Nothing Phone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: which $599 phone is best?

The upstart firm Nothing created fairly a stir when it got here on the scene a little over two years ago, with OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei promising to shake up the mobile phone industry in the identical means his former firm did in its fledgling days. Whereas Nothing began small with the Ear 1 earbuds, it rapidly adopted that up with the Nothing Phone 1 — a brand new Android handset that was like nothing we’d seen earlier than (no pun meant).

Now, it’s launched its second act, the Nothing Phone 2, a $600 smartphone impressesin almost each means. It’s an thrilling new cellphone in an period the place the alternate options have change into significantly extra staid — and that’s much more true within the U.S.

The massive query now could be whether or not the Nothing Telephone 2 has what it takes to unseat the Google Pixel 7 from its perch among the many reigning smartphone champs. Let’s dig in and see how the 2 stack up aspect by aspect.

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: specs

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: design and show

Like its predecessor, the Nothing Telephone 2 sports activities a design that’s completely distinctive and most undoubtedly opinionated. Whereas the type isn’t for everybody, it’s meticulously crafted with a well-thought-out design, from the general construct high quality to the clear again and Glyph lights.

There’s spectacular consideration to element right here, and the Nothing Telephone 2 makes an announcement in a means that we not often see amongst fashionable smartphones. At 8.6mm thick with a 6.7-inch display, it weighs in at a hefty 201 grams, but it manages to really feel stable with out being hefty.

In distinction, Google’s Pixel 7 appears downright conservative in its design, which is considerably ironic contemplating the horizontal digicam bar was thought of distinctive and a bit risqué in its personal means when Google first launched it on the Google Pixel 6. It’s nice that Google embraces its digicam bumps moderately than making an attempt to faux they’re not there, however Nothing takes it a giant step additional by forging your complete smartphone design into one thing that appears like a futuristic museum piece.

At 8.7mm thick and 197 grams, the Pixel 7 is available in at across the identical girth and weight because the Nothing Telephone 2, though the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 is smaller in size and width, which makes it really feel heavier within the hand. Each telephones use a slippery glass again, so that you’ll probably wish to slap a case on them, however that’s sort of unlucky with the Nothing Telephone 2, which all however screams for a caseless presentation. We think about there’s going to be a giant marketplace for clear instances for the Nothing Telephone 2.

The most important knock in opposition to the Nothing Telephone 2 is that it only features an IP54 certification for mud and water resistance, in comparison with the Pixel 7’s extra typical IP68. The IP54 ranking is much extra frequent amongst headphones than smartphones, and whereas it means you gained’t want to fret about taking the Nothing Telephone 2 out within the rain, it’s much less more likely to survive a dip within the pool.

Though the Nothing Telephone 2 appears implausible across the again, whenever you flip it round to the entrance display, it’s extra on par with different smartphones in its class. It edges out the Google Pixel 7 by providing a dynamic refresh charge that may run from 1Hz all the way in which as much as 120Hz. The Pixel 7 solely goes to 90Hz, a good refresh charge, however one thing that’s sort of desk stakes for upper-midrange smartphones now. Each telephones boast nearly similar resolutions, which suggests the Pixel 7 will get a barely larger pixel density of 416 pixels per inch (ppi) versus 394 ppi for the Nothing Telephone 2, however that’s not a distinction anybody will discover with the bare eye.

Apart from the dimensions and refresh charge variations, the OLED screens are comparable in almost each different means, with 1,000 nits of outside brightness and wealthy and saturated colours. The Nothing Telephone 2 guarantees as much as 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR playback, whereas Google solely claims 1,400 for the Pixel 7, however this isn’t one thing most people are more likely to be too involved about.

With a extra distinctive design and a extra technically succesful show, it’s the Nothing Telephone 2 that wins the primary spherical.

Winner: Nothing Telephone 2

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: efficiency and battery

The Nothing Telephone 2 packs in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. That’s the identical chip utilized in final yr’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and OnePlus 10T, which can lead you to consider that Nothing is behind the curve with this one, however our expertise means that nothing may very well be farther from the reality.

