London-based Nothing prides on being different, something smartphones sorely lack today. Nothing has wanted to both stand out in a sea of sameness and make tech fun again. Led by Carl Pei who is famous for co-founding OnePlus, has done this by designing distinctively and by making sure its products are talked about.

Following a cascade of leaks and social media teasers, Nothing launched its second rather peculiarly named Nothing Phone (2) smartphone. The Android phone is in the 'premium mid-range' category and costs ₹44,999 for a 12GB with 256GB storage variant and ₹54,999 for a 12GB with 512GB storage variant. The phones are available in white and dark grey and look, to put it mildly, very interesting.

Whichever colour one opts for, the phone arrives in a slim, square box, inside which there’s another stark white textured box. The box is too slim to house a charger, so add that to the cost of buying this device. The same goes for a case. But you do have a neat cable and even neater transparent capsule-like SIM card tool that you will probably want to keep.

Stand out look

Your very first look at the Nothing Phone (2) reveals why it looks different. Like the Phone (1), the back panel has a unique transparent look - something shared with all Nothing products. Through the glass back you can see the LED lights that give this phone a different look. This time around the 'Glyph' lights have some additional functions compared with the previous phone, so that it starts to move away from being a mere gimmick. More on the Glyph Interface shortly.

There's Gorilla Glass protection both back and front but the smooth glass is really exceptionally slippery. If you set the phone down on a smooth surface, you could find it travelling some distance all on its own. The device has IP54 splash and dust proof. The glossy back can show smudges but somehow not as much as one would expect.

Phone (2), like its predecessor (and like the iPhone) is very boxy and broad. There's some curving of edges this time so that it's a little more comfortable to hold, but it's truly a large, wide phone. Adding a case is only going to make it more so but it's so smooth that it can really slide out of one's hand. This is no one-handed device. Given that Nothing's philosophy is to ensure technology feels intuitive and like nothing, the company should definitely work on ergonomics for the next phone.

Top-end specs

The Phone (2) has gone up sharply in price. But then so have the specs that the device comes with. The display is surrounded by slim, even bezels, encased in a metal frame - again, iPhone style - and all buttons are neatly where they should be. The fingerprint sensor is in-display. The screen is a 6.7in 120Hz FHD+ OLED with a 394ppi density. It has a 120Hz refresh rate. It gets bright if you need it to and is generally a perfectly good display.

Nothing Phone2

Nothing Phone (2) is catching up with its hype