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Nothing Phone 1 Review: Flashy Extras Highlight This Affordable Phone

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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 screen — 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.

Transparent Rear of Nothing Phone 1 — 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.

colorful row of doors with grain silos in background — Notice the way the Phone 1's main camera captures the sky and clouds in this photo.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET

row of buildings along a canal — 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.

daytime photo of a ship on a canal — Here is a shot of a river boat taken with the main camera.

another shot of ship on a canal, this with ultrawide-angle lens. — 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.

Selfie of the author with blue sky and green ridge in the background — 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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Nothing Phone 1 Won't Be Coming To The US

Nothing Phone 1 Won't Be Coming to the US

Nothing Phone 1 Won't Be Coming to the US

London-based startup Nothing is launching its first smartphone, Phone 1, on July 12. However, Americans who were eagerly anticipating the launch will be disappointed -- the phone won't be available in the US, the company confirmed to CNET. Leaker Evan Blass noted the absence earlier this week.

"Whilst we'd love to bring our second product to the entire community around the world, we will be focusing on home markets, including the UK and across Europe where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers," a Nothing spokesperson said in a statement. The phone will reportedly skip Canada, too.

Nothing is "definitely aiming to launch a US-supported mobile in the future," the spokesperson added, noting that a number of investors will be able to buy the Phone 1 in the US in a "closed beta program."

After launching in January 2021, Nothing released its first product, a pair of headphones called Ear 1. Its products' design have been marked by clear exteriors that provide a view of their innards.

Founder Carl Pei, who also co-founded OnePlus, has a history of designing high-quality phones that are cheaper than their rivals and has said Phone 1 will rival the iPhone. The phone will run on the Android-based Nothing OS and be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip.

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Getting A New IPhone Every 2 Years Makes Less Sense Than Ever

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Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

We all know the drill. As Apple's annual fall event draws close, many of us start to check in on our previous two-year smartphone plan to see if we're eligible for an upgrade in September. After all, the newest phone is only the newest phone for so long. Even for discerning shoppers like me, it takes serious willpower to resist the lure of a purple iPhone or 1TB of storage.

Mobile carriers have long persuaded many of us to upgrade our smartphones every two years, offering two-year contracts linked to free or low-cost phone upgrades to keep the two-year upgrade cycle going. That feeling of ponying up just a couple hundred dollars (or less) for the newest, fanciest phone available has helped perpetuate the rise of the de facto two-year phone upgrade. Case in point: AT&T and Verizon marketed a "free" iPhone 12 last year for customers who buy unlimited plans and commit to a multiyear deal. And the trade-in deals were even better this year for the iPhone 13.

But even though that might still be the norm in the US, a routine upgrade isn't a thing for much of the world.

I was born and raised in developing Asia, a region where buying a smartphone is financially unattainable for hundreds of millions of people, much less a two-year upgrade. In India, the average person needs to save two months' salary to buy the cheapest available smartphone, according to a survey published by the Alliance for Affordable Internet last August. From my perspective, the trend of routinely upgrading a phone every two years when it doesn't change that much is a privilege, one that reminds me of the stark income equality gap as well as the ever-increasing digital divide globally.

Read more: Billions of people still can't afford smartphones: That's a major problem

Beyond that, and perhaps more tangibly, I think we should consider the environmental cost of purchasing a new phone. You've read the headlines: Climate change is accelerating at rapid speed. Countries around the world keep setting new records for the highest temperatures. There are more climate-related disasters than ever before, arctic caps are melting and biodiversity is disappearing faster than we can save it. What, exactly, happens to all those discarded phones over time? Does all that plastic ever fully decompose?

Apple says it removed the in-box charger from its iPhone 12 lineup for environmental reasons.
Apple

Read more: Apple is opening up its world of iPhone recycling

Consumer electronics are responsible for tonnes of e-waste annually, which in turn contributes to the climate crisis. Experts have warned about how e-waste disposal contributes to climate change due to the chemicals released when the waste is burned, some of which are equivalent to carbon dioxide.

