Nothing Phone (2) Review: Is It an iPhone Beater?

It’s that ‘difficult second album’, isn’t it?

Mark Ellis
Mac O’Clock

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Image courtesy of author

The Nothing Phone (1) was one of my favourite smartphones of 2022. Behind the viral marketing and gimmicky flashing lights, there was real substance — it was a budget device that knocked hard on the doors of the established flagships.

Starting a new smartphone brand in an age when those devices are going one of two ways — either playing it safe or folding themselves in half — is a brave thing to do. We’re at a crossroads; there doesn’t seem to be much innovation left on the table.

Nothing’s CEO and founder, Carl Pei, doesn’t seem to care. As one of the co-founders of the original smartphone rebel brand, OnePlus, he knows a thing or two about shaking up an industry with super affordable tech that doesn’t appear to cut any meaningful corners.

The Nothing Phone (1) was the epitome of that approach. Now, we have the Nothing Phone (2), and with a price tag that’s £180 more expensive than its predecessor, it really does feel like ‘that difficult second album’.

I’ve been playing with one for the last two weeks and, as you’d expect, I’ve got lots of thoughts.

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Mark Ellis
Mac O’Clock

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