I thought nothing can impress me nowadays. But Nothing did!
In about a month, it will be four years since Carl Pei's London-based startup — Nothing — released its very first product. The Nothing Ear (1).I'll come out and say that I was extremely skeptical, judgmental, and tongue-and-cheeky about the startup. In my defense, all we had to go on until this point was Nothing's mission statement, which was 'To remove barriers between people and technology, to bring back artistry, passion and trust to the field of consumer technology'.A pretty bold, long-winded statement that, through the lens of someone who has been jaded by a barrage of marketing materials in the past, doesn't mean much of anything.It didn't help that after releasing that mission statement and spending months to tease us, Nothing's first product looked like a copy of AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro: Electric Boogaloo, this time it's transparent! The kicker — they didn't sound very good, too.But hey, OK, it was just a first product to get the name out there, gauge interest, get the websites talking. What's next?
It took another year and, in July of 2022, the Nothing Phone (1) was launched. And it immediately became apparent that the transparent elements of the Ear (1) were not just a one-off gimmick — it was something that the company actively wanted to bake into its aesthetics.In all honesty, the Nothing Phone (1) was rough around the edges. One wouldn't expect a perfect first launch, right? It had obscure bugs in the software (like the blue light filter not turning off, or some issues with the auto-brightness), and it wasn't a performer.Yet, there was something oddly alluring about it. I do remember spending a couple of months with the Nothing Phone (1) as my phone after the review period was done. I wasn't on board with the Glyph interface just yet — it didn't make much sense. And I wasn't happy with the software bugs.But yet, as a budget phone with modest hardware, it did have exactly the things that mattered — good display, snappy navigation, and a no-nonsense user experience that still had a distinct signature and style. Like the extra-large folders, which allowed you to fit more apps in a single homescreen, but still let you launch them with a single tap, with no need to open the folder first. I am a sucker for keeping my homescreen count down to a minimum.OK… OK, Nothing.
So, I wasn't super into the whole Glyph interface thing of the Nothing Phone (1), right? It was there to do two things. One — look cool. Two — deliver notifications to you with unique light patterns, so you'd know who's calling or what's happening when your phone is face-down.I found it pretty impossible that one may be able to memorize the light patterns and use that to figure out what type of call is coming through. To be fair — I still do, that's a weird way to try and sell the Glyph interface.Nah, what sold the concept of the Nothing Phone to me as a whole was the iteration on the entire package. First, the Nothing Icon Pack, which turns all of your icons monochrome, was introduced with this phone. The reasoning behind the move is to allow you to 'remove branding' from different apps and services from your homescreen.
That kind of makes sense in a world where 'nomophobia' is a word that we should be conscious of, right? Apparently, Apple agrees, as you can now have monochrome icons on iOS 18, too. Some use that feature to create abominations, other make nice, neat, tightly-packed homescreens.
Then, the Glyph was upgraded with a timing bar. One of the LED strips can work as a Pomodoro timer, or a tracker for your Uber or food delivery (3rd party API is available, but admittedly — not taken up by a lot of developers). Which was a small improvement, but instantly got me to thinking about placing the phone face-down more often.
And then it clicked for me. The Nothing Phone (2) was trying to be 'the best phone that you don't use'. With its many customizations and options, it's trying to help you push it to the back of your mind as 'that one device that I pick up when I need to communicate', not the smartphone that is always vying for and clawing at your attention. Again, I used the Nothing Phone (2) for a while. Want to know what got me to stop? It is so incredibly slippery! It will fall off my Anker rubber-covered wireless charging puck, it will slide off a desk, it just does not want to sit still. Thankfully, Nothing is aware of that design flaw.And now we get to the budget era of Nothing — the reason why I felt compelled to write this up, actually. The Nothing Phone (3a) and currently-launching CMF Phone 2 Pro are… pretty excellent for their respective prices.Granted, slapping the 'Pro' moniker on everything is a pet peeve of mine and feels like sandpaper on my prefrontal cortex.
But OK, let's look beyond that. The CMF Phone 2 Pro costs $280. It is by no means excellent in anything it does — at that price, it can't be… right? But it's pretty darn good where it matters!
