Does Your Next Phone Really Need 5G? How to Decide

Does Your Next Phone Really Need 5G? How to Decide

5G  was once synonymous with premium prices, but it's become the norm in most new phones -- even those that cost less than $300 in some cases. 

But you might be wondering whether 5G is a necessary in a new a phone. Maybe you're getting a great deal on a refurbished device from a couple of years ago that doesn't support 5G. Perhaps you're eyeballing the iPhone 11, one of the cheapest phones Apple currently sells at $500 but that can't connect to 5G. 

For US shoppers, the answer largely depends on what carrier you have, how much you're willing to spend and how long you're planning to hold onto your next phone. Since 5G is available in just about every new phone at no additional cost, there are few reasons not to buy a 5G-enabled phone. 

Combine that with the fact that carriers are building out their midband networks -- which offer faster speeds than low-band 5G offerings as well as broader coverage than the fastest millimeter-wave networks -- and the argument for buying a 5G phone is even stronger.

Read more: Not All 5G Is the Same: We Explain the Different Names and Flavors

At the same time, it's important to remember that 5G speeds and coverage will vary depending on your carrier. And 4G phones will continue to function for years to come. 

"They're not turning off those 4G networks anytime soon," said Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst for research and advisory firm Techsponential. "Your phone will be dead before you need to worry about it."

Understanding 5G

Figuring out whether you need 5G in your next phone starts with understanding the current state of 5G. All three major network providers in the US offer 5G, and there are three main flavors to be aware of. 

There's low-band 5G, which is available broadly but provides similar speeds as 4G LTE, and millimeter-wave 5G, the super fast version that only operates at a short range. You likely won't notice the difference between 4G and 5G when you're on a low-band network. But millimeter-wave networks are so scarce you probably won't find yourself near one on a regular basis unless you frequent busy venues like stadiums, arenas or airports. Even then, the coverage is often only in select locations. 

The happy medium between both of these networks is midband 5G, which provides faster speeds than 4G but can also cover much larger distances than millimeter wave. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are all at different phases of their midband deployment, with T-Mobile currently taking the lead. The carrier said in February that its Ultra Capacity network, which is mostly composed of midband spectrum acquired from Sprint, reached 210 million people by the end of 2021. T-Mobile expects to reach 300 million people with its midband network, Ultra Capacity 5G, by the end of 2023.

Verizon, on the other hand, is aiming to cover 175 million people with its Ultra Wideband network, which uses millimeter wave and its midband spectrum, in 2022. AT&T plans to cover 200 million people with its own midband network by the end of the year.

Read more: Apple Needs Another Affordable 5G iPhone

T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T 5G

	Faster 5G Network Reach	Time frame
T-Mobile	210 million people	2021
Verizon	175 million people	2022
AT&T	200 million people	2022

All these technologies can work together to provide better coverage, speed and performance than 4G LTE. 

"So we're not just talking about cities, but a lot of the country where people live is covered by T-Mobile 5G," said Greengart. "And so you're going to want to buy a 5G phone both for coverage reasons and for speed." 

How much are you willing to spend?

The iPhone 11 from 2019 is one of Apple's cheapest iPhones, but it doesn't support 5G. 

Angela Lang/CNET

The biggest factor in determining whether you should buy a 5G phone is how much you're willing to spend. If you have less than $200 to spend on a new device, it might be difficult to find a worthwhile 5G phone. 

If your budget allows for spending more than $400, there are several compelling 5G options like the $429 iPhone SE and $450 Galaxy A53 5G. The $450 Google Pixel 6A, which recently launched on July 28, also supports 5G. That's a significant departure compared to when the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G launched roughly three years ago for a sky high price of $1,300.

Cheaper phones may not support all flavors of 5G, namely the fastest millimeter-wave networks, but that shouldn't be a dealbreaker for most people shopping today. With its benefits in speed and range, the three major networks have prioritized midband 5G deployments over the past year. As long as your new phone supports midband 5G, you should be able to connect to faster speeds in more places. 

It's important to consider what matters most to you in a phone and how long you're planning to hold onto a device. If you'd rather have a larger screen, a more contemporary design, dual cameras and are planning to upgrade your phone again in two years, the 4G-enabled $500 iPhone 11 might be a better choice than the $429 5G-capable iPhone SE. 

