Nothing is a start-up created partly by ex-OnePlus people. You can experience it positively and negatively, as our phone test report (1) explains.
And then, unfortunately, that would be the first play of words. It doesn’t quite work without it, but we’ll do without it as much as possible. I revised my review of Nothing Phone (1) several times and then started again. Because I have noticed that the whole thing can be summed up very well. I don’t want to bore you with blah blah.
Hype about nothing: LED features are a joke
Nothing managed to generate hype out of anything. Especially for a function that, in my opinion, is completely meaningless in everyday life. The broad LED lighting on the back is as cool as it gets on the back. I rarely see these LEDs. Because I don’t constantly look at the back of my smartphone, nor do I put the device with the display on the table.
Be it for notifications, incoming calls or battery status – the Glyph interface is largely redundant in my opinion. Unfortunately, this is the only standout that the Nothing Phone (1) offers compared to other devices. The rest of the smartphone is just a good mid-range, but definitely not outstanding or flagship killer.
The design is beautiful though. If you look back, you will enjoy the transparent look.
Nothing delivers a solid first smartphone
For the said price, there is a decent device that works well in every discipline. Apart from the fact that my device constantly changes the color temperature of the display based on lighting conditions and there is no setting for it, I have nothing negative to say about the Nothing Phone (1).
Note: No support has been able to help so far. I can’t turn off the automatic color temperature change. And I can’t use the slider for manual adjustment – grayed out. A somewhat strange bug.
On the contrary, for the price of around 469 euros, it is more than properly equipped. The speed of the OLED display is 120 Hz, the integrated processor will easily be enough for almost all potential buyers, and wireless charging is also included. Unfortunately, the comparable Google Pixel 6a doesn’t offer two of these three points.
Processing is neat. But the Nothing Phone (1) feels a little hollow and a little clunky. It may look like an iPhone, but it certainly doesn’t feel like one. With the camera, it’s only good enough for the “hard middle class”. Which is fine in my eyes, comparable Google phones take better pictures.
The price is OK, but the future is uncertain
Like I said, I wanted to make it short. Nothing Phone (1) does no wrong, but it really couldn’t be more different. You get an Android smartphone that lives up to its price tag. Of course, software support remains a question mark, as start-ups similarly have to survive for a long time.
Although nothing for long, the phone (1) is no test. You can say that one or the other smartphone was already developed under Carl Pei. He has contacts and experience, so I don’t think you need to worry about quality.
4 out of 5 stars because Nothing Phone (1) is a bit boring and has an unpredictable future.
