Nothing Phone (1) review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Nothing Phone (1) arrived in 2022 as the design story of the year: a transparent back with the Glyph light interface, clean software, and mid-range Snapdragon 778G Plus hardware under a 6.55-inch 120 Hz OLED. Our everyday score of 63/100 and screen score of 56/100 describe it fairly — a phone bought with the heart as much as the spec sheet, and priced accordingly honest secondhand.

Display and design

The 6.55-inch OLED runs at 120 Hz with a 500-nit rating and gentle symmetrical bezels; IP53 dust-and-splash sealing at 194 g. The 56/100 screen score is mid-range honest — pleasant panel, no brightness records. The transparent back and Glyph lights remain nothing else's party trick, and they age better than a spec gap does.

Performance

Snapdragon 778G Plus: everyday 63/100, gaming 15/100. The chip was a deliberate choice — enough for fluid daily use, never for flagship gaming — and Nothing's near-stock software keeps it feeling tidier than the numbers suggest. Three-plus years on, it handles ordinary workloads without drama.

Camera

Two 50 MP sensors — main with OIS, plus ultrawide — with 4K30 video. The 33/100 camera score is exactly what it sounds like: agreeable daylight captures, stabilized main video, and modest low-light behavior. Nothing has improved this in later models rather than fixing it here.

Battery and charging

A 4,500 mAh battery (30/100) with 33 W charging (15/100) — a full day of moderate use, a tolerable top-up time. No records set, no anxieties caused.

Verdict

Secondhand demand keeps the price respectful for mid-range silicon: the few 8/128 listings sit around $300, 8/256 around $327 (two listings) — against a $500 launch, that is remarkably shallow depreciation and a signal of a loyal audience. If the design does not move you, the numbers alone do not justify it. The successors — Phone (2) and the value-focused Phone (2a) — cost more used and add real performance.