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TheNothing Phone 1is the newest product from U.K.-based tech company Nothing.
It doesn’t do everything perfectly, but it’s a good start from a new company.
This phone has its fair share of quirks and features that are very clearly aimed at a specific demographic.
Dominick D’Agostino / How-to Geek
In short, this phone isn’t for everybody.
But that isn’t a problem.
The phone looks fantastic and feels great to use.
Dominick D’Agostino / How-To Geek
The first thing I noticed was the weight.
And, perhaps more interestingly, Nothing has still managed to make the gear feel premium.
The Nothing Phone 1 also includes a pleasantly small front-facing camera.
Dominick D’Agostino / How-to Geek
When watching videos, playing games, or scrolling through apps, it quickly fades into the background.
But the real party is around back.
The Nothing Phone 1 has received a lot of attention because of its transparent design and LED light display.
There is one downside right off the bat, however.
Fortunately, the Nothing Phone 1’s display is great.
With 1,200 nits peak brightness and “Alive” color, the screen immerses you instantly.
Alive mode makes images and apps more vibrant, which also helps photos appear bolder and sharper.
The glass is gorilla glass 5, and the phone is highly rated against dust and water contamination.
It’s a tough thing, I’ll give it that.
Glyph Interface
And then, of course, there’s the glyph interface.
In short, the LEDs are completely customizable, but you’ll find their stock options are relatively adequate.
In that, they have succeeded.
But there’s more to the Nothing Phone 1 than the lights and an attractive design.
After all, even though the back works as advertised, it isn’t much more than a gimmick.
At some point, you’ll have to turn over your phone and actuallyuseit.
So, how does it perform?
The design of the operating system is fine, and customizing the phone is a breeze.
But this phone has some serious operating issues.
But I don’t want to claim that everything about the OS was bad.
The phone downloaded my apps quickly, seamlessly synced my contacts and data, and was easy to customize.
After inserting my SIM card, the phone worked effortlessly both on and off Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, Nothing doesn’t officially sell the Phone 1 in the United States.
If you choose to import the smartphone, know that it won’twork on some 5G and LTE bands.
Speaking of sound, The Nothing Phone 1 has some loud speakers.
And that’s a good thing.
There are lots of other little things on the phone that work well.
Namely, the battery.
Honestly, it isn’t bad.
The true success of the battery, though, is the charging.
Nothing says that its phone can reach 50% in half an hour with a fast charger.
That statement has been accurate during my testing, if not a little conservative.
So, is the battery the best thing in the world?
And the charging is a thing of beauty.
There’s also something else about the phone; wireless charging.
It doesn’t charge nearly as well as traditional chords, but it’s a nice feature.
The Nothing Phone 1 also supports reverse charging.
Place a set ofwireless earbudson the back of the phone and you’re good to go.
Don’t expect the wireless charging to be fast, though.
It’s good in a pinch, but not industry-leading by any means.
Cameras: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
On to the cameras.
The Nothing Phone 1 has two rear cameras, both 50MP models from Sony and Samsung.
The ultrawide lens has a 114-degree field-of-view, and the phone can record in 4k at 30FPS.
In my experience, the rear cameras were amazing.
And, because of the vibrant color resolution from the display, everything looks fantastic.
The same cannot be said for the 16MP front-facing selfie camera.
The photos were often blurry, which doesn’t entirely make sense.
The 16MP camera is a higher resolution model than what is used on many premium phones.
Apple still clings to a 12MP model for their iPhones.
As with many of the other features of the Nothing Phone 1, this isn’t a dealbreaker.
But, as I noted above, this phone is not for everyone.
So, who exactly is The Nothing Phone 1 for?
Who is Nothing’s likeliest customer?
Should You Buy the Nothing Phone 1?
Who is theNothing Phone 1for?
I’ll tell you.
The Nothing Phone is for people who want a cheap foray into the world of Android.
At the very least, I would suggest you wait until the gadget’s next generation.
In truth, I have a hard time truly recommending this phone to anybody.
Perhaps future generations will be more refined.
