Nothing Phone (2) goes official for $599 in the US – ask us anything

Carl Pei’s Nothing is back with its second smartphone, the Phone (2), which is officially launching today. Here’s what it brings to the table.

The original Nothing Phone was a midrange device on paper but one that has strived to be a flagship where it counts. With the Nothing Phone (2), the young company is effectively releasing a refined version of that original device with a similar but tweaked design and improvements throughout the camera, software, and power under the hood.

Nothing Phone (2): Specs and features

Nothing Phone (2) has a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display at 1080p and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under that display is an optical fingerprint sensor (there’s also a camera-based face unlock); you’ll find Android 13 with Nothing OS 2.0 running on it.

This new version of Nothing’s software skin on top of Android is one of the “big” new additions this time around, with the startup bringing much more of the software in-house. The software is still quite clean, but you’ll find touches of Nothing throughout, including a host of custom widgets for the homescreen and a special icon pack that shows all of your icons in a monochrome theme on the homescreen, whether the app supports Android’s themed icons or not.

Nothing promises three major Android updates (through Android 16) and bimonthly security patches for four years. It’s not the best policy out there, but it’s not bad.

Under the hood, Phone (2) is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, a 2022 chip. But that’s the same solid processor found in devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, OnePlus 10T, and Motorola Razr+. While it’s not the latest and greatest, it should be stellar, nonetheless, and Nothing actually points out that using a slightly older chip comes with the benefit of additional optimization time. It’s also a major upgrade over the Snapdragon 778 used last time around.

You’ll also find 8GB of RAM in the base model with 128GB of storage, and there are also 256GB and 512GB models with 12GB of RAM.

Powering the whole show is a 4,700 mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. There’s no charger in the box, though, so you’ll need an adapter to get that speed. There is a really slick charging cable included.

Phone (2) also brings back the company’s signature “Glyph” interface, which adds LEDs to the back of the device.

Those lights are split up into more sections this time around and can react to notifications, calls, and more, while also having some additional special features. The big upgrade this time around is massively raising the number of LEDs in one of the strips around the charging coils, which can be used to show a timer or volume status. All of the LEDs are still white only, though.

The cameras have also been updated, with a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary sensor and 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide camera. There’s no telephoto to be found, but there is a 32MP selfie shooter.

Rounding things out, Nothing touts its improved sustainability, with the phone using recycled aluminum for several components and recycled materials throughout the device. The entire build, which also now features curved glass on the back, also has an IP54 water and dust-resistance rating.

The phone is sold in both white and a new grey color.

Nothing Phone (2): Price and when you can get it

The Nothing Phone (2) runs $599 in the United States, the first time Nothing is officially openly selling its smartphone in the country. The price of Phone (2) runs $929 in Canada. The full breakdown is as follows:

• 128GB/8GB: $599 USD / $929 CAD / £579 GBP / €679 EUR
• 256GB/12GB: $699 USD / $999 CAD / £629 GBP / €729 EUR
• 512GB/12GB: $799 USD / $1,099 CAD / £699 GBP / €849 EUR

In Europe and regions where Phone (1) was sold, customers are looking at roughly a 40-50% increase with this new model but with a significantly stronger package for that cost.

Pre-orders are open starting today, with open sales and shipping on July 17. Nothing will be offering in-person sales at a pop-up in New York City on July 13 at 69 Gansevoort St. from 7-10 p.m., the first place customers will be able to purchase the device anywhere in the world. There will also be drops in London, Paris, Berlin, Bengaluru, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur from July 13-15, as Nothing previously announced.

Ask us anything

Personally, I have been using the Nothing Phone (2) for the past several days at this point, along with Max Weinbach. A full review is right around the corner, but in the meantime, let’s do an AMA.

We’ve already shared camera samples, but we’d love to know what else you want to know about the upcoming device. Drop your questions in the comments below, and we’ll answer anything and everything we can to the terms of our embargo with Nothing – in short, we can’t get into comparisons, battery, or performance, but basically everything else is on the table.

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