But if you're looking for a phone that can get you through the next three years or so, it's probably best to look for a 5G device. Most Android phones in the $400-$500 range have 5G and modern features like multi-lens cameras and large screens.

The situation is different for Apple fans. The only 5G-enabled option under $600 is the 2022 iPhone SE, which has Apple's latest smartphone chip but lacks other staples like a big screen and multiple cameras. That might change this fall when the rumored iPhone 14 launches and Apple drops the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini's price accordingly.

Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst for Technalysis Research, says 5G will likely feel more essential in early 2024. By then, carriers will have had more time to build out their midband networks. 

"You will get faster speeds," said O'Donnell. "Hopefully by then we'll see some additional services and apps that take advantage of 5G."

The bottom line

Sarah Tew/CNET

To decide whether you need 5G in your next phone, consider how much you're willing to spend, how long you plan to hold onto your phone before upgrading and what type of coverage your carrier provides. 

Investing in a new 5G phone is generally the best move if you can afford it since it ensures that your device will feel fast and relevant for years to come. But if your budget is limited, or the 5G phones available to you right now don't fit your needs, you won't be missing out on too much by opting for 4G instead.

"As a purely functional phone, you can't go wrong with a good LTE phone," said O'Donnell. 

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Does Your Next Phone Really Need 5G? How to Decide

Does Your Next Phone Really Need 5G? How to Decide

5G  was once synonymous with premium prices, but it's become the norm in most new phones -- even those that cost less than $300 in some cases. 

But you might be wondering whether 5G is a necessary in a new a phone. Maybe you're getting a great deal on a refurbished device from a couple of years ago that doesn't support 5G. Perhaps you're eyeballing the iPhone 11, one of the cheapest phones Apple currently sells at $500 but that can't connect to 5G. 

For US shoppers, the answer largely depends on what carrier you have, how much you're willing to spend and how long you're planning to hold onto your next phone. Since 5G is available in just about every new phone at no additional cost, there are few reasons not to buy a 5G-enabled phone. 

Combine that with the fact that carriers are building out their midband networks -- which offer faster speeds than low-band 5G offerings as well as broader coverage than the fastest millimeter-wave networks -- and the argument for buying a 5G phone is even stronger.

Read more: Not All 5G Is the Same: We Explain the Different Names and Flavors

At the same time, it's important to remember that 5G speeds and coverage will vary depending on your carrier. And 4G phones will continue to function for years to come. 

"They're not turning off those 4G networks anytime soon," said Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst for research and advisory firm Techsponential. "Your phone will be dead before you need to worry about it."

Understanding 5G

Figuring out whether you need 5G in your next phone starts with understanding the current state of 5G. All three major network providers in the US offer 5G, and there are three main flavors to be aware of. 

There's low-band 5G, which is available broadly but provides similar speeds as 4G LTE, and millimeter-wave 5G, the super fast version that only operates at a short range. You likely won't notice the difference between 4G and 5G when you're on a low-band network. But millimeter-wave networks are so scarce you probably won't find yourself near one on a regular basis unless you frequent busy venues like stadiums, arenas or airports. Even then, the coverage is often only in select locations. 

The happy medium between both of these networks is midband 5G, which provides faster speeds than 4G but can also cover much larger distances than millimeter wave. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are all at different phases of their midband deployment, with T-Mobile currently taking the lead. The carrier said in February that its Ultra Capacity network, which is mostly composed of midband spectrum acquired from Sprint, reached 210 million people by the end of 2021. T-Mobile expects to reach 300 million people with its midband network, Ultra Capacity 5G, by the end of 2023.

Verizon, on the other hand, is aiming to cover 175 million people with its Ultra Wideband network, which uses millimeter wave and its midband spectrum, in 2022. AT&T plans to cover 200 million people with its own midband network by the end of the year.

Read more: Apple Needs Another Affordable 5G iPhone

T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T 5G

	Faster 5G Network Reach	Time frame
T-Mobile	210 million people	2021
Verizon	175 million people	2022
AT&T	200 million people	2022

All these technologies can work together to provide better coverage, speed and performance than 4G LTE. 

"So we're not just talking about cities, but a lot of the country where people live is covered by T-Mobile 5G," said Greengart. "And so you're going to want to buy a 5G phone both for coverage reasons and for speed." 

