Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

The Nothing Phone 2 is real, and it’s coming to the U.S. this year

Michael Allison
By

The Nothing Phone 2 will be coming to the U.S. this year, CEO Carl Pei said today. The company previously launched its first entry into the smartphone market in Europe and Asia due to resource constraints.

“We decided to make the U.S. our No. 1 priority in terms of markets,” CEO Carl Pei said in an interview with Inverse. “We couldn’t do it earlier because we were only in our second year and our hands were tied building the team as we were building the products. Now as we’re on a more solid footing, we can take a step forward.”

Nothing Phone 1 Glyph Interface lights.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The Nothing Phone 1‘s priorities revolve around bringing back ‘fun’ to phones. Though its idea of fun was a little uninspired, the company did tap into the fervor that some smartphone enthusiasts have for phones that are a little less predictable and practical than the current crop.

Recommended Videos

As for specifics on the Nothing Phone 2, Pei was a little guarded in his comment, sharing with the publication that it would be “more premium” with software being a big focus. “We’re developing a smartphone that’s more premium than the Nothing Phone 1 and software will be a big focus area for us.” Software on the Nothing Phone 1 was inoffensive and helpful, almost Pixel-like in some areas, but the company’s update cadence left some to be desired. That’s likely to be improved, according to the interview.

Related

As for a more premium device, the original Nothing Phone 1 was criticized for its chipset, which was weaker than a comparably priced Xiaomi phone in Europe, or the Tensor-powered Pixels in the U.S. A more powerful chipset would improve the Nothing Phone all around, as well as make it more competitive in general.

The Nothing Phone 1 was received critically by reviewers. Setting aside its gimmicks and the QA issues endemic to smaller brands, the phone served as an example of a competently made Android phone with a strong design and few flaws. A U.S. release could see the cultic device make inroads into more mainstream hands. It won’t be an iPhone killer, but perhaps it could try its hand at getting smaller brands like OnePlus supplanted.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Michael Allison
Michael Allison
Mobile News Writer
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
4 reasons you should absolutely buy this $599 Android phone
The back of the Nothing Phone 2.

The Nothing Phone 2 is here. It's the second Android phone from Nothing, the company's first one to fully launch in the U.S., and one of the most important smartphones of the year.

There's plenty to say about the Nothing Phone 2. I could talk about the importance of a new smartphone brand entering the U.S. market. I could also talk about the Glyph lights on the back of the phone that have been hyped so much. There's also a lot to discuss about Nothing's mission to "make tech fun again."

Read more
Something amazing happened to U.S. smartphones on July 11
The Nothing Phone 2's camera module with the lights lit up.

Something momentous happened on  July 11, 2023: A new smartphone was released in the U.S. This isn’t a special thing, as new phones aren’t exactly uncommon, but it came from a brand that has never released a phone in the U.S. before, and that makes it very special indeed.

It deserves all your attention, not because it’s such a rare occurrence, but because —finally — buyers are getting more choice.
When did it last happen?
Essential PH-1 Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Read more
Is the Nothing Phone 2 waterproof?
The Nothing Phone 2's camera module with the lights lit up.

Nothing may be a newcomer to the smartphone scene, but it really made an impact with the Nothing Phone 1. Debuting last year, the Phone 1 brought a unique design, good specs, an affordable price, and of course, the Glyph lighting system. Now, the Nothing Phone 2 is here, complete with the Glyph lighting system and some extra new tricks to tempt you into Nothing's bustling ecosystem.

But the Nothing Phone 2 has more going for it than just a fancy lighting system, and those looking for a strong specs sheet won't be disappointed. Nothing's new phone has an adaptive refresh rate that peaks at 120Hz, up to 512GB of storage, 12GB of RAM, and the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. But how durable is it? Water resistance has become a feature we really want in smartphones, as it means phones are better insulated against the damage caused by accidental slips into baths, pools, and even toilets. So, is the Nothing Phone 2 waterproof?
The Nothing Phone 2 has an IP54 water resistance rating

Read more