of-sync messagesthat you usually need to deal with on most non-Pixel Android phones.
Stay tuned for our deep dive into the camera, though. The Glyph interface on the back can be used as a fill light for videos and photos. Given that it’s a lot less harsh than a classic flash, it might just bring some interesting results when doing close-ups.
More often than not, products don’t live up to the hype. While the Nothing Phone 1 still has to undergo more rigorous testing here at Android Police, it has managed to make a first positive impression on me. It’s much better than I would have expected it to be, given that there was so much room for it to fail after all these months and months of anticipation. While there are some aspects of the Phone 1 that I am not 100% happy with and that I will explore in the review, I haven’t come across any clear dealbreakers in my time with the handset.
The most obvious point of comparison is probably the originalOnePlus Nord, which was one of the last big devices to come out at OnePlus under now Nothing CEO Carl Pei. Like the Nord, the Phone 1 is a mid-ranger with high-end aspiration, wanting to feel bigger and better than it might actually be. As someone who bought and used a Nord for a year, my first instinct is to say that I feel more at home with the Phone 1.
While I miss some smarts like the alert slider and other signature OnePlus software additions, the build quality of the Phone 1 is just so much better, and early tests indicate that the camera and background app activity is much more consistent than what I’ve seen on other midrange phones.
The Phone 1 is an overall solid device for a great price that could probably only fall victim to its own success. After all, Nothing is still a small company, and it might not have the manufacturing capacity to keep up with demand.
The Phone 1 is going live for pre-order today, if you were able to snag up one of the rare paid pre-order tickets. It’s available from €469 or £399, though as always, there is a bump for every RAM and storage upgrade you make. 8GB+256GB is £449, and 12GB+256GB is £499, with the latter version coming later than the others.
General sales open at 7 BST on July 21on the Nothing website. It is also available at select carriers and retailers. As we learned earlier, the Phone 1 won’t find its way across the pond and won’t be available in the US.
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