The Nothing Phone 2 was released last year, but I wanted to spend more time with this phone before posting my review to really get to know it. My aim was to provide a better understanding of what it’s like to use the phone on a day-to-day basis, which requires an extended period of use.
To cut a long intro short, I gave myself ample time with the phone to ensure it would be the right choice for anyone currently looking to replace their existing device.
The short answer is, yes. The Nothing Phone 2 is an excellent device, and there are numerous reasons why, but the standout feature has to be its software. It comes with the company’s bespoke OS, based on Android 14, promising three Android version upgrades and four years of bi-monthly security patch updates for the Phone 2, which is impressive support in the Android market.
Nothing’s OS: Arguably the Best on the Market
Credit: Nothing
READ MORE: Nothing Phone 2: Design, Price, Specs & Release Date
The OS is one of the best I have ever used on an Android device. It’s beautiful, minimalist, simple, clean, monochrome, detailed—these are just a few words that come to mind when using the phone with their own icon pack, which I absolutely love.
I think it’s worth sharing some of my phone history. I have been an iPhone user for the majority of my mobile life and still love using iPhones, mainly because I find Apple’s UI and OS more straightforward and cleaner than Android’s. With a plethora of Android devices, each with their own Android versions, it can be overwhelming, which is why many opt for Apple’s devices, despite their higher price tag.
The Nothing Phone 2: Perfect for iPhone Converts
Credit: Nothing
READ MORE: When Will The Nothing Phone 2 Be Released In The US?
The Nothing Phone 2 is easily one of the most striking phones I have ever seen, and I’m not just talking about the phone’s ‘Glyph’ interface on the back. That said, many people have referred to the phone’s Glyph interface as a bit of a gimmick, and at first glance, yes, I understand why it could be seen that way. However, upon using the device for well over three months, you start to become quite used to using it.
The Glyph interface are the flashy lights on the back of the phone, and they light up whenever you get phone calls, texts, notifications, alarms… You can use them for pretty much everything. One of the issues with the Phone 1 was that you couldn’t really use them for anything else. You couldn’t, for instance, get one of the lights to light up when you get a text or WhatsApp message from a certain individual. Well, with the Phone 2, now you can do exactly that.
The Glyphs: More Than Just a Gimmick
Credit: Nothing
READ MORE: When Will The Nothing Phone 2 Be Released?
This means that you can put the phone face down on your desk, and only look at it when the light on the top left side of the back of the phone has lit up solidly. I can’t begin to explain to you how useful this feature is, and it’s the sort of thing that makes the Glyph interface much more than just a gimmick.
You can also use the lights with third-party apps, such as Uber. Nothing has said that they are working with other Apps to get them involved with this feature as well, and I’m very looking forward to seeing how that progresses. This feature is called ‘Glyph Progress’ and personally, I’d love it to work with Bolt. Fingers crossed, that does come in the not-so-distant future.
The way this works is one of the rounded light bars on the back lights up, and it slowly lights all the way up as your Uber drivers get closer to you. Once the light is completely on, it means that your Uber driver has arrived. It’s a nifty little trick, and I love it!
Design: It’s All About That Design!
Credit: Nothing
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Nothing’s attention to detail with the back of the phone is second to none, and their approach to software is just as refined and brilliantly thoughtful. It seems as though this is a company that really cares for its users and wants to give them the best possible experience using their phones on a day-to-day basis. This is backed up by how many updates and patches they have released since launch.
It’s a real powerhouse!
Credit: Nothing
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I can safely say that since the Nothing Phone 2 has launched, the phone has just got better and better to use. I will be totally frank with you here, when I first started using the phone, I had some issues. There was a time when I was on a work trip in Amsterdam. I woke up, and the phone wasn’t turning on properly. I had to do a factory reset to get the phone up and running again.
However, I do think that this was more an Android issue, rather than a Nothing Phone issue. I have had Android phones in the past do the same thing to me, and this is another reason why I think so many people revert to iPhones because that sort of thing doesn’t really happen with Apple. That said, you can’t really blame Nothing for this, because they really had no other choice than to use Android.
So, I’ve been waxing lyrical about this phone for quite some time now, and I haven’t even mentioned the chipset that’s running the device, nor the screen. They are both incredible. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 1, which is pretty much the best you can get on today’s market. Yes, there is a newer version of the chip out there, but this phone is already so fast that you wouldn’t notice the difference, and if Nothing had gone for the Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 2, it would have made the phone quite a bit more expensive.
I think that Nothing made the right choice by going for the 8+ Gen 1. And for the screen, you’ve got a glorious 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED, which is the best on the market. Everything looks great on this phone. Movies look superbe, YouTube videos are great, and photos come up sharp and crisp. It makes the whole phone a real joy to use.
Some Areas for Improvement
Credit: Nothing
The final things to talk about are the phone’s camera and, in my use case, the microphone that comes with the Nothing Phone 2. This is where, in my opinion, the phone lags behind the competition. I use the camera and microphone a lot on my phones. I’m a content creator, and I need to take videos a lot, and I need to be talking in my videos. This is where the phone hasn’t quite delivered as much as I would have liked it to.
Don’t get me wrong, the cameras are perfectly serviceable, especially when it comes to taking photos. The Nothing Phone 2 comes with a 50 MP dual rear camera and a 32 MP front camera, which are both perfectly fine. But that’s the issue here, they are fine, whereas the rest of the phone, I would argue, is stellar. What Nothing has done here, is basically keep the same cameras from the Nothing Phone 1, but they have tweaked the camera’s software and AI. This means that the camera takes much better photos than the Phone 1, but this isn’t the case when it comes to videos, unfortunately.
When you compare the phone’s video recording capabilities to that of the iPhone 15s and even 14s, the Nothing Phone 2 just cannot compete. And when comparing the Phone 2’s microphone to those on the iPhone 14 and 15, there’s just no comparison. The microphone on the Nothing Phone 2 is just not good at all, which is just such a shame – for me specifically – as I use the microphone on my phones a lot.
Highly Recommended
Credit: Nothing
However, those are really the only issues I have been able to come up with over my four months with the Phone 2. It truly is a brilliant phone, that I couldn’t recommend enough, and it’s a huge leap from the Nothing Phone 1. It also shows that Nothing is a tech company that’s here to stay and is more than just hype. Carl Pei’s company – he’s the founder and CEO of Nothing – is the real deal!
Despite minor drawbacks, the Phone 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor and a testament to Nothing’s commitment to innovation. It’s fun, simple to use, and an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a new phone.
What do you make of this review? Are you going to be checking out the Nothing Phone 2? We’d love to hear from you.
You can purchase a Nothing Phone 2 directly from Nothing’s website. Prices start at £499, with options ranging up to £619 for the highest storage model. This review was conducted with a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model provided by Nothing, with no input from the company on the content of the review.
This review was made after several months with the Nothing Phone 2 with a review sample (12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage) provided by Nothing. However, they had no input in this review and are reading this at the same time as you are.
