Nothing: We tested the most intriguing smartphone in the world, which has already been sold in Israel

Nothing's first smartphone does not have particularly advanced specifications, but externally it is different from any other device in the cellular market.

He arrived in Israel with a price tag of NIS 1,999 and a great desire to beat the big manufacturers.

Is it worth the money?

We checked

Yinon Ben Shoshan

18/07/2022

Monday, 18 July 2022, 09:15 Updated: 09:29

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Nothing Phone (1) (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

The British brand Nothing, led by entrepreneur Carl Fay, founder of OnePlus, has yet to celebrate a two-year birthday, and has already managed to excite the tech world because of its attempt to wink at meticulous design fans and the affordable price tag.

Last week, the company announced its first smartphone, Nothing phone (1), which has already arrived in Israel with the official import of the Bug network.

The company's prominent message is "enough nonsense", with the idea being to provide consumers with quality aesthetic products without "unnecessary etiquette and without silly product names".

Just before the announcement, we received for review the company's new smartphone and checked whether the hysteria was justified - and in general, is it worth paying NIS 1,999 for it?

Spoiler: Yes.

Is it worth paying NIS 1,999 for it? (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

What's in the package?

If you thought that Apple, Samsung and the rest of the cellular manufacturers have reduced the packaging in recent years in order to save space and reduce costs - at Nothing they took it a few steps further.

The case of the device is actually a thin box that looks like something between a book and an envelope.

The only thing you will get in this very thin one, besides the device of course, is a USB-C cable.

The company's original luggage can be purchased separately, also in Israel, at a cost of NIS 149.

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Ultra-thin packaging (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Design

As you have already understood, the young brand is not building on the fact that we will buy the new smartphone because of the specifications, but because of its special design.

The back of the device is made of glass with a unique design, and includes templates of 900 LEDs that can be controlled through the system interface known as "Glyphs".

The purpose of Glyphs, which can be perceived as a gimmick, is in fact the most unique part of the device, and the company explains that the purpose of the feature is both design and useful.

For example, the backlight serves as a smart warning light that flashes in a customized manner.

This means that in the "Glyphs" interface you can choose a different combination for phone calls and messages from a number of options built into the operating system, along with the option to add a sound file independently.

In practice, this is a pretty impressive and convenient design addition, and it is likely that through software updates that will come later, additional uses will be added to the interface.

However, in an age where we are all anxiously walking around with a cover that protects the smartphone, this is a design detail that will only benefit users who choose a transparent cover - which in the long run turns yellow.

In the "Glyphs" interface, you can choose a different combination for phone calls and messages (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

The Phone (1) also includes a high-quality 6.55-inch OLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a recycled aluminum frame, which, according to the company, makes it lighter than some of the competitors.

However, it weighs 193 grams and is 8.3 mm thick - somewhere in the middle between the premium models and the competing base models.

Interface and user experience

Alongside the not-so-advanced specs, you can find Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset - a more than one-year-old version designed for the high-end midrange, 8GB of RAM, fifth-generation (5G) network support and 256GB of storage -Byat.

The operating system version is Android 12 with a dedicated interface known as Nothing OS.

While not the most advanced chipset on the market, the Snapdragon 778G Plus processor gives the device what it takes for its price tag - and a little more.

This means that we were able to open several apps at the same time without fear, run light games and scroll through social networks.

Other than that, a few times we felt a slight stutter in the photo interface, but this is not a particularly noticeable phenomenon and certainly not unusual.

The Snapdragon 778G Plus processor gives the device what it takes for its price tag - and a little more (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

As mentioned, Nothing's smartphone comes with the company's dedicated interface, based on Android 12. This is a less cluttered version of the operating system that mostly keeps the clean look and good things of Android, and most importantly - does not include apps that can not be removed, which quite a few manufacturers fall into. .

The main emphasis in the design of the Nothing OS is the use of point-based fonts as in digital watches from the 80s.

In practice, the experience in the interface is very good and smart (unused apps are "frozen" in the background) and the menus run smoothly.

The photo interface also does not include too many features, similar to what has always existed in the iPhone.

The operating system that largely maintains a clean look (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Battery and reverse charge

Let's start from the end: the Nothing phone (1) can charge other Qi standard products wirelessly in a very slow-power of 5 watts.

True, Nothing did not invent the technology or idea of ​​reverse charging, but with the Glyph charging coil located on the back of the device the operation itself becomes more impressive.

In addition, once the company's wireless earphones, Nothing ear (1), which are also the brand's only other product at the moment, are placed, the charging coil lights up in another combination to indicate that reverse charging of a compatible product occurs.

Recycled aluminum frame (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

The company guarantees 18 hours of use for each full charge (0 to 100%), and 50 percent of charge in just 30 minutes.

In practice, on a day that started at 08:00 in the morning and ended in the 00:00 area I was able to reach 30 percent battery while connecting to the charger.

The use mainly included WhatsApp, Internet, YouTube and social networks.

Charging the earphones (1) using the back of the Nothing phone (1) (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Camera

The Phone (1) is equipped with a dual photo array that managed to impress us with a 50 megapixel main camera from Sony (model IMX766) that combines a wide lens and image stabilization (OIS).

The second sensor includes an ultra-wide lens with a resolution of 50 megapixels as well.

On the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

To shoot at 50 megapixels, you have to choose the option in the shooting interface, which is very convenient, and as mentioned, is not loaded with unnecessary features.

In any case, the shots in the main lens and widening lens are excellent.

The image is sharp, the detail is excellent, the shades are great and not excessive, and the dark areas are deep.

In fact, the photography algorithm does not go wild with the image retouching automatically and the level of detail is very high compared to other devices in the same category, especially in close-up photography.

50 megapixel photography.

High level of detail (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Landscape photo: The colors are true to the original (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

The camera also knows how to deal with darker and less bright areas (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

50 megapixel photography: high level of detail (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

High level of detail, especially in close-up photography (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Photography with the Nothing phone (1) (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Night mode does a good job here, but not great, and does not reach the level of detail of Apple's or Samsung's premium cameras.

The result is still better and more impressive than most of the mid-range devices currently on the market.

Here, too, you can find use for the Glyphs interface - and use the coils on the back of the device as a flash while taking a picture.

Night mode does a good job here, but not great (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Bottom line

In contrast to the top phone segment (NIS 3,500 and up), where there is not much choice (although this is also changing), the mid-range and mid-range segment is flooded with models, and recently the selection has only expanded with the introduction of new brands trying to bring more premium features.

The Nothing Phone (1) easily falls into the category - and changes everything we knew.

It features an innovative design, a clean operating system, a very good camera, a quality screen and a not very advanced chip, but one that provides good performance.

In total, the price tag of NIS 1,999 makes it the most affordable smartphone for those who do not want to spend too much money on a premium smartphone.

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