How much are you willing to spend?

The iPhone 11 from 2019 is one of Apple's cheapest iPhones, but it doesn't support 5G. 

Angela Lang/CNET

The biggest factor in determining whether you should buy a 5G phone is how much you're willing to spend. If you have less than $200 to spend on a new device, it might be difficult to find a worthwhile 5G phone. 

If your budget allows for spending more than $400, there are several compelling 5G options like the $429 iPhone SE and $450 Galaxy A53 5G. The $450 Google Pixel 6A, which recently launched on July 28, also supports 5G. That's a significant departure compared to when the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G launched roughly three years ago for a sky high price of $1,300.

Cheaper phones may not support all flavors of 5G, namely the fastest millimeter-wave networks, but that shouldn't be a dealbreaker for most people shopping today. With its benefits in speed and range, the three major networks have prioritized midband 5G deployments over the past year. As long as your new phone supports midband 5G, you should be able to connect to faster speeds in more places. 

It's important to consider what matters most to you in a phone and how long you're planning to hold onto a device. If you'd rather have a larger screen, a more contemporary design, dual cameras and are planning to upgrade your phone again in two years, the 4G-enabled $500 iPhone 11 might be a better choice than the $429 5G-capable iPhone SE. 

But if you're looking for a phone that can get you through the next three years or so, it's probably best to look for a 5G device. Most Android phones in the $400-$500 range have 5G and modern features like multi-lens cameras and large screens.

The situation is different for Apple fans. The only 5G-enabled option under $600 is the 2022 iPhone SE, which has Apple's latest smartphone chip but lacks other staples like a big screen and multiple cameras. That might change this fall when the rumored iPhone 14 launches and Apple drops the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini's price accordingly.

Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst for Technalysis Research, says 5G will likely feel more essential in early 2024. By then, carriers will have had more time to build out their midband networks. 

"You will get faster speeds," said O'Donnell. "Hopefully by then we'll see some additional services and apps that take advantage of 5G."

The bottom line

Sarah Tew/CNET

To decide whether you need 5G in your next phone, consider how much you're willing to spend, how long you plan to hold onto your phone before upgrading and what type of coverage your carrier provides. 

Investing in a new 5G phone is generally the best move if you can afford it since it ensures that your device will feel fast and relevant for years to come. But if your budget is limited, or the 5G phones available to you right now don't fit your needs, you won't be missing out on too much by opting for 4G instead.

"As a purely functional phone, you can't go wrong with a good LTE phone," said O'Donnell. 

---

Source

Alexa motorola moto z3 play camera review motorola moto z3 specifications motorola moto z3 standard motorola moto z3 in ceramic black motorola moto g3 review motorola moto g play motorola moto e 2020

Motorola Moto Z3 review: Solid, midprice phone with a bright 5G tomorrow

Motorola Moto Z3 review: Solid, midprice phone with a bright 5G tomorrow

The Moto Z3 is living on a prayer. A Verizon exclusive billed as the first phone to be upgradable to 5G speeds, the Moto Z3 does not actually have 5G capability built-in. For that, it needs the attachment known as the 5G Moto Mod, which is currently in prototype form and won't go on sale until early 2019.

That makes sense, because there also won't be any actual 5G wireless networks for the mod to tap into until next year, when carriers like Verizon are expected to spin up their first 5G networks in the United States. Even when the buds of 5G coverage do begin to bloom, it'll happen one market at a time, with 4G LTE speeds carrying on as usual while the roll-out slowly continues.

So if 5G's 10x faster speeds won't become reality for at least another five months, where does that leave the Moto Z3 today?

In a pretty good place, actually. The Moto Z3 is not worth buying solely for its 5G upgrade promise, but it does make sense for a Verizon customer in search of a solid, midrange device. It sells for $480, which works out to $20 per month on a two-year payment plan.

Read: Why the Moto Z3 has a 5G Mod instead of 5G inside

The Moto Z3 is good and reliable but not remarkable when stripped of its mods. You get a great, 6-inch screen, fast fingerprint reader on the right side, and a pretty fast processor, even if it is last year's Snapdragon 835 instead of this year's Snapdragon 845. The 12-megapixel dual cameras take respectable photos in a variety of lighting scenarios, including portrait shots, selfies and convincing black-and-white pictures using a newly introduced monochrome lens.