For years, developed countries like the US have shipped recyclable waste overseas for processing. Although that is now beginning to change, there are real costs. iPhones contain toxic materials like lead and mercury, for instance, which can harm the environment and people if disposed of improperly. And often e-waste isn't properly managed. In Southern China, there is a town called Guiyu that has become known as the world's biggest graveyard for America's electronic junk, and synonymous among environmentalists with toxic waste. The UN's 2020 Global E-waste Monitor report found that the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste last year, of which the US is the world's second-largest contributor to e-waste, dumping 6.9 million tonnes.

Read more: I paid $69 to replace my iPhone battery: Here's what happened

While Apple is committed to a net zero supply chain by 2030, it's tough to argue that there's a better alternative to lower carbon consumption than less consumption. After all, Apple says the iPhone 12's end-to-end supply chain emits 70 kilograms of carbon to the atmosphere. If even 1 million people waited that extra year, we could save 70,000,000 kilograms of carbon from going into the air in a year. Imagine if it was 10 million or 100 million. It's something to think about before making that upgrade.

The smartphone upgrade cycle has gotten longer

Even with the enticing deals offered by carriers, the upgrade cycle has seemingly lengthened. In recent years, several reports show how Americans and Europeans are more than happy to hold on to their phones for longer periods of time. In fact, in 2019 smartphone upgrades hit record lows at two of the biggest US carriers, Verizon and AT&T. Carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon seem to have responded to this by offering month-to-month plans, which offer more flexibility and options, indicating a potential departure from the "norm" of a two-year phone upgrade.

Barring big-picture factors like the struggling global economy amid the ongoing pandemic as well as our increased mindfulness over the environment, I think this trend is persisting for a confluence of reasons. Phones today are receiving software, and therefore security, updates for longer. For instance, 2015's iPhone 6S is compatible with iOS 15, potentially dampening desires for a bi-yearly upgrade.

In addition to all this, smartphone innovation has hit a plateau, and the industry bears the hallmarks of one that's maturing: slowing smartphone sales growth along with the slower evolution of what we need, what we want and so forth. There are no big surprises here: Today's phones are getting more nice-to-have refinements rather than the awe-inspiring innovation seen just three or four years ago.

Decreasing technological gap

Up until a couple of years ago, smartphone manufacturers had us sitting on the edge of our seats, waiting for the next design refresh. But that's not as much the case anymore. With the iPhone 12 series, 5G was probably its buzziest feature -- one that understandably ended up triggering an upgrade supercycle. But the most exciting thing for many of us at CNET was MagSafe, which is hardly new. Apple's proprietary technology, allowing you to magnetically snap on attachments, was first introduced some 15 years ago with the first-gen MacBook Pro. It was then reintroduced for the iPhone 12.

Galaxy S21 vs. iPhone 12 camera compare — Patrick Holland/CNET

When you look at what changed from the iPhone 11, you'll see the usual suspects on your list: 5G, OLED screen, new design. Admittedly there are a few more things you won't see everywhere, such as MagSafe and the Ceramic Shield, but nothing extra-special to truly write home about. Personally, the last time I was blown away by an iPhone reveal was back in 2017 when Apple introduced the iPhone X, which set new design standards for the modern-day iPhone. The iPhone X did away with the physical home button and chunky bezels of its predecessors and made way for a sleek, futuristic device that inspired the iPhone 12 family. Also, for the first time with Apple, we were able to unlock an iPhone with Face ID, Apple's facial recognition technology.

Looking at the iPhone 13, the narrative sounds familiar. We knew it wouldn't get a major technical upgrade (though that didn't stop us from wishing). While we appreciate the upgrades Apple did give the phone (a smaller notch, a larger battery and a faster screen refresh rate), the iPhone 13 is "not radically different," according to CNET's Patrick Holland. Plus a number of these new iPhone features, like the 120Hz screen, currently exist on Android phones, reinforcing the notion of a decreasing technological gap in the smartphone landscape. Apple itself says the life-cycle of a typical iPhone is now three years. So the company times its new releases accordingly: We get a major redesign every three years, not two, with more minor updates in between.

