Nothing phone (1)

Orcvader · 23 Mar 2022 at 15:19

Nothing announced they're working on a new phone, coming out this summer.

They didn't reveal what the actual phone looks like, but this seems to be the logo for it?

They mentioned it was hard getting their supply chain ready, apparently a big conglomerate (BBK?) was trying to block them but they managed to get it ready thanks to their partners. It will be Snapdragon powered. Based on the other partners I'm going to guess it'll be a Samsung display and Sony cameras.

Nothing OS will be close to stock, with some visual changes to fit their "visual language". It will cache your most used apps and kick out hardly used apps when not in use, so your usual apps will launch faster. It will have 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security updates.

The launcher will also be available to download on select phones in April.

Not really any other details teased, Carl is just slowly dripping details like back in his OP days. Sounds promising and something to keep an eye on but will have to see what the phone will actually be like, but could be a strong stock-like phone if it does well.

Orcvader · 23 Mar 2022 at 22:22

As above, due to pressure from the parent company (BBK), OP and OPPO have been slowly consolidating into one since their products often overlapped and competed against each other, although the two will still be kept as separate brands. Hardware for a good while have been shared between the two and OOS 12 was a reskinned ColorOS 12. Although the backlash from users means we won't get the unified OS any time soon, OOS 13 and ColorOS 13 will still share the same code base. Pete Lau, the other OP founder, was even appointed to be part of the OPLUS group that oversees OP/OPPO/RealMe. No official reason was stated but perhaps it was due to these constraints was why Carl left.

So this should mean Carl should have full control over Nothing. Hopefully it'll be like how the earlier OP phones were. But we'll have to wait and see if they can deliver. I'm still a bit sceptical due to lack of details and how he previously overhyped things, but hopefully it will be a shake up on the high end phones.

Orcvader · 24 Mar 2022 at 17:19

kakarott said:
There is another phone coming from that team if I'm not mistaken.

Yup, the OSOM OV1: https://www.androidpolice.com/osom-ov1-exclusive/

Another phone to look out for, with privacy as the focus and close to stock experience. Currently rumoured to be summer as well but no solid time frame.

Orcvader · 28 Apr 2022 at 21:53

Well the launcher is available on select phones (S21, S22, Pixel 5/6, OP phones later): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nothing.launcher

It's uh, very basic. You can create folders/icons that are pretty much 2x2 size which could be handy for accessibility reasons. There's also icon pack support. Some of the Nothing widgets are there too, they don't look too bad if you're into that sort of style. I really don't like the default wallpaper though, kinda uncomfortable on the eyes.

Orcvader · 15 Jun 2022 at 09:31

The design has been teased for a while but the back is now fully revealed:

A transparent back panel but the internals is still covered by another layer.

Current rumours now points to a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 so it won't be competing against the top end phones, but should still be a strong performer.

Launch event is July 12th 4pm UK time.

Orcvader · 16 Jun 2022 at 14:01

There was a small event in Switzerland and it shows off the back panel with flashing lights:

Current leaks points to €500 odd so I'm expecting it to be around the £500 mark. If it performs well and Nothing can prove they can offer good software support, then it might end up as a good midranger. I still expect the cheaper 6a to be better in terms of raw performance and camera especially however.

Orcvader · 21 Jun 2022 at 14:51

I have to admit some of the way the LEDs are used are pretty cool, such as notifications, wireless and charging indicators, but linking it to the ringtone feels a bit over the top. It also seems to function as the light/flash for the camera but I feel sorry for the person staring directly at the phone

.

Orcvader · 30 Jun 2022 at 12:45

Specs leaked thanks to Amazon:

https://twitter.com/yabhishekhd/status/1542332644654022656

6.55" OLED display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Gorilla glass protection on front & back
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+
50MP dual rear camera with f/1.8 4K video recording 60fps
Android 12 based Nothing OS
5G connectivity

Some other comments are saying it's a side mounted fingerprint scanner but haven't seen anything solid to back this up.

Amazon also accidentally leaked the price:

https://twitter.com/stufflistings/status/1542385753241464832

Nothing Phone (1) + Nothing Ear (1) bundle
8+128GB: €469.99
8+256GB: €499.99
12+256GB: €549.99

Orcvader · 1 Jul 2022 at 13:38

Tee Hee Johnson said:
I dont get it.

Why do I want the back flashing? It's either in my pocket or on my desk... with its face up, not the back.

Purely gimmick to stand out from the rest. Not for me either, but having a notification LED is one thing I do miss these days, however AOD is a good alternative.

Honestly I'm just hoping for the software to be good, if they can keep it close to Pixel style and don't mess with the memory/battery management like a lot of OEMs have, then it will appeal to a lot of tech enthusiasts.

Orcvader · 12 Jul 2022 at 22:07

Well, at least they're being a little more transparent than OP with security updates about it being bimonthly. Hopefully they can stick to it, updates for my OP7TPro were no longer on schedule after the 8 was released and sometimes had to wait many months.

Will need to see reviews and then experience from users few months later. It's a good alternative for those who wants stock like Android but aren't completely sold on the Pixel phones. Don't get me wrong I like my Pixel 6 Pro but Tensor hasn't completely impressed me (I feel it's more Samsung's side holding it back).

Orcvader · 15 Jul 2022 at 12:17

Does seem to cover the basics well. If they can improve the camera quality and speakers in a future version I can see myself highly considering this in a few years time. SD 7 series is completely fine, I feel the 8 series have gone too overkill for the average user these days.

Orcvader · 14 Sep 2022 at 12:42

VeNT said:
it worth picking one up still or is there a better options for the same price?

If you check the Pixel 6 deals they've been getting really close to the Nothing's price, but if you're worried about the poor signal issues then the Nothing is still a solid choice.

Orcvader · 28 Oct 2022 at 11:34

Shock_Slayer said:
iPhone 12 is great compared to this ****!

Huh a couple months back it sounded like you loved the phone. What made you change your tune? Generally curious as I was thinking of recommending this to a friend, who's more after performance instead of camera quality while with decent updates.