In spite of everything, we’re effectively previous the purpose the place uncooked efficiency makes a lot distinction in your day-to-day duties. As of late, the push towards sooner chips is primarily about leaving sufficient headroom to energy extra superior machine studying options like computational pictures. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is definitely no slouch, and Nothing isn’t even making an attempt to reflect the superior pictures options of its rivals, which implies that the Nothing Telephone 2 has loads of energy to spare.

If something, the Pixel 7 is an instance of the other excessive, because it makes use of Google’s personal Tensor G2 chip that’s arguably extra about neural engine processing than efficiency. In pure specs, it lags behind the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, however as a customized chip, it’s allowed Google to bake in some spectacular optimizations to ship a clean consumer expertise equal to simply about any cellphone available on the market by way of on a regular basis efficiency.

The Nothing Telephone 2 and Google Pixel 7 ought to carry out equally effectively in day by day use, and whereas neither is what we’d name a gaming cellphone, they’re each succesful sufficient for informal avid gamers. Nonetheless, the Nothing Telephone 2 pulls forward on this space due to its 120Hz display and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, which make it appropriate for extra demanding video games.

The Nothing Telephone 2 and Google Pixel 7 have 4,700 mAh and 4,355 mAh batteries, respectively, but each handle to ship good battery life due to optimizations of their respective processors and different {hardware}.

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is likely one of the most power-efficient processors in its efficiency class, and the Nothing Telephone 2 takes benefit of that to ship greater than all-day battery life. Actually, except you’re doing numerous gaming, you’ll extra probably get a couple of day and a half earlier than the Nothing Telephone 2 must hit a charger.

Regardless of its smaller cell, the Pixel 7 delivers comparable battery life for on a regular basis use, due to the ability effectivity of Google’s Tensor G2 chip. You’ll simply get by way of a full day on a single cost except you utilize it for gaming, which is the place the Pixel 7 lags most significantly. As we found in our evaluation, with high-performance video games like Asphalt 9, you possibly can lose as much as 10% of your battery after solely quarter-hour of play.

That’s additionally important when you think about that the Google Pixel 7 isn’t the fastest-charging smartphone on the market. You get the usual 20-watt USB Energy Supply spec that may high it as much as 50% in half-hour and to a full cost in about two hours. That’s on par with Apple’s iPhone lineup, however falls effectively wanting the 45W charging speeds the Nothing Telephone 2 affords, which may get the bigger battery topped up in slightly below an hour.

It’s one other win for the Nothing Telephone 2 right here.

Winner: Nothing Telephone 2

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: cameras

The Nothing Telephone 2 sports activities a pair of 50-megapixel (MP) shooters within the typical extensive and ultrawide configurations, plus a 32MP selfie digicam across the entrance. That’s higher on paper than the 50MP and 12MP duo discovered on the Pixel 7 and a substantial enchancment over Google’s 10.8MP entrance digicam.

Nonetheless, as with most smartphones on this class, it’s the software program that makes the distinction. Google has constantly led on this space, however the Nothing Telephone 2 nonetheless manages to carry its personal beneath the correct lighting situations, producing photographs which are extra pure and colourful with out being oversaturated.

However, the Google Pixel 7 arguably takes higher photographs with extra punchiness and brilliance, and it does so in nearly any lighting situations. Google virtually invented fashionable computational evening mode pictures with its Pixel lineup, and few different smartphones can match its lowlight photographic efficiency.

Sadly, the Nothing Telephone 2 doesn’t even strive on this space. Below decrease lighting situations, picture high quality falls off a cliff, shedding element and accumulating extra noise. This makes the distinction between the Nothing Telephone 2 and Google Pixel 7 fairly actually a night-and-day comparability.

If taking the absolute best photographs is a precedence, the Google Pixel 7 runs circles across the Nothing Telephone 2 except you solely plan to take photographs in typical daytime lighting. Nonetheless, the Pixel 7 additionally will get the sting even right here as a result of extra in depth assortment of AI options that can be utilized to reinforce your pictures, each throughout capturing and after the actual fact.

The Nothing Telephone 2 places up an excellent struggle, however the Pixel 7 simply wins this spherical.

