Nothing Phone (2) is reportedly getting a massive processor upgrade

The Nothing Phone (1) has been around for almost a year now, winning fans for being one of the best cheap phones on the market. It packs a decent level of spec into an affordable package, with added quirks like the Glyph lighting on the back to give it a unique personality.

Despite earlier claims from Nothing CEO Carl Pei that the company weren't going to release a new handset every year, the Nothing Phone (2) appears to be coming soon. In a recent interview, Pei confirmed that the second generation Nothing handset would be more premium than the first, with a Snapdragon 8 series processor powering things.

We had hoped that the processor in question might be the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That chipset powers most of this years' best Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Xiaomi 13 Pro. But new information suggests the Nothing Phone (2) will use the older Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset.

That's according to tech leaker, The Galox, who has a strong reputation for providing information on upcoming tech products. In a tweet, The Galox simply announced, "Nothing Phone 2 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1."

That's not all though. When questioned on pricing for the handset, The Galox replied, "I'd say $499 to $599, depending on what else it brings."

Sure, the pricing does seem more like conjecture, but a device at that price with a near-top level processor would still represent tremendous value-for-money in the current market. The processor in question powered many of last years' flagships, like the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra and the Xiaomi 12 Ultra. It may not be the latest and greatest, but it's still an extremely powerful chipset.

If it can be marketed for less than $600 – around £500, or AU$900, directly converted – it would be one of the most premium offerings on a budget handset. It would be a direct competitor to handsets like the base model Google Pixel 7 and the iPhone SE, for example.

More news is expected soon on this handset, which is rumoured to launch in the relatively near future.