Look no further than the glitziest non-Apple flagship launch of this year for clues: Samsung's Galaxy S21 family. Here the standout change wasn't made to the hardware or software, but perhaps to its least interesting feature: its price tag. The S21 lineup has a starting price of $800 (£769, AU$1,249), which is $200 less than last year's $1,000 Galaxy S20, making for an enticing deal.

Apart from that, major differences between the S21 and last year's S20 were mostly incremental. I remember having to pore over the specs sheet to spot salient differences as I covered Samsung's virtual Unpacked event. Refinements were made to the usual suspects, including the processor, software and 5G. This might have been part of Samsung's response to the global coronavirus pandemic, but again it lends credence to the notion of that decreasing technological gap. It was also interesting to note the items Samsung dropped from the S21 flagship family to meet that lowered price. We said goodbye to expandable storage, bundled earphones and most notoriously the in-box charger, as Samsung followed in Apple's lead -- apparently in the name of the environment.

Read more: Here's what we know so far about Samsung's Galaxy S22

Let's also take a moment to consider the question: What makes the S21 an attractive buy? Chances are, a great camera, fast performance, battery longevity and a crisp display with narrow bezels are at the top of your list. But the truth is 2019's Galaxy S10 boasts all those features. Heck, even the Galaxy S7 from five years ago did. My point is yearly changes have become too incremental to compel most people to upgrade with urgency, especially given the backdrop of rising smartphone prices.

samsung-galaxy-zflip — Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip.
Angela Lang/CNET

Are we at peak phone?

I'm not discounting foldable phones. Samsung and Huawei have made undeniable technological progress, and their bendy handsets have dramatically altered the way smartphones are used and could represent the future of the industry. But folding phones are far from the mainstream. Phone manufacturers and carriers in the US have moved the most innovative devices to a price that's simply beyond reach for most people. For instance, the Galaxy Fold 3 starts at $1,800 (£1,599, AU$2,499) and Huawei's Mate X2, available in China for now, costs nearly $3,000 ($2,800, £1,985, AU$3,640 converted). Until these prices hit price parity with, say, the iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max, foldable phones are likely to remain a niche product.

Smartphone innovation has stagnated, and this is not a knock against the consumer electronics companies or the tech giants that design them. Maybe we've reached peak smartphone, and this is as far as it needs to go. It could well be part of the reason why the race to upgrade your phones is slowing.

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Getting A New IPhone Every 2 Years Makes Less Sense Than Ever

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Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

But even though that might still be the norm in the US, a routine upgrade isn't a thing for much of the world.

Read more: Billions of people still can't afford smartphones: That's a major problem

Read more: Apple is opening up its world of iPhone recycling

Read more: I paid $69 to replace my iPhone battery: Here's what happened

The smartphone upgrade cycle has gotten longer

Decreasing technological gap

Read more: Here's what we know so far about Samsung's Galaxy S22

Are we at peak phone?

Source

Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote

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Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote

Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote

Roku has a new Ultra streaming device for 2022, but "new" is probably stretching things a bit far. It's really a very minor refresh of the 2020 Roku Ultra, basically a new bundle: The Roku Ultra now comes with the excellent Voice Remote Pro. The good news? The price is the same at $100.

The bad news? Unlike Apple, which last year updated the Apple TV 4K with fresher hardware and a faster processor alongside a new Siri Remote, Roku isn't actually changing anything about the Ultra streaming box itself. It's still the same box from 2020.

Like

Improved Voice Remote Pro is a welcome addition
Remote finder is awesome
Speedy app launching

Don't Like

Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus is $30 cheaper with similar features
Weaker voice assistant than Amazon and Google streamers
No Bluetooth headphone or Wi-Fi 6 support
No USB-C charging for Voice Remote Pro

That's not necessarily a bad thing. I very much enjoyed the Roku Ultra when I reviewed it in 2020 and the device still holds up two years later. But for $100, it remains a hard sell not just against the best streamers from Amazon, Apple and Google, but also compared with Roku's extensive line of more affordable sticks and players.

