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Nothing Phone 1 announced: An interesting mid-ranger at a decent price

Now that the hype is officially over, here's all you need to know about the Nothing Phone 1.
By
July 12, 2022
TL;DR
  • The Nothing Phone 1 was officially launched today.
  • The full specs sheet shows a semi-premium mid-ranger with an interesting design.
  • It starts at £399 (~$475) for the 8/128GB variant. It will not come to the United States.

After weeks of hype, we finally have seen the launch of the Nothing Phone 1. CEO and OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced the device today during a livestream.

Building up to this launch, Nothing announced plenty of details related to the phone. Going into the livestream, we already knew what the phone looked like, a majority of its specs, and even some availability details. However, we now know pretty much everything there is to know about the device.

Read our review: Nothing Phone 1 review

Nothing Phone 1: Official specs

nothing phone 1 rear glyph off
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

As mentioned, we already knew some integral specs for the phone, including its Snapdragon 778G Plus processor. Now, though, we have a full specs sheet that gives away all the necessary details. Check it out below.

Nothing Phone 1
Display
6.55-inch OLED
2,400 x 1,080 resolution
402ppi
500 nits brightness / 1,200 nits peak
120Hz adaptive refresh rate (60Hz lowest)
240Hz touch sampling
HDR10+ support
Gorilla Glass 5
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus
GPU
Adreno 642L
RAM
8 or 12GB
Storage
128 or 256GB
UFS 3.1
No microSD card support
Power
4,500mAh battery
33W PD3.0 wired charging
15W Qi wireless charging
5W reverse wireless charging
No charger in box
Cameras
REAR:
- 50MP Sony IMX766 wide-angle (ƒ/1.88, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 1μm pixel, 24mm focal, OIS, EIS)
- 50MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide (ƒ/2.2, 1/2.76-inch sensor, 114-degree FoV, EIS)

FRONT:
- 16MP Sony IMX471 wide-angle (ƒ/2.45, 1/3.1-inch sensor)
Video
4K at 30fps
1080p at 30 or 60fps
Live HDR at 30fps
Slo-mo at 120fps (main lens only)
Night Mode at 720p/1080p (30fps)
OIS on main rear lens only
EIS on both rear lenses
Audio
Dual-stereo speakers
No 3.5mm headphone jack
Security
In-display fingerprint reader
Durability
IP53-rated
Gorilla Glass 5 front/back
Ports
Dual-SIM
USB-C
Network
Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO
Gigabit 5G dual Mode (NSA & SA) with 4x4 MIMO
5G NR*: Bands n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n77,
n78
4G LTE: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38,
39, 40, 41,66
3G UMTS (WCDMA): bands 1,2,4,5,6,8,19
2G GSM : 850/900/1800/1900
---
Wi-Fi 4/5/6 and 802.11 a/b/g/
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC enabled with Google Pay support
---
GPS with A-GPS. Up to dual-band: GLONASS (1), BDS (2),
GALILEO (1), QZSS (1)
Software
Android 12
Nothing OS
Three years of upgrades
Four years of patches
Dimensions & weight
159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3mm
193.5g
Colors
Black, white
In the box
Nothing Phone 1
USB-C cable
Pre-applied screen protector
SIM tray ejector
Paperwork

The specs paint a clear picture that the Nothing Phone 1 is not a premium flagship. However, it certainly has some perks you won’t find on mid-rangers at this price range, including, most notably, wireless charging.

See also: The best Android phones to spend your money on

However, the processor and cameras give away that this phone is definitively a mid-ranger. Time will tell if the price and unique design elements of the Nothing Phone 1 will make it alluring enough for premium shoppers.

Design and ‘The Glyph’

nothing phone 1 glyph on rear
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

There are two very interesting things related to the way the Nothing Phone 1 looks. The first is the general design of the device, which includes a see-through glass back. Under the rear glass, you can see the real working innards of the phone.

This transparent aesthetic matches the only other Nothing product launched so far: the Nothing Ear 1. These true wireless earbuds also have a see-through design and come in the same colors as the Nothing Phone 1.

The interesting design elements of the Nothing Phone 1 set it apart from the competition.

The other interesting aspect of the phone is known as “The Glyph.” This is a set of LED lights that create an interesting design on the back of the phone. Users can program these lights to perform a variety of functions. For example, the lights can pulse to notify you when you have a new message. They can also flash when you receive phone calls. There’s even a nifty charging animation when you plug the phone in and you can use The Glyph fully illuminated as a key light when using the rear camera.

Overall, The Glyph and the phone’s unique style are two huge selling points for this phone. If you don’t care about these aspects, this probably isn’t the phone for you. Nothing is taking a bit of a gamble that buyers don’t just care about raw specs and will happily shell out for a phone that looks and functions differently from others.

Price and availability

nothing phone 1 launcher
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

The Nothing Phone 1 comes in three variants:

  • 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage — £399 / €469
  • 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage — £449 / €499
  • 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage — £499 / €549

The entry-tier model will cost you £399 (~$475). Meanwhile, the 8/256GB model will cost you £449 (~$535) and the 12/256GB model will set you back £499 (~$594). Do note that the 12/256GB model is not available right now but will be later this summer. Those prices are for either the black or white models.

Open sales for the Phone 1 begin on July 21, 2022, at 7:00 AM BST (2:00 AM ET). Nothing’s website will be the main destination, but select carriers and retailers around the world will also sell the phone. In the UK, Nothing will have a retail kiosk set up in Seven Dials, Covent Garden, London, from July 16 to July 20.

Nothing Phone 1Nothing Phone 1
AA Recommended
Nothing Phone 1
Glyph Interface • 3 years of OS updates • Fluid OLED display
MSRP: £399.99
A fantastic mid-ranger
The Nothing Phone 1 stands out due to its Glyph Interface that lights up when you get a call or any other notification. The phone offers great value for money, sporting a great display, a solid main camera, and wireless as well as reverse wireless charging.

Unfortunately, the Nothing Phone 1 is not coming to the United States. It will be available in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, India, and 40 other countries. It is possible Nothing could bring the phone to the US at some point in the future, but it’s more likely US residents would need to wait for the Nothing Phone 2.

What do you think of the Nothing Phone 1? Answer our poll below:

Nothing Phone 1: Hot or not?

3145 votes