Nothing Phone (2): news, rumours and release date speculation 2023's most interesting Android

What has Nothing got in store for us this year?

A concept render of the Nothing Phone (2)
(Image credit: Concept Central)

The Nothing Phone (2) looks set to be one of the most unique devices released this year. OnePlus alumni Carl Pei's original Nothing Phone was something special, offering a bold design and strong performance specs at a very reasonable price. 

As a result of its success, there's plenty of excitement to see if the next phone from Nothing can improve on a solid debut. Despite initial talk that Nothing would not be releasing a new phone every year, we know now that the Nothing Phone (2) will launch in July. 

Here's what we know and what we've heard from keeping our ears to the ground.  

Nothing Phone 2 release date

A render of the Nothing Phone (2), with a green wallpaper on a black background

(Image credit: 4RMD)

The original Nothing Phone came out on the 12th of July 2022 and we now know thanks to Carl Pei that the Nothing Phone (2) will launch in July 2023. That's not long to go until we can get hands-on. 

We do also know that the Nothing Phone (2) will be coming to the US, a new market for the brand. 

How much will the Nothing Phone (2) cost?

The original Nothing Phone launched at a very competitive £399, but we expect to see a change in strategy this time around. Nothing has confirmed that it is creating a more "premium" product with the Nothing Phone (2). 

A concept video of the phone suggests it could go on sale for around $599 which would match this premium ethos but still undercut the top smartphone players. For that price of course Nothing would be opening itself up to fresh competition, including the Google Pixel 7.

Design: Will the glyphs return?

The Nothing Phone (2) teaser

(Image credit: Nothing )

The most unique elements of the Nothing Phone (1) was its minimalist design and the rear 'glyphs' that light up to provide notifications. 

Fans of the glyphs will be pleased to know that in an official image provided by Nothing it looks like the glyphs will return.  As for the rest of the design of the phone, we have little to go on but expect something that bleeds cool. 

Nothing Phone (2) specs

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs. Galaxy S20

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

Leaks have been plentiful around the Nothing Phone (2) but we now have also seen some confirmed specs appear.

It is common knowledge now that the phone will use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and a slightly underclocked one at that. While not the 8 Gen 2 we hoped for it's still a very strong chipset. We can expect 12GB of RAM but rumours of a 5,000 mAh battery have been just short with Pei confirming the device will have a 4,700 mAH, still pretty impressive for the price. 

What is slightly odd are the very mediocre Geekbench performance scores,1,253 in single-core performance and 3,833 in the multi-core category is slightly underwhelming. This is however not always a reliable indicator of a phone's quality, so we'll wait till we get hands-on.

Excitingly Carl Pei has also touted a much-improved battery, as much as 80%, which would fix one of the biggest issues with the original. 

Andy Sansom
Staff Writer

Andy is T3's Tech Staff Writer, covering all things technology, including his biggest passions such as gaming, AI, phones, and basically anything cool and expensive he can get his hands on. If he had to save one possession from a fire it would be his PlayStation 5. He previously worked for Tom’s Guide - where he got paid to play with ChatGPT every day. When it comes to streaming, Andy will have his headphones glued in whilst watching something that will make him laugh. He studied Creative Writing at university, but also enjoys supporting his favourite football team (Liverpool), watching F1, teaching himself guitar, and spending time with his dog.