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Nothing Phone 2 is Flashier than Ever

The transparent back and LED "glyph" certainly makes a statement.

Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon
Image of the Nothing Phone 2
1 of 20 Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The Nothing Phone 2 is here, with its familiar flashing LED lights on the back and updated specs throughout. Unlike the first model, the Phone 2 will actually be officially on sale in the US, starting at $599 (£579) when sales start on July 16. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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Those rear LEDs are called the "glyph" and they really make a statement.

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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They can be used to alert you to incoming notifications, alarms or calls. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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They're highly customizable. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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The glyph has more sections than the previous model, allowing for deeper customization. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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The transparent back lets you see components inside the phone.

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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There are two rear cameras. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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It's certainly a look that stands out from the crowd. 

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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The Nothing Phone 2 on the left, with the Phone 1 on the right. The family resemblance is clear...

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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...and even more so when they light up.

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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The Phone 2 runs Android 13 at its core.

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At 6.7 inches, it's quite a big phone.

Image of the Nothing Phone 2
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It's very customizable, with the ability to change the color of the icons and to create folders of apps that you can even hide behind icons. 

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The glyph shows an indication of the battery level when you plug it in. 

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There's a fingerprint scanner beneath the display. 

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Nothing promises three years of OS updates and an additional fourth year of security updates. 

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The Phone 2's biggest competition comes from the Google Pixel 7A. 

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The Pixel 7A's camera is the best around for the price, although we don't expect the Pixel to compete in terms of power. 

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The camera takes decent images. 

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The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor is slightly older now, but it's still an absolute powerhouse, found inside lightning-fast phones like the OnePlus 10T. 

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