The Z3 is splashproof but not fully water-resistant. It lacks a headphone jack but does throw in a 3.5mm jack-to-USB-C dongle. You'll have a decent amount of built-in storage (64GB) and enough RAM for daily needs. Motorola has also given the Moto Z3 a strong 3,000mAh battery that lasted nearly 14.5 hours in CNET's looping video drain test.

The Moto Z3's monochrome lens makes for convincing black-and-white pictures.

Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

You'll also find software features that are consistent across most Moto phones, including gesture navigation that I like more than Google's take with Android P.

Since the Moto Z3 will only sell through Verizon for the foreseeable future (Motorola still hasn't confirmed if it will sell the phone unlocked on its website, or outside the US), it makes some buying decisions easy. 

Get the Moto Z3 if you want a solid device for nearly half the price of an iPhone or Galaxy S9 Plus (I do recommend picking up at least a backing module; it feels a little unfinished without one). Look to the Moto Z3 Play (unlocked) if battery life is your chief concern. And buy the unlocked OnePlus 6 if you're considering a switch to T-Mobile or AT&T and still want to keep costs in check.

Look, if the Moto Z3 really does wind up being the only 5G-ready phone in 2019, Verizon's reasonable price makes it an affordable option for data-hungry buyers with a need for speed to pick up as a potential second device when the 5G future becomes now. It's very likely that Verizon will heavily promote the Moto Z3 and its 5G Mod once 5G does switch on, which means more deals and bundles are sure to come.

And remember that access to 5G won't come cheap -- carriers will need to recoup on their investment into building up their new networks, and that means higher prices for 5G plans.

We also don't know how much the 5G Mod will cost. My guess is that you'll pay a premium for access one way or another, which would explain why the phone's price is so much lower than last year's Moto Z2 Force, which sold for between $730 and $810, depending on the carrier.

This review originally posted on August 13, 2018. 

---

Source

Honor magic 4 pro is the flagship phone huawei wishes synonym honor magic 4 pro is the flagship phone huawei y6 honor magic 4 pro is the flagship phone meaning honor magic 4 pro is the flagship inn honor magic 4 pro is the flagship patriot honor magic 4 pro honor magic 4 lite honor magic 4 price in bd honor magic 4 ultimate honor magic 4

Honor Magic 4 Pro Is the Flagship Phone Huawei Wishes It Could Make

Honor Magic 4 Pro Is the Flagship Phone Huawei Wishes It Could Make

Honor's phones have typically been budget-focused, offering decent-enough specs for modest prices. But not so with the Magic 4 Pro; it's got all the top tech you'd expect of any of today's flagship phones, including multiple potent cameras on the rear, 5G, a lightning-fast processor and a glorious, vibrant display. 

So why the change in strategy? Well Honor used to be a subsidiary of Huawei, producing affordable phones while Huawei churned out the exciting flagship models. But with Huawei not able to use Google services or 5G due to ongoing restrictions imposed by the US, its flagship phones -- like the P50 Pro -- simply can't compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro. 

Back in 2020 Honor was split off from Huawei to be its own company and isn't currently bound by the same restrictions, meaning it's free to use Google services and 5G like any of today's other Android phones. As a result, its new strategy seems to be picking up the "flagship" baton where Huawei dropped it, making the top-end phones its once parent company is no longer able to. 

And at £950, the Honor Magic 4 Pro is unquestionably priced among elite flagship rivals. Right now the phone isn't available in the US and there's no word on whether that will change. For reference though, that UK price to converts to $1,160 or AU$1,670. Thankfully there's a lot to like in the phone that goes a long way to justifying the high price tag. 

Its design is attractive, with the cameras clustered in a circular unit in the center on the back, rather than being pushed to one side. The body is made from metal and glass while the display curves gently at the edge, all of which makes it feel like a premium phone when you hold it in your hand. 

A vibrant display, a powerful processor

The display measures a generous 6.81-inches and it's bright, vibrant and pin-sharp thanks to its maximum 2,848x1,312-pixel resolution. This can be set to automatically reduce down to 2,136x984 pixels in some tasks in order to preserve battery, but even at the lowest resolution I could barely tell the difference, at least not in basic tasks like emailing or general web browsing.

