Just pure instinct made like a machine. Told through beautiful symbols. Deeper interaction. And bold simplicity.Design that goes beyond the surface. Double-sided Gorilla® Glass provides durability. Thanks to advanced vibration motors, touch responses are realistic. Symmetrical frames and an aluminum frame add elegance, lightness, and durability.
1 billion colors. Every shade is very realistic. 6.55" OLED display. HDR10+. Richer colors and deeper contrasts are tuned to every scene. The adaptive refresh rate of 120 Hz for irresistibly responsive interactions while reassuringly energy efficient.
PORTRAIT MODE
Adaptive refresh is also interesting. It's not the same as what you'll find on flagship devices, as it only runs from 60 to 120Hz depending on the content you're watching, which is designed to optimize efficiency. You can lock it to 60Hz if you want.
FRONT PORTRAIT MODE
There may not be anything new in the smartphone market, but its competitors need to sit up and take notice. The phone (1) is a complete breath of fresh air in a market that is now saturated with boring devices that offer nothing unique.
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The goal of providing two decent cameras isn't really met, but you get a competitive main camera and avoid the plethora of unnecessary lenses that many rivals are pushing, so that's a positive. Really, the only thing this phone has going for it is the design, and we're more drawn to the intricacy of the back than the Glyph Interface, which - apart from being new - has dubious utility.
This certainly does not apply to Phone (1). Its transparent style is sure to turn heads, and the glowing Glyph Interface is actually very useful, alerting you to calls, texts, and emails without looking at the display.
Thus, the experience of using the phone Nothing (1) is mostly positive. It's a competitive mid-range device that offers good value for money, but we can't say it really changes the status quo.
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Adding substance to a design is something called a glyph interface. These rows of white LEDs are designed to light up the back of the phone and can actually alert you to a variety of things – notifications, phone charging status, and more are carefully synced with the geeky sounds the phone has to offer.
There's even reverse charging, meaning it will charge your AirPods by simply placing them on the back case. It's an incredible value!
Like most phones, there are some quirks. The large size won't be to everyone's taste, the camera can be a bit slow at times and we had issues with battery drain. Then there's the obvious risk of investing in a phone from such a new company.
However, if you like its looks and are prepared to stress that nothing is long-term, then the phone (1) is a hard device to beat. In fact, it's one of the most exciting devices we've seen in years!
If you've never heard of Nothing, you're certainly not alone. The tech startup has only been around since 2020, and while it launched a pair of wireless headphones last year (read our Nothing Ear (1) review), it's never released a phone before.
The brand has an impressive history though with its founder Carl Pei one of the brains behind the hugely successful OnePlus brand.
We've seen rear LED displays on gaming phones before, and this makes the Nothing phone (1) feel like a bit of a marginal option. It's a design that sits on the fringes and looks in rather than trying to appeal to a mass audience.
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But the question is whether the Glyph interface is actually useful and that is debatable. It's great for showing off to people and it will certainly draw attention to the device, but once you read the news, it doesn't really do much - especially since we tend to put the phone screen down to avoid scratches, so it often becomes, hidden.
He left that company in 2019 and is now pinning his hopes on Nothing.
The big question is, can the phone (1) stand up to the likes of OnePlus, Samsung, and Google?
When we first saw preview images of the Nothing Phone (1) back in June, we weren't sold on the slightly odd transparent design. However, pick up this device and there's something really endearing about it.
The clear Gorilla Glass back allows you to peek inside and see the unique Inference Glyph that lights up when you get a notification - more on that later - and the aluminum finish gives it a super premium feel.
One thing that will definitely not escape your attention is how much this device looks like an iPhone. In fact, there were several times during our testing that we actually picked it up and thought it was an Apple. the device we use alongside all the Android phones we test at Express.co.uk
The boxy aesthetic is very reminiscent of recent iPhone designs - even the shape and placement of the buttons. Is it doing nothing to reflect Apple's quality in a cheaper device and sell it on the margin? Or was it an OEM design that was originally designed to look like an iPhone that was modified by Nothing?
MACRO MODE
There's an in-display fingerprint sensor that works well, unlocking the phone without any issues, while decent stereo speakers are built into the frame. They provide good sound, ideal for ad hoc video watching or gaming. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The sharp edges and aluminum sides really make it feel like it came straight out of a design studio in Cupertino. Maybe that's not a bad thing because it looks cool and might even convince some Apple fans to switch to Android.
The only negative we found with the design is that it's quite large and wide, making it quite unwieldy when trying to use it with one hand. This site is due to the 6.55-inch OLED display (1) not cramming anything into the phone.
While not great for small pockets, it's a really solid screen for bingeing on Netflix and surfing the web.
Not only is it bright and crystal clear, but it also gets a fast 120Hz refresh rate technology that makes browsing the web and checking endless emails silky smooth, and stutter-free.
Given the £399 price tag, it's an impressive display from Nothing, and it beats other phones like the new Pixel 6a, which only features a 60Hz screen at the same price.
Tucked away under the hood of the phone (1) is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ processor, which is powerful enough for most needs, but certainly doesn't come close to more premium silicon like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It clearly didn't have to compromise anything to keep it. the cost has come down, but in our tests this mid-range chip performs quite well. It's also worth noting that this plus version of the processor allowed Nothing to bring wireless charging to its device, something phones with a standard Snapdragon 778G processor can't match.
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Although the brain inside is perfectly adequate, we found some strange performance with battery life. We generally got through the day without running out of juice, but since you enable the always-on display, the standby power supply seems to drain badly.
We went to bed one evening with 20 percent in the tank and woke up to find the device completely flat.
Nothing will undoubtedly still fix the issues and they are waiting for some software updates to be released which will hopefully fix this problem. Just be aware that right now the battery life isn't as good as some of its competitors.
Instead of packing the Nothing Phone (1) with infinity rear lenses, the company has instead opted for a simple dual-lens setup.
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This includes a main 50MP Sony sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide lens made by Samsung. It definitely makes sense to have two really good cameras rather than burdening them with less impressive snappers that offer poorer quality.
Our overall impression of the camera is good, with most of the images we took appearing sharp and full of detail.
In good light, the phone (1) holds its own, but shooting in trickier situations can see this device struggle against more expensive phones. We also found some oversaturated colors at times
Android phones are exciting again! With a phone (1) with never-before-seen design and features, nothing really pulled something super unique out of the bag. There are also plenty of premium techs inside, such as reverse wireless charging and a 120Hz screen for the bargain price of £399.
The camera is pretty good, it's fully 5G ready, and Nothing OS keeps things fresh and exclusive on the display.
With so much praise, you might be thinking of rushing out to buy, but there are some niggles that might put you off.
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Camera performance is erratic at times and the odd battery drain is a concern. There have also been reports on social media of users suffering from strange screen issues, though it's not something we've witnessed ourselves.
This is Nothing's very first phone, and it's no surprise that there could be some teething troubles — even Apple and Samsung have had trouble launching brand new devices in the past. Who can forget the exploding batteries on the Galaxy Note 7 or the antenna gate on the iPhone 4?
We're very impressed with the Nothing Phone (1) and can highly recommend it - especially at the ridiculously low price of £399. Be aware that Nothing doesn't have a long history of making phones yet, and that means being an early adopter comes with some risk.
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