Unless you really need a streaming device with built-in Ethernet, you're better off saving the money and getting Roku's other bundle, the $70 Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus. The Streaming Stick 4K's processor isn't quite as beefy as the Ultra's but it can do nearly all the same tricks like Dolby Vision HDR, it includes a Voice Remote Pro and it costs $30 less than the 2022 Ultra.

Despite its new remote the Roku Ultra still doesn't do enough to push the capabilities of what a streaming player can do. I'm still waiting for sizable changes to Roku's platform that adjust to the latest trends in streaming, such as gaming and more robust voice support. This update crosses one item off my Roku Ultra wish list, but there are four more.

Our updated review, largely based on the original 2020 review, follows below. You can read our review of the Voice Remote Pro here.

Read more: Roku Ultra vs. Apple TV 4K: Battle of the High-End Streaming Boxes

Small tweaks to a familiar design

A 2020 Roku Ultra on a table. — The Ultra is the only Roku that can connect to wired Ethernet without an adapter.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Although it's much bigger than a streaming stick, the Roku Ultra box is still quite compact. It's made of tapered matte plastic and should be easy to fit in a cabinet or on a stand under your TV.

The remote finder button is on the right side of the device and the back has a USB-A port, HDMI output and Ethernet port. The DC power port is still proprietary, which is also fine but it would've been nice to see USB-C in case you lose the adapter.

The included Voice Remote Pro has the same plastic finish and rubber buttons as other Roku devices, with volume and mute controls on the right side. On the left is a switch to disable the always-on mic as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening. The included earbuds are basic, but they get the job done.

I like that the remote is rechargeable, especially since Roku remotes tend to chew through batteries quickly, but unfortunately, it still uses Micro-USB to charge and lacks backlighting. The only difference between the remote bundled with the 2022 Ultra remote and the regular Voice Remote Pro I reviewed is that the bottom two buttons now are for Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus as opposed to Hulu and Sling TV.

There is Bluetooth on the Ultra, but this can only be used for streaming audio from a phone, tablet or computer and not for pairing Bluetooth headphones. I'm not sure how useful the feature is, given how Roku has apps for a number of music services, including Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, not to mention the YouTube app. If you want to connect Bluetooth headphones you need to use the Roku app on a phone or tablet.

The remote finder feature remains one of my favorite features about the Ultra and one that I wish every streaming device would incorporate. It gets better with the Voice Remote Pro because, while you can still tap the side button on the box, you can also instead now say, "Hey, Roku, find my remote" to make the controller start beeping.

The remote also has two programmable shortcut buttons in addition to the Roku preloaded options for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. As before, you can set to repeat whatever your last voice command was, such as opening an app like Peacock, YouTube TV or ESPN or doing a task like searching for a favorite movie or TV show.

Impressive interface, weak voice assistant

Roku Ultra 2022 Voice Remote Pro held in a hand — The remote looks pretty much exactly like it did last year.
Sarah Tew/CNET

As you would expect, Roku's interface works great with the Ultra's quad-core processor. Apps, movies and shows opened quickly and playback looked good for 4K, 4K HDR and regular HD content on a 70-inch RCA TV as well as on a 65-inch LG C2 OLED TV.

Although you can control the Roku with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, neither voice assistant is built directly into the device, something that becomes much more glaring when comparing it with Amazon and Google's latest devices. Google's Chromecast with Google TV shines in large part thanks to Assistant, and I really missed the ability to just say, "Play The Tonight Show" or, "Go to the Yankees game" and have the Roku automatically switch to the proper app. Google does this integration well with YouTube TV and Amazon does it with Sling TV.

A 2020 Roku Streambar's interface on a TV — The Roku interface has remained basically the same for years.
CNET staff

Roku's voice assistant is also dumb when it comes to knowing when events are happening and couldn't answer basic questions like what time the Warriors and Grizzlies game is. Asking, "What time is the Warriors game?" brought up results for movies like Wushu Warrior, Solarbabies and the TV show Monster Rancher. I'm not familiar with any of these titles but this is far from what I was expecting when trying to watch a basketball game.

It also had a hard time understanding, "Play Moon Knight, Episode 1" and instead kept pulling up cartoons with "Midnight" in the title.

As Roku's streamer already works with both platforms, it would be great to see Roku add support for Alexa or Google Assistant directly to the software in the future.