Inside the phone is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, backed up by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It put in some blistering scores on our benchmark tests, easily competing with the performance from the impressively fast Galaxy S22 Ultra and comfortably edging out the Pixel 6 Pro, powered by Google's own Tensor chip.

Honor Magic 4 Pro performance comparison

Honor Magic 4 Pro

Pixel 6 Pro

Galaxy S22 Ultra

Legend:

Geekbench 5 (Single Core)

Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

Note:

Longer bars equal better performance

It's nippy in everyday use, with no annoying lag when navigating around the Android 12 interface. Demanding games such as Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG played without any noticeable slowdown, even with the graphics settings on the highest available. 

The Honor has three rear cameras.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

A decent rear camera

The big circle on the back houses three main cameras; a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide and a 64-megapixel telephoto offering 3.5x optical zoom. 

Good exposure and punchy colors. Lovely stuff.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Taken with the standard lens, this shop is well exposed with rich colors.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Using the ultrawide lens, the camera maintains the good exposure but the colors become so vibrant as to look a little unnatural.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Shots from the main camera are bright, well-exposed and packed with detail. Colors are vibrant and punchy, only sometimes bordering on being a bit oversaturated for my tastes. The dynamic range is generally excellent, with bright skies kept under control and shadowy foregrounds still being easily visible. 

Taken at 10x hybrid zoom, this image has noticeably degraded, with fuzzy details seen on the ship.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

This 10x hybrid zoom shot is good enough for Instagram or sending to friends over WhatsApp, but the fine details are quite mushy.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The ultrawide camera maintains the same vivid color balance and does a good job of achieving an even exposure, even in high-contrast scenes. The telephoto lens meanwhile delivers beautifully crisp and clear shots at 3.5x zoom although at 10x hybrid zoom (optical and digital zoom combined) shots start to noticeably degrade.

It's a solid camera system overall that'll suit most everyday photographers well, especially those of you wanting to achieve vibrant, colorful images right from your phone without having to apply any kind of filters to your shots. If zoom is important to you though then you'll still be better served by the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, whose 10x zoom is still the best around on a phone. Like the S22 Ultra, the Magic 4 Pro boasts zoom levels up to 100x but the resulting shots are so poor quality that this is a mostly redundant feature. 

The Magic 4 Pro runs Android 12.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

All-day battery with fast charging

Powering the phone is a 4,600-mAh battery, which is capacious enough to offer a full day of use, as long as you're reasonably careful how you use your phone. In my own tests I found the battery dropped from full to 96% remaining after one hour of streaming a YouTube video, with it dropping to 89% after a second hour. That's similar to what I've seen from the Pixel 6 Pro, although both the iPhone 13 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro did better here. 

If you do run out of juice later in the day then getting the power back in shouldn't be an issue. The battery supports 100-watt fast charging which will take it from empty to full in just 30 minutes. You'll need to use a compatible charger, but one is supplied in the box. 

The Honor is packed with some of the best 2022 Android specs and features.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Should you buy the Honor Magic 4 Pro?

The Magic 4 Pro isn't a revolution in mobile technology and doesn't offer any particular "must-have" features that separate it from its rivals. But it doesn't really need to. It's a high-performance flagship Android handset that ticks all of the boxes of a top phone thanks to its great performance, solid camera, fast charging and 5G connectivity. Its price is high, but it undercuts the S22 Ultra while costing almost exactly the same as the Pixel 6 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro (with 256GB of storage). 

While I think the Pixel, with its stock Android 12 interface has a smoother user experience on a day-to-day basis, the Honor has a more potent processor and offers significantly faster charging speeds, the latter being of particular use if you frequently forget to fully charge your phone overnight. 

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Source

Nothing phone 1 release nothing phone 1 buy online nothing phone 1 camera review nothing phone 1 review in hindi nothing phone 1 price review nothing phone 1 buy nothing phone 1 nothing phone price nothing phone 2 nothing phone 1 india

Nothing Phone 1 Review: Flashy Extras Highlight This Affordable Phone

Nothing Phone 1 Review: Flashy Extras Highlight This Affordable Phone

The Nothing Phone 1 -- the company's first phone -- is a 5G phone that gets a lot of things right, from its stripped-back interface to its generally sold performance and, most of all, its quirky transparent design with unique flashing LEDs on the back. It's a phone that I've been keen to get my hands on ever since its announcement, and after spending some time with it, the excitement hasn't faded.

