Nothing Phone 2 Brings 50MP Shooter And Unique Light Show To The US, UK And Europe

There is no shortage of companies trying to break into the smartphone market, but few ever manage to release a single phone, let alone two. Nothing, the smartphone startup brought to use by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has unveiled its second smartphone, the predictably named Nothing Phone 2. By all accounts, it's shaping up to be a fantastic phone, and it's launching in the US this time.

The Nothing Phone 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel—it's a flat, non-folding smartphone with last year's Snapdragon chip and a transparent back. However, pricing start at just $599 for the version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can upgrade to the version with 12/256GB for $699 or 12/512GB for $799. While the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is undeniably the best ARM chip you can get in an Android phone in 2023, the slightly older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is no slouch. That's what Nothing used in the Nothing Phone 2, and if it helps to keep costs down, we approve.

Nothing went with a 1080p OLED at 120Hz for the Nothing Phone 2. It's 6.7 inches diagonal, so it's slightly larger than the first Nothing Phone. From the front, this looks like any other late-model smartphone, but there's a party around back. The Nothing Phone 2 has a new version of the Glyph interface with more addressable LED zones, giving you the option to keep an eye on select notifications, monitor the battery level, and more. There's even an API for third-party developers to add more functionality.


Nothing is not racing to have as many lenses as possible on the back of its phone. Instead, you get two cameras, a 50MP primary and a 50MP ultrawide. The front-facing camera has been upgrade from 16MP to 32MP in the new phone. The primary camera has optical stabilization and the ultrawide has autofocus to support macro photography. The phone also gets a slightly larger 4700mAh battery with 45W charging, plus 15W wireless charging. 

The Nothing Phone 2 will be running Android 13 out of the box, with the Nothing OS skin on top. Nothing's take on Android doesn't make dramatic changes—it's mostly an aesthetic tweak that fits the company's brand. The update promise is solid for a startup, too. The Nothing Phone 2 will get four years of security patches and three years of OS updates.


Nothing will begin taking orders for the Nothing Phone 2 via its website on July 17. It's a fully unlocked phone with ample 5G bands. While the phone is ready for the US, some US carriers might not allow the phone to connect to 5G until it's been certified. We've reached out to Nothing to inquire about any plans with the US carriers and will update if we hear back.

Update: Nothing confirms that the Nothing Phone 2 is certified for T-Mobile and AT&T 5G networks. It should also work on Verizon if you already have an activated SIM card, though.