One — the display. It's an AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate with 388 pixels per inch. Yes, these are specs from a sheet, but in reality — the screen looks good. Very good. And it's HDR compatible with 3,000 nits peak brightness. Since the screen is basically the thing you look at 99% of the time when interacting with the device, it sure helps if it's good. And it sells the premium illusion better when it's 120 Hz, too! (on a $280 phone, looking at you, iPhone 16e).
Then, the software experience. A Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro may not inspire much confidence — it shouldn't, if you want to play Warzone Mobile on your phone. But, if you just want the core smartphone experience, you will be hard-pressed to find a better performer in the $280 price bracket. No, it's not as fast as a $1,000 Galaxy S25+ or iPhone 16 Pro. But it doesn't lag, stutter, take ages to open your calendar like some other $300 phones I've tried. It works… just fine! And finally — the camera. No, it's not as good as on the $800, $1,000, $1,200 phones. In fact, its photos are only slightly better than those of other $300 phones, and that's arguable. However, what struck me with the CMF Phone 2 Pro was the overall camera experience. The viewfinder preview speed — it keeps up a high frame rate and doesn't have that 'cheap smartphone' choppy look when you are moving around. It responds pretty consistently when taking a photo, and even gives you a Portrait Mode preview with the faux bokeh cooked into the viewfinder (for example, the Pixel 9a does not do that).OK, so thus far, I've come to expect the following things from Nothing: Unique, signature design and user experience
Good core performance
Out-of-the-box takes on common features (Essential Space vs AI assistants)
Competitive pricing
It only makes sense that the community is eager and excited for the launch of a flagship Nothing Phone (3). It hasn't come yet… Hopefully soon?Let's take some points down, so this is not a puff piece. What still irks me about Nothing? The amount of puns that can be made with that company name — often times, not even intentional.
The dreaded 'Pro' addendum on these new non-pro devices.
The third generation of Nothing Ear earbuds doesn't have a number — so we went from (1) to (2) to .
The vagueness surrounding a Nothing Phone (3) launch (the Phone (2) is now two years old)
launch (the Phone (2) is now two years old) The limited and sometimes mysterious availability of the devices. Hey, at least it's not on an invite system!
Have you tried a Nothing product yet?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GSM Arena
an hour ago
- GSM Arena
Apple starts displaying energy efficiency labels on iPhone and iPad's pages in EU
Starting June 20, manufacturers are required to sell their smartphones and tablets in the European Union (EU) with an energy efficiency label in the box. We don't know about the boxes, but with the regulation in effect, Apple has started displaying this label on iPhone and iPad's pages on its website in EU countries. If you visit an iPhone or iPad's main product page or purchase page, you'll see a colorful little icon, and upon clicking it, you'll see the energy label of that product. iPhone 16 Pro's product page on Apple Ireland's website • iPhone 16 Pro's purchase page on Apple Ireland's website This label is accompanied by a product information sheet that provides the device's repairability information and general parameters, including rated battery capacity, screen scratch resistance on the Mohs hardness scale, minimum guaranteed availability of security updates, and IP rating. iPhone 16 Pro's product information sheet shared by Apple The energy label, on the other hand, displays seven pieces of information about the product, including an overall energy efficiency class rating on a scale of A to G, with A being the most efficient and G being the least. Here's a sample energy efficiency label You can check the energy labels for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro and iPad Pro 11" (M4) below. iPhone 16 Pro's energy efficiency label • iPad Pro 11" (M4)'s energy efficiency label Apple found certain aspects of the EU's regulation and testing procedure to be "ambiguous" and, therefore, voluntarily downgraded the ratings of its products. Here's what Apple said: "As an additional cautionary measure, Apple went one step further and downgraded some of its scores to factor in test method ambiguities and variance. For example, Energy Efficiency Index scores for iPhone models on the EU market in June 2025 all qualified for the highest 'A' grade, but Apple chose to voluntarily derate scores to a 'B' grade to minimize the probability that a third-party tester interpreting the regulation differently would achieve a lower grade. We also downgraded scores for the Repeated Free Fall Reliability Class for the same reason." You can read the 44-page document shared by Apple here regarding this matter for more details, and head this way to learn more about the new EU energy efficiency labels. Apple iPhone 16 Pro Source | Via
Phone Arena