But it's the price that makes this phone so appealing. Starting at only £399 in the UK (which converts to roughly $480 or AU$700), the Nothing Phone 1 is at least £100 less than I expected it to be. It's a low price, but what you get is a phone that feels like a premium product.

That is, if you can buy one. While the phone is on sale now in the UK and Europe, there are currently no plans for a full launch in the US. Nothing said that it's "definitely aiming to launch a US-supported mobile in the future," but it seems unlikely to happen any time soon. It may be that people in the US miss out on this first-gen model altogether. 

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 1?

The Nothing Phone 1 certainly isn't an iPhone 13 Pro or Galaxy S22 Ultra rival. But it's not trying to be. It's a good phone, not because it tries to cram in every feature you could possibly imagine, but because it leaves them out. Both its hardware and software are stripped back, leaving you with a phone that's well suited for everyday needs at a price that'll still leave some cash in your bank. 

It's rare that a new company arrives on the scene with a first product that feels this polished, but the Nothing Phone 1 manages to get all the essentials right, while adding in the extra pizzazz of that flashy design. If you're after a well-performing phone for a good price, it's definitely worth considering.

A flashy design, a big display

The Phone 1's design is certainly the thing that sets it apart from the competition. The back panel is entirely transparent, letting you see the interconnected components beneath including the wireless charging coil and multiple exposed screwheads. The only Nothing branding is a small logo in the bottom corner. 

That transparency also allows for the lightshow; a set of LED strips, which Nothing calls the "glyph," light up across the back panel to alert you to incoming calls or notifications or even to use as a fill light when recording video. It's certainly unique and it's nice to see some different ideas on phones, especially in the budget sector, which is often awash with forgettable gray or black slabs. 

The Nothing Phone 1 houses its selfie camera in a cutout on the top-left corner of the screen.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

But it's also arguably something of a gimmick. Time will tell how useful it really is. You might just not like the design, which is fair enough, but at this price it's fair to say you're not just paying for its looks. 

Around the edge is a recycled aluminum frame that gives the phone a satisfyingly sturdy feel, while its IP53 water-resistance rating will help keep it safe from spilled drinks. 

The 6.55-inch display is big enough to do justice to Netflix shows on the move, as does its 2,400x1,080-pixel resolution and vibrant colors. Its 120Hz refresh rate means that swiping around the home screens or scrolling through webpages looks buttery smooth. 

Good enough performance for the price

Powering the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus processor, backed up by 8GB of RAM. Results on benchmark tests for both processing power and graphics performance put it far away behind top models like the iPhone 13 Pro or S22 Ultra and slightly less behind more affordable handsets like the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro. 

Nothing runs a rather clean version of Android 12 adding minor improvements throughout.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

That should be expected for a more affordable device, and the reality is that it's still got plenty of power for the majority of tasks you'd likely need it to do. Gaming in Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG were handled perfectly, as was video streaming and image editing in Snapseed. Even just navigating around the interface was swift and nippy. 

That's likely helped by a stripped-back approach to the software. The phone runs Android 12, over which Nothing has slapped a minimal cosmetic skin. Overall, it's a light touch and doesn't include bloatware, preinstalled apps or services. Nothing hasn't tried to pointlessly develop its own email client (it knows you'd rather use Gmail) or create its own web browser (because you'll use Chrome, of course). In fact, all of the system apps are just the default Google ones. 

This minimalist approach works well, making the phone feel clutter-free and usable. It's an approach I like. For comparison, Samsung notoriously preloaded its phones for years with its own software and services, making its phones feel bogged down. 

Behind the top layer of internal components is a 4,500-mAh battery.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Solid dual cameras

Nothing kept the camera setup stripped back too, equipping the phone with just two rear 50-megapixel cameras including a standard wide-angle lens and an ultrawide lens. Nothing has kept the cost down by omitting dedicated telephoto and macro cameras, which is a good decision. 