Winner: Google Pixel 7

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: software program and updates

The Nothing Telephone 2 ships with Android 13 with the corporate’s Nothing OS 2.0 interface layered on high, which affords an enchanting monochromatic look that enhances the cellphone’s total design. It’s indisputably distinctive and suits fairly properly with the Nothing model, nevertheless it’s additionally fairly uninteresting to take a look at. For individuals who don’t see the attraction, Nothing enables you to change again to the acquainted and way more colourful Android theme.

That can ship a glance much like most Android 13 smartphones, though Nothing has added a number of helpful twists with out creating the overbearing software experience that others have morphed into. Nothing has taken a remarkably mild contact with Nothing OS 2.0.

Nonetheless, Google’s Pixel 7 affords about as pure of an Android consumer expertise as you will get, plus tighter integration into the general Google expertise. The Pixel 7 nonetheless has a number of distinctive software program options, significantly in areas like picture modifying and AI instruments, however these don’t affect the clear consumer interface design.

On the subject of main software program updates, the Nothing Telephone 2 and Google Pixel 7 are mainly on par. Google guarantees main Android updates by way of October 2025, which ought to take the Pixel 7 to Android 16, whereas the Nothing Telephone 2 will get the identical due to the corporate’s promise of three main Android model updates.

Equally, Nothing guarantees 4 years of safety patches, whereas Google says the Pixel 7 is assured safety updates till October 2027.

Winner: Tie

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: particular options

The one factor that basically units Nothing’s smartphones aside is their Glyph lights, and the Nothing Telephone 2 takes this characteristic to an much more helpful stage. Whereas the lights are a bit gimmicky, they’re additionally a enjoyable method to talk numerous data to the consumer, and so they additionally act as fill lights for the cameras.

For example, the Glyph bars can act as visible timers to point out you when your dinner is prepared — whether or not that’s as a result of it’s completed cooking or it’s about to point out up through Uber Eats. They’ll additionally flash when calls are available, present precedence notifications, and keep illuminated when there’s an necessary message ready. Additionally they mild as much as present charging progress when the cellphone is facedown and plugged in.

Google’s Pixel 7 isn’t with out its personal distinctive twists, however they’re definitely much less visually inspiring than what Nothing has cooked up. Largely, it’s about utilizing the customized Tensor G2 silicon to energy picture and video capturing and modifying capabilities that permit you to unblur photographs, take guided selfies, and improve the standard of your cellphone calls.

These options on the Pixel 7 are helpful, however in the case of actually “particular” options, the Nothing Telephone 2 edges it out.

Winner: Nothing Telephone 2

Nothing Telephone 2 vs. Google Pixel 7: worth and availability

The Nothing Telephone 2 is offered for preorder within the U.S. and Canada through Nothing’s web site in white and darkish grey variations, beginning at $599 for the bottom mannequin with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Capacities of 256GB and 512GB are additionally obtainable, with every that includes 12GB of RAM, for $699 and $799, respectively.

Google’s Pixel 7 comes on the identical worth of $599 for the 128GB mannequin or $699 for the 256GB model. It’s obtainable in Obsidian, Lemongrass, and Snow.

Total winner: Nothing Telephone 2

Though the design of the Nothing Telephone 2 gained’t be everybody’s cup of tea, you possibly can’t argue that it’s a novel smartphone that stands out effectively from the remainder of the pack. Nonetheless, it’s additionally far way more than that, packing in top-of-the-line Qualcomm chips we’ve seen in recent times to present it greater than ample efficiency to deal with even essentially the most demanding video games.

Mix that with three years of Android updates and wonderful battery life, and the Nothing Telephone 2 is well one of many high telephones to purchase in its class, delivering stable bang to your buck in virtually each space.

Sadly, one factor that holds the Nothing Telephone 2 again is its lowlight pictures capabilities. It takes very spectacular footage in daylight, however not a lot at evening. Whereas there’s an opportunity Nothing may deal with this in a future software program replace, for now, the Google Pixel 7 nonetheless dominates the sphere when it comes tp smartphone pictures. Nonetheless, the Nothing Telephone 2 comes out on high in each different necessary space — making it our total winner of this comparability battle.

Editors’ Suggestions