When it comes to playback, the Ultra is still fast when you ask for specific titles. Getting the Roku to play Avengers: Endgame from the home screen took roughly 35 seconds on my old Roku TV compared with just 18 seconds on the Ultra, which benefits from having faster Wi-Fi chips and a better processor than the 2017 TV I was comparing it with (though the Ultra still doesn't include support for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard).

Getting it to play The Boys on Amazon Prime video took about 26 seconds on the Ultra, compared with roughly 39 seconds on my older Roku TV.

One thing that was slow on both the TV and the new Ultra, however, was asking the Roku assistant to do tasks beyond title searches -- from looking up a movie to switching apps. This takes a bit more time than using either Alexa or Google Assistant, with Roku having a default pop-up and 7-second countdown clock in case you want to stay in the app you are in. I still wish there were a way to remove or shorten this countdown but no such option exists in Settings.

Strong app support with Dolby Vision and Atmos

Roku continues to impress with support for nearly all major streaming services. Support for Apple AirPlay remains a nice perk and at least allows Apple users to stream the app from iOS and Macs, while screen mirroring remains an option for most Android users. Roku still lacks built-in Chromecast support.

Apps such as Disney Plus support Dolby Vision and Atmos (which makes sense as compatible Roku 4K TVs have had Dolby Vision support for a while), and both formats seemed to play fine on the LG C2 OLED TV. Netflix, HBO Max, Vudu and Apple TV Plus also have shows and movies available in Dolby Vision and Atmos.

As with other Dolby Vision devices, if your TV supports Dolby Vision, all menus and content are recognized by the TV as that standard regardless of whether the actual service, movie or show is in the premium viewing format. This wasn't a problem and non-4K HDR content (such as SportsCenter on YouTube TV or baseball games in the MLB app) still looked fine.

While the Voice Remote Pro makes for a better experience, here's hoping the next Roku Ultra update is a little more substantial.

Roku offers plenty of streaming devices, from the $50 Streaming Stick 4K to the $40 Express 4K Plus. The Roku Ultra box, however, is the most powerful. It has long been the streaming giant's showcase for its platform, offering advanced features, a beefier processor, a find-my-remote button and built-in Ethernet all for $100. Although, for many people, those extras aren't worth paying twice as much.

According to Cord Cutters News a new Roku Ultra may be coming soon. The site spotted a new model number among the list of Roku's supported hardware for its recent OS 11 release. The model number, 4802X, is one above the 4801X sported by the Roku Ultra LT and two above the otherwise current Roku Ultra (4800X) which last got a major hardware update in 2020. Roku has since removed the reference to the model, and when CNET reached out for comment about the report, a representative emailed back "nothing to share at this time."

So with the possibility of a new Roku Ultra in mind, here's a wish list of a few things I'd love to see Roku embrace for its next high-end player, whenever it might be released.

Read More: Apple TV 2022 Wish List: What I Want to See in a Refresh This Year

Game streaming

xbox-gamepass-ultimate — Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into one subscription.
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

Roku tried to make gaming on its players a thing years ago, a fact that most people probably don't remember. But in 2022 Roku doesn't need to court developers to make games specific to its platform; it just needs to allow for game streaming services to run their apps and stores on Roku players and TVs.

Game streaming has not only become more commonplace with the rise of Xbox Game Pass, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce Now -- and soon Sony's PlayStation Plus Premium -- but it is increasingly becoming a table-stakes feature for streaming video platforms. Google's Android TV and Google TV play well with its own Stadia service as well as GeForce Now, while Amazon's Fire TV software and devices can tap into Luna.

Why not have an Xbox Game Pass channel on Roku? Microsoft gains a new avenue to boost its platform without requiring the costly purchase of a console, Roku gains a new partner and gamers pick up a new way to stream games onto their televisions -- or to be able to play on televisions outside their homes or on a second television without needing to move a console. Seems like it could be a win all around, and with a more powerful processor, the Ultra could probably run those services.