Notice the way the Phone 1's main camera captures the sky and clouds in this photo.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The colors are vibrant in this photo from the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The cameras take great photos. The main camera captures vibrant colors, with even exposure and plenty of detail. Side-by-side, shots from my iPhone 13 Pro are arguably better, but they're certainly not twice as good. It's worth remembering that the iPhone costs twice as much as the Nothing Phone 1. 

Here is a shot of a river boat taken with the main camera.

Here's the same riverboat in a photo from the ultrawide. There is some noticeable color shift.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The ultrawide camera does a solid job for snaps in good light, but there's a noticeable shift in the color balance.

The 16-megapixel resolution of the selfie camera provides plenty of detail while the colors are rich and vibrant.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Nothing's cameras are by no means the best ones around, but if that's what you're looking for you'll need to spend more than twice the cash on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. For the money, the Phone 1's cameras do a superb job and will suit you well if you want vibrant shots of your next family vacation. 

OK battery life with fast charging

Providing the juice is a 4,500-mAh battery, which is capacious enough to keep you going for a full day as long as you're fairly careful with what you do. In my tests, after an hour of streaming a YouTube video on Wi-Fi with the screen at maximum brightness, it had dropped from full to 93%, and further to 83% after a second hour. 

That's not a great performance -- the OnePlus 10 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro and Honor Magic 4 Pro all put in better efforts here. But it's a demanding test, and with more cautious use you shouldn't struggle to get a day out of it. If you're not playing graphically intense games or streaming lots of videos, you should make it through a day. Though you'll definitely need to charge it every night. 

Getting it charged when you're in a hurry shouldn't be an issue. The Phone 1 supports 33-watt fast charging, which Nothing claims takes it from empty to 50% full in under 30 minutes. Unfortunately, a compatible fast charger doesn't come in the box and is only available as an add-on accessory.

Nothing Phone 1 specs vs. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, Google Pixel 6A, Apple iPhone SE (2022)

	Nothing Phone 1	Samsung Galaxy A53 5G	Google Pixel 6A	Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Display size, resolution, refresh rate	6.55-inch OLED display, 2,400x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.5-inch AMOLED, 2,400x1,080 pixels; 120Hz	6.1-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz	4.7-inch LCD; 1,334x750 pixels; 60Hz
Pixel density	402ppi	405ppi	429 ppi	326ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.27 x 2.98 x 0.33 in	6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in	6.0 x 2.8 x 0.35 in	5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	159.2 x 75.8 x 8.3 mm	159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm	152.2 x 7.18 x 8.9 mm	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	193.5g	6.67 oz; 189g	6.3 oz; 178g	5.09 oz; 144g
Mobile software	Android 12	Android 12	Android 12	iOS 15
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 50-megapixel (ultrawide)	64-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth)	12.2-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide)
Front-facing camera	16-megapixel	32-megapixel	8-megapixel	7-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 778G Plus	Exynos 1280	Google Tensor	Apple A15 Bionic
Storage	128GB, 256 GB	128GB	128GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM	8GB, 12GB	6GB	6GB	NA
Expandable storage	None	Up to 1TB	None	None
Battery	4,500 mAh; 33W wired charging -- fast charger not included, 15-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging	5,000 mAh; 25W wired charging -- charger not included, does not support wireless charging	4,410 mAh; 18W fast charging -- adapter sold separately, does not support wireless charging	Batttery size not disclosed; 20-watt wired charging -- charger not included, 7.5W wireless charging
Fingerprint sensor	In-display	In-display	In-display	Home button
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB C	Lightning
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	5G, IP53, 3 years of Android updates, dual SIM	5G; IP67 rating; Samsung Pay	5G, security updates for 5 years, Android OS updates for 3 years, dual SIM, IP67 water resistance	5G, water resistant (IP67), dual SIM
Price off-contract (USD)	UK price converts to $480 (128GB + 8GB RAM); $530 (256GB + 8GB RAM); $590 (256GB + 12GB RAM)	$450	$449	$399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)
Price (GBP)	£399 (128GB + 8GB RAM); £449 (256GB + 8GB RAM); £499 (256GB + 12GB RAM)	£399	£399	£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)
Price (AUD)	UK price converts to AU$700 (128GB + 8GB RAM); AU$785 (256GB + 8GB RAM); AU$875 (256GB + 12GB RAM)	AU$699	A$749	AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)

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