The Nothing Phone (2) is set to be one of 2023's most interesting Android phones, and with the launch imminent – we're expecting the big reveal on 11 July – more and more details are emerging.
The latest is a doozy and, seemingly, officially sanctioned. On his Dope Tech series, YouTuber Marques Brownlee posted a hands-on video showing the design and lighting of the second-generation device.
What you can see on screen looks almost identical to renders that appeared last month – although when they first surfaced, Nothing boss Carl Pei said they were fake. Fake they may have been, but clearly somebody close to the new phone was providing key information.
What does the new video of the Nothing Phone (2) show?
The new design appears to be very slightly larger than before, with curved glass on the back and a slightly tweaked version of the LED lighting that makes the original Nothing Phone so distinctive.
The big difference here is that the LED strips have been broken into sections, so for example the strip around the camera is now in two pieces and the one around the wireless charging coil is six distinct sections. These are all still white LEDs rather than coloured ones, but you now have more control over their appearance because you can light and dim individual sections of each LED strip.
That opens up some fun possibilities. For example, the 16 LEDs immediately above the charging coil can be lit sequentially to display a visual countdown, or to show the volume level as you adjust it.
According to 9to5Google, this feature will be made available to third party apps so you might see a visual countdown showing when your Uber might arrive. And you’ll be able to customise the lighting effects for particular calls so you know whether or not you want to answer them.
We don’t know the price yet but we’re expecting it to increase: the Nothing Phone (2) is reportedly being positioned as a more premium product, so don’t expect another $399 Nothing. Some reports suggest it could be as high as $800, putting it directly up against the Google Pixel 7 and the upcoming Google Pixel 8. We'll find out the official price next week.
