I’ve been using the Nothing Phone (1) for a month and couldn’t be happier: to use it is to enjoy it, it is a phone that gives much more than it seems. In that sense, it looks quite similar to the Google Pixel. In fact, with the Nothing Phone (1), I even forget my own Pixel: I think it’s also a value of the first mobile Nothing.
The Google Pixels are charismatic phones that stand out on a spec sheet full of numbers: it’s the overall experience with them that really adds value who is lucky enough to own one. And that’s exactly what Nothing has achieved with its first smartphone, at least in my opinion: it’s a round mobile that takes nothing away from use, power and software. With its extra point of recognizable charisma, something very important to point out.
The essence of a phone is not its spec sheet
The reflections on the back side make it very difficult to take photos.
Dealing with dozens of new features almost every week is not easy, especially since it is impossible to guarantee that a mobile is better than another if it is not thoroughly tested. And since it takes time and access to the phone, the easiest way is to compare the data sheets. Yes, I also appreciate that one mobile is better than another by checking what it brings under the hood. Until I try it.
Over the years, and after countless analyses, the phones I liked the most weren’t exactly the most powerful around. Is that conjunction between the exterior design, the software design, the own applications included and yes, the hardware, which distinguishes a brand from others. That’s why I find Nothing’s emergence on the market so positive: despite the difficulty of standing out in a market that shows saturation, in Nothing they took it seriously by offering something more than hardware. Much more.
I really like the aesthetic of his cape. Clean, it looks a lot like that of Google with its Pixels (this point seems to me a success) and retains a personal style that gives charisma to Nothing Phone (1). This apparent simplicity, together with the characteristic dotted font (it should be more present in the system and not just as a decorative element), makes “messing around” with mobile taking me back to the beginnings of Android. No dozens of hidden settings, with hassle-free navigation, without straying from the fundamental values of the system. Of course, this also has its negative side.
The Nothing Phone (1) doesn’t offer many advanced features; quite the opposite of layers like MIUI, One UI or Color OS. It’s good and bad at the same time
Nothing launcher is so simple that it does not allow me to adjust certain functions that seem basic to me. For example, the fact that I can’t customize the desktop and application drawer grid to put the number of rows and columns I want makes me nervous.
I also don’t like the two huge balloons in the quick settings where the connections are grouped together; What require you to scroll horizontally to switch between WiFi or mobile networks, for example. Small brush strokes that I would like to change, just like any other layer. And that a Google Play launcher does not solve me, because along the way the essence of Nothing Phone (1) is lost.
This effort to develop a clean layer, without artifice and with exclusive brand details is also found in the Google Pixel. The parallel seems pretty clear to me. And without Nothing contenting itself with making simplicity the main value of your phone, the company has decided to innovate in the way of presenting notifications.
Not everything is material, but a lot of it is
Besides reflections, dust accumulates in the target area and is almost impossible to remove
The Nothing Phone (1) does not evolve in line with the most high-end mobiles, nor does it claim to be. Indeed, its cost places the phone in a delicate area where only those who offer a lot at a reasonable price stand out. Without being cheap, because it isn’t, I believe it maintains the maxim of including more for less.
The hardware of the phone seems to me to be perfect for all needs, whether you’re looking for a superior multimedia experience or endurance during a hard day’s work. Its processor is not the most powerful. In reality, for the price you can get phones with a much better SoC. Even so, it is the conjunction of all the elements that makes a good product, not a single component. In this sense, the Snapdragon 778G+ perfectly orchestrates the symphony that occurs inside the Nothing Phone (1).
It doesn’t stick, it works like a charm, its battery lasts remarkably (I find that the system is very well optimized for autonomy) and yes, the “Glyph interface” gives it that unique touch that ends up giving it charisma. About the lights.
I really like the transparent design even if you don’t really see the inside of the phone, I don’t understand why the color backs with gradients and reflections are abused. The Nothing Phone (1) is a mobile that stands out perfectly from the back. Above all when a call comes in and it lights up like the lights section of the Ikea. Personally, I only used the rear LEDs out of curiosity, but there is one detail that I like: the fill light for close portraits. Turning it over and seeing the recharge level also seems useful to me.
With wireless charging at a price level where it is not usual (even the Google Pixel 6a is not standard), features an excellent quality AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh ratea 33W fast charge (no charger in the box, it seems questionable to me) and a camera that surprised me from the first moment.
I didn’t expect the Nothing Phone (1) to take such good pictures, this is another reason why I don’t regret the Pixel being with the Nothing: the shots are of very good quality in most conditions. And the company has been constantly improving its cameras, I received several updates that gradually improved the processing.
Updates, in this I miss the Pixel
From left to right: Pixel 7, Pixel 6 and Nothing Phone (1)
With the Nothing Phone (1) I live a unique experience without artifice, as I have already mentioned. Characteristic design inside and out, hardware kept to a high standard for what the phone is worth and looks like how close a smartphone can run to extreme power. Now postponing Android 13 to 2023 seems to me like a mistake that jeopardizes all the work very well done.
It has pretty clean software, Nothing has to worry about updating the phone (1) and Android 13 has been in its stable form since August. I know maintaining a phone isn’t exactly easy, especially for a small business, but that doesn’t seem like a good enough excuse. not to offer faster update speed. That yes, only in system builds: the Nothing Phone (1) is kept fairly up-to-date in security patches (at the time of writing this article, I have the September patch).
Nothing offers the same number of key updates as Google and a year less security patches, only faster speed
Three years of key system updates (the same as Google Pixel) and four years of security (one less than Google) seems like a good bet to me, although it should be a bit more extensive. And with the rest of the dedication put into the phone: while the Nothing Phone (1) isn’t perfect, it is offers much more than usual in the price segment where it moves. To be the first model, I don’t think that’s a bad start. Quite the contrary.
