Nothing Phone (1) is all set to launch in India on July 12th. The handset is among the most hyped smartphones for the longest time, since not only does it mark the introduction of an entirely new brand in the smartphone space, but it is also heralded by the popular (and now ex) OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei. There have been a number of tall promises also made in the course of all the teasers and trailers that Nothing has posted of the Phone (1) – which has further upped the ante on what the device could offer. Below is a list of 5 smartphones that Nothing Phone (1) will compete against, but before we get to that, here’s a quick look at its specifications and India price:
Nothing Phone (1) price in India (expected)
The Nothing Phone (1) price in India is expected to be between Rs 31,000 and Rs 36,000. The handset will reportedly come in three variants – 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The smartphone will be introduced by the company across global markets, and the indicative pricing of the smartphone is quoted as USD 397 (approx. Rs 31,500), USD 419 (approx. Rs 33,000) and USD 456 (approx. Rs 36,000), respectively.
The Nothing Phone (1) is up for pre-orders in India. It has a preorder pass that users can buy for Rs 2,000, which can be used to buy the smartphone without needing an invite code for it. Even prior to its price being unveiled, the Flipkart listing of the preorder pass has stated that users would get a flat Rs 2,000 discount on the Phone (1) by purchasing through HDFC Bank credit cards or EMIs.
Nothing Phone (1): key specs
- 6.55-inch Full HD+ 120Hz OLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus 5G SoC
- 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS3.1 storage
- 50MP primary + 16MP ultra-wide rear cameras
- 16MP front camera
- 4,500mAh battery, 45W fast charging, 5W reverse wireless charging
- Android 12-based Nothing OS with Glyph interface on rear
5 smartphones that the Nothing Phone (1) will compete against
OnePlus 10R
Interestingly, if the rumoured sub-Rs 40,000 pricing holds true for the Nothing Phone (1), one of the biggest competitors standing against it would be one of OnePlus’ newest phones in the market – the OnePlus 10R (review). The latter is a solid smartphone, and represents the second generation of the company’s ‘R’ portfolio of phones.
The OnePlus 10R is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max SoC, which as per benchmark data is slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 778G Plus expected to be in the Nothing Phone (1). Other key specs include up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage, a 6.7-inch, full HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a triple rear camera setup with 50MP main, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro units capable of 4K video recording, 16MP front camera, under-display optical fingerprint sensor, and two battery sizes and fast charging speeds.
Both RAM and storage variants of the phone get the option of a 5,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging, while the 12GB RAM variant also gets a 4,500mAh battery variant, with 150W SuperVOOC fast charging. The device gets flat edges and a minimalist overall design.
Price in India
The OnePlus 10R presently costs Rs 38,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, Rs 42,999 for the 12GB + 256GB (80W charging) variant, and Rs 43,999 for the 12GB + 256GB (150W charging) variant.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Now available at a lower price tag than before, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (review) is yet another compelling option at around the same price at what Nothing’s phone is expected to launch. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC, which is a flagship chipset of older generation. Despite being older, it is still a slightly better performer as per benchmark scores, but the Snapdragon 778G Plus on the Nothing Phone (1) is expected to be more efficient, since it is based on a 6nm process.
Other key specifications include 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, a 6.5-inch 120Hz full HD+ Super AMOLED display, a triple rear camera setup with 12MP main, 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and 12MP ultrawide units, a 32MP front camera, under-display optical fingerprint sensor, and a 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The design language is in line with Samsung’s older, S20 series flagships.
Price in India
Available only in one variant and three colours, the Galaxy S20 FE 5G is priced at Rs 36,999 in India right now.
iQOO 9 SE
The iQOO 9 SE (review) is a fully flagship grade smartphone with a mid-range price tag, and will therefore be one of the biggest competitors of the Nothing Phone (1). It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is Qualcomm’s flagship SoC from a generation ago. Therefore, it is also clearly more powerful than the Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset.
Other key specs include two RAM and storage variants, with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage. The iQOO 9 SE also gets a 6.62-inch full HD+ 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a triple rear camera setup with 48MP primary, 13MP ultrawide and 2MP depth units and 4K 60fps video support, a 16MP front camera, under-display optical fingerprint sensor, and a 4,500mAh battery with 66W fast charging.
Price in India
The iQOO 9 SE is available on Amazon India at Rs 33,990 for the 8GB RAM variant, and Rs 37,990 for the 12GB RAM variant.
Realme GT Neo 3
The Realme GT Neo 3 (review) features the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, along with three RAM and storage options – 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB and 12GB + 256GB. Up front, it has a 6.7-inch full HD+ 120Hz AMOLED display and a 16MP selfie camera, while to the rear, the camera module features 50MP primary, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro units capable of 4K 60fps video recording. It also gets an under-display optical fingerprint sensor, and like the OnePlus 10R, comes with two battery options.
While both the 8GB RAM variants get a 5,000mAh battery pack with 80W fast charging, the 12GB RAM variant gets a 4,500mAh battery with 150W fast charging. The latter also has a limited edition variant in partnership with Marvel, which gives you memorabilia from the movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.
Price in India
The Realme GT Neo 3 costs Rs 36,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant, Rs 38,999 for 8GB + 256GB variant, and Rs 42,999 for 12GB + 256GB variant.
Vivo V23 Pro 5G
The Vivo V23 Pro (review) is the lesser known entity among the five options here, but it is not a lesser phone by any means. It is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 SoC, which is a competent mid-ranger and also more powerful than the Snapdragon 778G Plus by benchmark data.
Other key specs include two RAM and storage variants – 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB, a 6.56-inch full HD+ 90Hz AMOLED display, a triple rear camera with 108MP primary, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro units, a dual front camera setup featuring 50MP primary and 8MP ultrawide units, under-display optical fingerprint sensor, and a 4,300mAh battery with 44W fast charging.
Price in India
The Vivo V23 Pro 5G costs Rs 38,999 for the 8GB variant, and Rs 43,999 for the 12GB variant in India right now.
Conclusion
With a wide range of highly competent offerings available at a price point of around Rs 40,000, the Nothing Phone (1) will not have it easy by any means to carve out its niche. Purely in terms of specifications, the Phone (1) does not appear to offer anything out of the ordinary – and in fact, its potential rivals have more to offer.
However, Nothing has spoken about a unique software experience, and getting the user experience right could make a big difference for the fledgling brand. Its ‘glyph’ interface could also be an interesting element, and it now remains to be seen if a unique take on Android can power the Nothing Phone (1) into being an able rival for its more established industry competitors mentioned above.