9 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Nothing Phone (1) may no longer qualify for Android 16, but the latest update is the next best thing
Nothing's first-ever smartphone, Phone (1), made its debut on the market three years ago. The device originally shipped with Android 12 right out of the box, but Nothing promised it will provide owners with three major OS upgrades. That means that Android 15 was the last major OS upgrade for Nothing Phone (1), something that hasn't changed even though most companies are now offering several years of OS updates for their phones. Although Nothing Phone (1) is no longer receiving OS upgrades, the UK brand offers customers who are still using the device the next best thing: a feature-packed update. Nothing OS v3.2 is now making its way to the original Phone, the company confirmed over the weekend. The update includes important new features and improvements that Nothing Phone (1) have been hopeful to get ever since they were debuted on Nothing's other phones. New Features : Introducing Privacy space: Swipe right in the app drawer for quick and easy access to your secure zone. You can now set a separate privacy password for both App Locker and Privacy space. Hotspot Manager: Easily manage devices connected to your hotspot. Other Improvements : Fixed issue with incorrect light strip display when playing music in Glyph Composer. Use the touch feedback toggle in Settings to disable the face unlock vibration for the lock screen. Updated to Android security patch for June. Fixed accessibility issues in Launcher, Gallery and other apps. General bug fixes and stability enhancements. Nothing Phone (1)'s industrial design makes it stand out | Image credit: PhoneArena As per Nothing's announcement, your Phone (1) may experience temporary overheating and increased consumption during the upgrade, but it should quickly return to normal after the update is complete. The update is rolling out in waves, so it might take some time to reach all Nothing Phone (1) users. It's unclear whether or not this phone will continue to receive feature-packed updates, so perhaps an upgrade to a newer device might be in order. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
12 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Nothing Phone (3) leaked specs suggest big upgrades incoming
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs. Nothing Phone (2a) Plus | Image credit: PhoneArena Nothing has big plans for 2025, as the UK based company has already released two mid-range smartphones and is about to introduce its first-ever flagship, the Phone (3). According to Nothing, the Phone (3) will be the best product the company has ever put out. The flagship has been designed taking into account all the feedback from fans, as well as all the knowledge Nothing has in regard to phone development. Nothing has started hyping up its Phone (3) several weeks ago and even revealed the device will cost around £800. People had high expectations considering all the teasers Nothing dropped recently, so we can only imagine how big the disappointment was when the UK-based brand confirmed the Phone (3) will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the chipmaker's flagship product, the Snapdragon 8 that seems to be the only major downside of Nothing's flagship. A recent leak reveals that the Phone (3) will actually pack many upgrades over Nothing's previous devices, which isn't really surprising considering that the company's portfolio only includes mid-range handsets. Nothing Phone (3) rumored specs: Display : 6.7-inch, 1.5K resolution, OLED LTPO panel : 6.7-inch, 1.5K resolution, OLED LTPO panel Main camera : 50MP + 50MP (3x periscope) + 50MP (ultra-wide) : 50MP + 50MP (3x periscope) + 50MP (ultra-wide) Front camera : 50MP : 50MP Chipset : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Battery : 5,150mAh, 100W wired charging (also supports wireless and reverse wireless charging) : 5,150mAh, 100W wired charging (also supports wireless and reverse wireless charging) Connectivity : NFC support, eSIM support : NFC support, eSIM support OS : Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15 Apart from the chipset, these seem to be the specs of a true flagship. Perhaps a slightly bigger battery would have been more appropriate, but considering Samsung's Galaxy S25 has a slightly smaller battery, this shouldn't be such a big issue. Alleged Nothing Phone (3) | Image credit: Gadget Bits Along with the leaked specs, Gadget Bits also published a small image showing what appears to be the design of the Phone (3). The previous picture that was circulated online wasn't accurate at all, but this one seems even stranger. The arrangement of the camera sensors is not as symmetric as it should. Granted, none of Nothing's phones inspire symmetry, it would have been nice for the company's flagship to bring something new in terms of design. Nothing Phone (3) is expected to be officially introduced on July 1. The company has already confirmed the flagship will be available in the US with support for major carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile (but not Verizon). Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
