Nothing The phone (1) is refreshing, but not a breath of fresh air

It hasn’t been very exciting for a while when a new phone comes out, but the Nothing brand is going to change that with its first smartphone. Does Nothing Phone (1) actually know how to put something new on the table, or is it basically the same mash in a slightly more Instagrammable jacket?

none phone (1)

It’s eye-catching, Nothing Phone (1), although it looks like an iPhone 12 at the same time. This new mid-range smartphone has a transparent look, just like the previously released Nothing Ear (1) earplugs. This means a very clean smartphone that also stands out not only because of those funny transparent details. It also includes a special backlight in the form of 900 (!) LEDs, which can flash in such a way that you feel like you’re on the red carpet with 30 still cameras trying to capture the perfect shot for you. By the way, it flashes to the beat of your ringtone, which is actually blasting off your phone (be sure to watch the video later in this article to try that too).

First, let’s talk about the screen, because it is a good copy. The 6.55-inch flexible AMOLED display sinks into the narrow bezels of the aluminum “bumper” on the device. The screen refreshes 120 times per second, but you can also choose 60 times if you want to save your battery. However, the screen reflects a lot of light, which makes it difficult to take good pictures of it. This reflection also makes the screen less attractive to view in the bright summer sun.

nice comeback

The screen can be a bit disappointing, and the back of the device looks great and premium, so a lot of people will ask you questions about your phone. While that’s definitely cool and the looks make this phone stand out, we’re missing a breath of fresh air when it comes to the hardware software. There’s no eye-catching digital font visible throughout the OS, which looks great, but other than that it’s a pretty standard experience.

It makes some sense: Android has been around for years and that’s what its shell has been based on: it even kept it minimal. A big plus, because that means you don’t have all kinds of apps that you don’t want but they can’t be removed either. However, at the same time, it is not very interesting what happens “from the inside”.

Take pictures with Nothing Phone

In terms of photography, nothing Phone (1) isn’t bad at all. The two 50MP rear cameras are very good, especially when it’s sunny. If it gets a little dark or if there are only a few clouds in front of the sun, you will notice that the cameras are the same type of cameras as on a regular OnePlus phone: this is disappointing.

The end result is lackluster and despite the accuracy of the images, it doesn’t give a great effect. The selfie camera looks better in this regard: it can also shoot in portrait mode, so your face stands out a bit because the background is blurred.

Wireless charging

The telephoto lens does its job well, as long as you don’t hold it too close to the subject. It needs a distance of at least 4 cm to focus, which is quite a lot. In addition, the device has a wide-angle lens with which it is possible to take pictures at an angle of 114 degrees. It is always useful for beautiful landscape photos or photos where you are in a rather tight space.

Thanks to the 4500 mAh battery, you can spend a normal day and can charge the device wirelessly. Very useful, because you don’t have to plug a USB-C cable into the port every time, so it wears out at a lower speed.

Policy update none

Nothing. Phone (1) has three Android updates, Android 13, 14 and 15, so you can assume you can still go ahead with your phone. Security updates are available for the device for another four years. Nothing Phone (1) is available in black and white in different storage configurations. It is available from 469 euros.

This phone is definitely a new device, especially considering it, but also thanks to its clean version of Android. At the same time, this mid-range does not bring anything really exciting, besides LED and transparent tricks. An excellent mid-range device that takes excellent photos and is fun at parties, but unfortunately it’s not as revolutionary as something pretends.