While Samsung and Apple may be leading the market with some of the most recognised and powerful phones on the planet, British startup Nothing made waves in the tech industry last year with its reasonably priced, but highly stylised device the Nothing Phone (1).
The Nothing Phone (1) managed to stand out in a brimming phone market by disrupting the mid-range phone scene with its snazzy high-tech design and decent specs, all for a very reasonable £399.
The only real criticism levied at this budget call maker was its modest processor for not being the newest or most powerful on the market. However, Nothing is addressing that concern.
The firm's CEO, Carl Pei announced at Mobile World Congress last month that their new device - aptly named the Nothing Phone (2) - will use the dramatically more powerful Snapdragon 8 Series giving the brain of this phone a massive upgrade.
This is the same chip powering the best the brightest flagship Android devices that are coming out this year including the Samsung Galaxy S23 and OnePlus 11.
To boost its power without hurting pockets, Nothing could also keep costs low by using the slightly older 8+ Gen 1 chip, a still impressive brain that was used by rivals, OnePlus’s 10T and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4.
The newer Snapdragon 8 Series performs fantastically for gaming, editing, and whizzing through day-to-day tasks making it a top-of-the-line Android CPU, with it even closing the gap between Apple’s mighty A15 and A16 chips.
Rumours have been flying about the release date and specs of the upgraded model could be coming pretty soon, and Carl Pei confirmed in an interview with the website Inverse, that a new model would be released later in 2023 and the new Phone(2) would also see a release in the US too.
Several rumours and leaks suggest that the processor isn't the only upgrade under the hood, claims that the battery could see an increase and we may also see an improved AMOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate which would be great for films and gaming.
Previously many tech enthusiasts compared its design to the popular iPhone and while there are similarities the Phone(1) certainly has a unique look.
While plenty of mock-ups and alleged leaks of the Phone (2)’s design are around they haven't yet been confirmed.
But we can be sure it'll feature incorporate unique features like the Glyph interface, the Nothing’s strange, eye-catching lighting system on the back that makes it look so advanced.
Nothing has a lot to prove as CEO, Carl Pei was previously co-founder of rival company OnePlus but left in 2020. Pei’s current company Nothing is now competing directly with his old company and their much broader range of established devices making it feel like David versus Goliath.
Since being established Nothing has launched two pairs of earbuds, Nothing Ear (stick), and Nothing Ear (1), as well as Nothing Phone(1) and a store in the heart of Soho in London.
If all these advancements and upgrades are true then nothing could stop them from taking on giants like Samsung, Google, OPPO and maybe even Apple too, but they are facing stiff competition for the top spot in the flagship market.
However, if this new device is as well priced as its predecessor and could once again disrupt the mobile market, which is only a good thing for buyers and making the phones more competitively priced and include the latest features.
If they continue with their current success and the Phone (2) is well-received Nothing could ensure they soon become a household name and a leading Android device manufacturer.
