Nothing phone (2): estimated release date, leaks, announcements
The Nothing phone (2) should land soon. The British brand began in early 2023 to communicate on what will be its second smartphone and rumors are heard. Let’s recap.
After only four products, three wireless headphones and a smartphone, Nothing has already managed to build real expectations around its launches. While a Nothing phone (2) is approaching, the time has come to take stock of the brand’s announcements, rumors, but also what is expected of this phone.
The Nothing phone (2), a premium smartphone?
For a time, the very young and very trendy Nothing brand tried to suggest that it was different, that it would not release more than one smartphone per year. Through the voice of its founder, the London-based company said it wanted to focus on the software monitoring of the Nothing phone (1), which needed it since it received Android 13 quite late. Then two more months after these first declarations, the co-founder of Nothing announced that a phone (2) was in preparation and that it would be a premium smartphone.
Premium is a complicated word in the mouth of Carl Pei, since he already considered that the Nothing phone (1) was a premium smartphone, while this one clearly sported mid-range characteristics, starting with its chip or its photo specifics.
We had to wait for the MWC in Barcelona to find out for sure. On February 28, 2023, on the stand of Qualcomm, manufacturer of the famous Snadpragon chips and partner of Nothing since its inception, the young brand indicated that its next phone would sport an 8-series Snapdragon. Whatever the model, we can s so expect great performances.
Nothing OS 2.0
Nothing insists enormously on one point in the teasings around the Nothing Phone (2): if the Phone (1) was centered on the design and the hardware, its successor should insist a lot on the software. Suffice to say that we expect a lot from Nothing OS 2.0.
A design leak called into question
OnLeaks, a reputable leaker, has published various visuals that it claims represent the Nothing Phone (2). We see a design very close to the first model, unlike the edges which, according to OnLeaks, would become rounded.
Except that here, Nothing, by the voice of Carl Pei on Twitter and Akis Evangelidis who confirmed it in our columns, disavowed these leaks. So we’ll see what happens in the weeks to come.
Performance, battery, RAM and storage
Sometimes leaks are not orchestrated by professional leakers. Witness the one surrounding the Nothing phone chip (2). While Qualcomm’s Carl Pei and Cristiano Amon were careful not to reveal the name of the chip that would power Nothing’s second smartphone, a Qualcomm official leaked the information.
On his LinkedIn page, Alex Katouzian, vice president of Qualcomm, hinted that it was a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. We can quite calmly consider that this will be the case, given that it is an internal source. But let’s not get totally carried away, it might as well be a mistake.
In any case, if it were indeed this chip, it would probably be a good choice, since it would open the doors to high-end performance without inflating the price too much, since it is This is a chip from the end of 2022. A good balance therefore and which would constitute a real leap compared to the Snapdragon 778G+ of the phone (1).
Leaks around the Nothing phone (2)
The website MySmartPrice unveiled some specifications of the future Nothing phone (2). It would purely and simply abandon the 8 GB RAM option to offer only 12 GB RAM. The same would go for the storage which would offer 256 GB from the outset. Part of this storage could be used to generate virtual memory, which would be a novelty compared to the previous model. The screen for its part would be 120 Hz Oled, like the previous one.
If the autonomy of the Nothing phone (1) was correct, the London firm seems to want to go a little further and integrate a battery of 5000 mAh capacity, up from 4500 mAh previously. Remember that capacity does not make autonomy, but it is always something more. We can also imagine that the Nothing phone (2) will be a bit thicker or wider because of this capacity, but that remains speculation. It is always possible to arrange the arrangement of the components in the telephone differently.
Likely release date
Nothing formalized the release date of Nothing Phone (2). This will be unveiled on July 11, 2023.
What design, what price for the Nothing phone (2)?
Let’s now focus on the unsaid and the points that have not yet been addressed concerning the Nothing phone (2), whether by brand or rumor. The opportunity also for us to make a small wish list.
Of course, how not to mention the Glyph, this set of LEDs found on the back of the Nothing phone (1)? Was it a simple gimmick to stand out on a first phone, or will the brand make it its own identity? We’re leaning more towards the second idea, but of course all the cards remain on the table.
One of the big unknowns still surrounding the Nothing phone (2) is its price. Indeed, by switching to a more capable chip, we also expect to see the price soar. The question of adding a telephoto lens will also arise, since the closer you get to the premium segment, the greater the photo requirements.
Hopefully Nothing can juggle all these parameters. Given the immediate success of the first device, which sold more than 600,000 copies according to the brand, there is hope.
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