The Nothing Phone (2) launch date is drawing near, and the rumors and leaks keep spreading. The brand’s second smartphone will be a full-fledged flagship thanks to the already-confirmed use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Today, a new leak comes to confirm the pricing and storage info for the Nothing Phone (2).
Nothing Phone (2) could start at €729
We have been counting the days for the release of the Nothing Phone (2), and as usual in this world of leaks, the info keeps popping out. Some of these leaked details are accurate, while others aren’t. Today, we have new information regarding the price of the new smartphone. Nothing’s second smartphone release will be special, as the phone is joining the flagship territory. Will the price keep the deal attractive? Will the brand emulate the old feeling brought by the original OnePlus One? Let’s find out.
- 8GB/256GB – €729
- 12GB/512GB – €849
Thanks to a French retailer (Source: GSMArena), we now have a better idea of the expected price range for the Nothing Phone (2). This price is for the market in France, but it gives us a good clue of how much it will cost in Europe. There will be two storage options – 256 GB and 512 GB of Storage. The former will likely come with 8 GB of RAM and will cost about €729 while the beefier 12 GB / 256 GB option will set you back by €849. This may not align with the expected pricing for a flagship killer.
The leaked price confirms that we’re not seeing the same price as the Nothing Phone (1) but with better specs. We’re basically seeing a near-double increase in the price. We are curious to see how Nothing will push a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phone in the same pricing spot as regular flagships with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. To recall, the Nothing Phone (1) had a €469 price for the base model with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of Storage. Therefore, there is an approximate €300 increase compared to the previous model, along with doubled storage capacity.
The Nothing Phone (2) will bring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
There is a significant upgrade in performance with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. To recall, The Verge stated that the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 arrived because”Flagship Was Not Flagship Enough”. The chipset was a significant upgrade over the original Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It was so good that keeps making rounds in the market in 2023.
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The chipset brings a Cortex-X2 core and many improvements to make it superior to the Snapdragon 778G with the older Cortex-A78 architecture. However, is the performance enough to justify the price? The phone will also include a new transparent USB Type-C case and will debut Nothing OS 2.0. It should stick with the Transparent Design, but will there be more upgrades? So far, there are no details regarding the camera, and that is one department that really needs attention. For now, we will need to wait and see if the Nothing Phone (2)’s price will be justified.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, for now, stands as the most substantial upgrade over the Nothing Phone (1). The chipset brings is made on TSMC’s 4nm manufacturing, and has 1 x ARM Cortex-X2 core clocked at up to 3.2 GHz. It has 3 x ARM Cortex-A710 performance cores at up to 2.5 GHz and 4 x ARM Cortex-A510 clocked at up to 1.8 GHz. It’s a huge leap over the Snapdragon 778G’s older architecture. It also brings an Adreno 730 GPU which is miles beyond the Adreno 642L found in the Phone (1). This chipset alone should be one of the reasons for the price increase. While it means a decent upgrade, it also brings some issues to Nothing.
Carl Pei’s Quote Says the Following: “It’s not just about speed – it’s about the complete package” since “Opting for a Snapdragon 8 Series rather than 7 Series brings significant improvements across the board including battery life, network connectivity, and camera capabilities, among others”.
Will there be more upgrades to justify the price increase?
So the choice for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 goes beyond the performance, but at the same time brings the phone’s price to a much tougher spot.
How the Nothing Phone (2) price compares to other flagships
With this higher price, the Nothing Phone (2) will be competing with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S23. This phone, which costs about €730, has the newer and faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Another example is the OnePlus 11. Yes, the Nothing Phone (2) will also see some competition from Carl Pei’s former company. The OnePlus 11 costs about €800 in Europe. Can you see the problem? While the chipset upgrade sounds like a good deal, it should also make the phone less attractive over 2023’s flagships.
So far there is no word on the camera specs of the Nothing Phone (2). If we look at its predecessor, this is a territory that needed serious upgrades. We don’t think there is anything wrong with Nothing’s choice of sensors, but the image quality needs serious treatment. The Nothing Phone (1) had a weak low-light performance, and some images ended up “washed” depending on the lighting conditions. Through his Twitter, Carl Pei gave us enough reasons to believe that there are camera upgrades on the way. After all, the choice of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is “not only about performance”. The improved ISP will significantly improve the camera quality on the Nothing Phone (2).
I believe that Nothing is keen that the “overall package” will be enough to convince users to buy the new flagship. We will need to wait and see if this strategy will be the correct one.
