Nothing has been hyping up It’s next phone with executive interviews and social media drop-feeding recently. But merely weeks before the anticipated July launch and eventual brand arrival in the U.S. market, the leaking world has spoiled the design surprise.
Prolific leaker Steve H. (aka @OnLeaks ) teamed up with SmartPrix to drop high-resolution renders of the Nothing Phone 2 based on a “testing stage unit.” To sum up my first impression after seeing these renders, I’d say it’s underwhelming — especially for a brand that takes a lot of pride in its design chops.
However, Nothing has made some subtle improvements that you are going to feel more in your hands instead of seeing with your eyes. To begin, Nothing has ditched the sharp, flat sides seen on the Nothing Phone 1 and has embraced an outward bulging frame (similar to the Galaxy S23) for the Nothing Phone 2.
From my own experience using the Nothing Phone 1 and iPhone 14 Pro, which both have a flat profile, I am glad that Nothing chose to evolve this ergonomic aspect. Those sharp edges really dig into the palm of your hands, and for a phone as big as the Nothing Phone 1, it was not the most comfortable experience.
Nothing is reportedly refining the design elements further by utilizing subtly curved glass alongside the edges on both sides where it meets the metallic frame. It’s not a dramatic change, but gives somewhat of a mild ergonomic refresh to the Nothing Phone 2, leaving behind the flat slab look of its predecessor.
The rear panel looks more or less the same, but Nothing appears to have employed slightly thinner LED strips around the wireless charging coil and the camera island. More importantly, this LED strip around the charging coil is not a single uniform unit, as was the case with the Nothing Phone 1.
Instead, it has a staggered look on the Nothing Phone 2, breaking at multiple points unevenly. It appears that this multistrip approach will allow a deeper level of lighting customization based on the task assigned to them.
Another minor upgrade is a dual-LED flash unit on the back, supposedly to offer a higher degree of illumination for image and video captures in dark surroundings. As for the innards, the screen will be slightly bigger, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 will run the show inside.
The flagship Qualcomm chip also brings advanced camera capabilities to the table, while the battery capacity has also been bumped up from 4,500 mAh to 4,700 mAh, with support for fast charging in tow. The Nothing Phone 2 is set to break cover in July and will be the first Nothing smartphone to hit the shelves in the U.S.
