After months of teases, Nothing is finally ready to show its second smartphone to the world. The company will hold a Nothing Phone 2 launch event on July 11th at 11AM Eastern, with a livestream available through the official website. The preview image doesn’t show much, although we’d note that the signature Glyph lights aren’t quite the same as on the Phone 1.
The Phone 2 may be more important than its predecessor for one main reason: it’s the first Nothing handset coming to the US. Until now, you’ve had to either participate in a limited beta program or take a chance on an import. If you’ve made that leap, you’ve dealt with gaps in network coverage (such as missing 5G) and no real technical support. An official US release should improve wireless support and reach a wider audience, especially if carriers sell the phone themselves.
Nothing founder Carl Pei has described the Phone 2 as a more premium device than last year’s model, which shipped with a Snapdragon 778G+ chip and other mostly mid-range specs. The company has already confirmed it will use the slightly old (but noticeably faster) Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. That will also deliver improved camera performance, such as RAW HDR photos and 4K video at 60 frames per second. It’s not certain if there are upgrades to the cameras themselves or other key components.
Software may also play an important role. Inverse claims Nothing OS will be more “distinct” on the Phone 2, with a more polished experience developed in-house rather than outsourced. The phone maker reportedly has a much larger software team that now includes multiple veterans from OnePlus, Pei’s former outfit.
Whether or not Nothing makes a significant dent in the US market is another matter. Apple and Samsung dominate the American phone landscape, with even well-known names like Google and Motorola trailing well behind. OnePlus hasn’t made significant inroads despite the backing of Chinese tech giant Oppo. The Phone 2 won’t necessarily need to be a huge hit to succeed, but Nothing is facing rivals with many more resources at their disposal.
This story originally appeared on Engadget
