Nothing Phone (2) suddenly sounds less appealing after benchmarks leak

The Nothing Phone (2) is coming soon, and is arguably one of the most anticipated releases in the Android phone sphere. Teased by company CEO, Carl Pei, as a premium handset, we've already seen a number of leaked renders and proposed specs for the device.

Now, a Geekbench listing for the phone has gone live – and I have mixed emotions. First, it confirms previous rumours which suggested that the Phone (2) would pack a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. In this case, it appears to be a slightly underclocked variant, too.

That's a decent chip. Sure, I'd have liked to see a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in there for an enhanced experience, but you won't notice too much difference unless you're gaming non-stop. It also confirms the 12 GB of RAM, which has been reported. That's said to be in addition to a minimum of 256GB of storage and a 5,000mAh battery.

The scores themselves are firmly middle-of-the-road. 1,253 in single-core performance and 3,833 in the multi-core stakes is nothing to really write home about, but it's a decent showing.

It does get the better of handsets like the Google Pixel 7 – though we know those devices aren't optimised for Geekbench testing – and shows a modest improvement over the original Nothing Phone (1). I'm also very aware of the limitations of Geekbench scores.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times – a good Geekbench score doesn't necessarily mean a good phone. The same can be said in reverse – just because the Phone (2) hasn't set the world on fire here, doesn't mean it won't be a great handset overall.

But it does feel a little underwhelming. Those scores are a significant chunk lower than the best phones on the market – devices like the Samsung Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 14. And while I'd never have expected Nothing to go toe-to-toe with them, the gulf between them is wider than I'd hoped.

Ultimately, the pricing will be the determining factor. Rumours have suggested that the new model will start around £599 in the UK. At that price, I think the Phone (2) has a lot going for it – decent performance and a quirky design. If it strays much higher than that, though, it could be a much tougher sell.