Game Pass is the most exciting to me, but it also makes sense for a more powerful Ultra to run Stadia or GeForce Now. Amazon might be reluctant to bolster Roku's features checklist by adding Luna, but it's probably technically possible, too.

Chromecast support

Yes, Rokus work great with Apple's AirPlay for casting content from an Apple device and with screen sharing available for streaming from some Android devices or Windows PCs. It would be great, however, if Roku got even more agnostic and embraced the ability to let people cast directly from their Android devices through Google's Chromecast protocol. This is not only easier than setting up screen sharing, but it would allow Rokus to work better with Chrome browsers and Chromebooks.

Roku and Google settled their YouTube TV beef last year. It's time for the two of them to make this happen and put whatever possible hardware is needed into the next Ultra.

Include the Voice Remote Pro

The Ultra is Roku's priciest streaming box, but the included remote is inferior to the Voice Remote Pro, a $30 upgrade. The Pro packs a built-in rechargeable battery and midfield microphone to allow you to bark "Hey Roku, find my remote" to locate the clicker when it's inevitably lost under the couch cushions.

If Roku really wants to move Ultra boxes, including a Voice Remote Pro in the box would be a nice touch. The company already has experimented with bundling the product through its Streaming Stick 4K Plus offering, which combines a Streaming Stick 4K with a Voice Remote Pro.

While we're at it, I'd love Roku to update the Voice Remote Pro with USB-C as opposed to Micro-USB. But that might be getting too greedy.

Alexa and Google Assistant support

Since we're talking voice support, why not have Roku's next box directly integrate other assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant? Roku's unnamed voice assistant is fine for basic tasks like searching for titles or actors, turning the TV on or adjusting the volume. On the other hand, it still lags far behind its rivals when you ask basic questions, such as "what is the weather?," tuning to a particular channel on a streaming service like Sling TV or YouTube TV or controlling smart home devices like lights.

I understand this particular item could be more software "wishlist" than something for the next Ultra, but combined with the Voice Remote Pro or adding far-field mics like those on the Amazon Fire TV Cube could be really valuable.

Roku already has integrations with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri for controlling its platform via other devices, like phones or smart speakers. Why not add it into the next Ultra directly? Give users a choice and an option for a better voice assistant.

TV calibration

Apple TV screen calibration using an iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple TV has a nifty feature for calibrating your TV through an iPhone, and a new Ultra could be the perfect place for Roku to debut a similar feature. Apple's feature requires holding an iPhone X or later up to your TV screen, though there is nothing to say Roku can't do something similar with iPhones or Android devices, like Samsung's Galaxy S line. It could also be something available via the Roku phone app, similar to the company's audio lip-sync calibration features added in OS 10.5 and OS 11.

The Ultra is designed to give people a premium experience. Adding TV video calibration capability could go a long way toward making sure they see that experience, even if they aren't comfortable fiddling with their TV picture settings.

For the last few years Roku hasn't delivered any major features that differentiate the Ultra from its other devices. Adding any (or all!) of my wish list items could change that and make Roku's best player even more Ultra than ever.

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Nothing Phone 1 I

Nothing Phone 1 Review: Flashy Extras Highlight This Affordable Phone

Nothing Phone 1 Review: Flashy Extras Highlight This Affordable Phone

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A flashy design, a big display

Good enough performance for the price

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OK battery life with fast charging

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Nothing Phone 1 Won't Be Coming to the US

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Getting A New IPhone Every 2 Years Makes Less Sense Than Ever

Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

The smartphone upgrade cycle has gotten longer

Decreasing technological gap

Are we at peak phone?

Getting A New IPhone Every 2 Years Makes Less Sense Than Ever

Getting a new iPhone every 2 years makes less sense than ever

The smartphone upgrade cycle has gotten longer

Decreasing technological gap

Are we at peak phone?

Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote

Roku Ultra (2022) Review: Same Streamer, Same Price, Better Voice Remote

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Small tweaks to a familiar design

Impressive interface, weak voice assistant

Strong app support with Dolby Vision and Atmos

Game streaming

Chromecast support

Include the Voice Remote Pro

Alexa and Google Assistant support

TV calibration

Portable Bluetooth Speakers

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