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Nothing Phone (2) open sales begin next week (this time including the North American market), so we looked at it and some alternatives. We found plenty of value-for-money mid-rangers and some cool entry-level phones too.

Germany

The Nothing Phone (2) pre-orders are about to end as open sales begin on Monday. You can pick up the base 8/128GB unit for €650, check out our review for more details on the phone.

Instead of the sequel, you can grab the original Nothing Phone (1) in 8/256GB trim for under €400. You don’t get the faster new chipset (SD 778G instead of 8+ Gen 1) or the camera improvements, but the original is also a bit smaller and lighter (6.55” OLED vs. 6.7” LTPO OLED displays).

Nothing OS offers a pretty clean Android experience, save for some Nothing-exclusive widgets and the Glyph controls. But you can also get Google’s take on Android with the Pixel 7a, offered here in bundle with a 30W charger. Note that the display is much smaller at 6.1” and it is a 90Hz non-LTPO OLED. Also, the 13MP ultra wide is lower resolution than the 50MP unit on the Nothing, plus the battery endurance (76h) on the Pixel isn’t nearly as good.

How about a Poco F5 instead for €240 less, despite having double the storage. While the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 isn’t technically a flagship chipset, it gets very close to the 8+ Gen 1. This phone has a 6.67” 12-bit OLED display (not LTPO) and a basic 64+8MP camera. The bigger 5,000mAh battery lasts longer (118h) and charges faster too (67W).

The Samsung Galaxy A54 has the best update schedule of the bunch – 4 OS updates and 5 years of security patches (vs. 3 years for the Nothing). The Exynos 1380 is a fine chip but decidedly not flagship and while the 6.4” 120Hz AMOLED is nothing special, the 50+12MP is pretty good (the main module, at least). The 5,000mAh battery offers a lot of endurance (119h), though it is slow to charge. Unlike the other phones mentioned so far, the A54 has a microSD slot and a higher IP67 rating.

The Nokia X30 will receive 3 OS updates (down to 2 now that it got Android 13). It is powered by the Snapdragon 695 for 5G connectivity and you get a 50+13MP camera with OIS on the main module. The 6.43” 90Hz AMOLED display is average, the 4,200mAh battery (94h endurance) with 33W charging is below average.

The Ulefone Armor 21 is one of those extra rugged phones – it is rated IP69K (i.e. resistance against hot water jets), can survive up to 1.5m/5ft under water (for 30 min), has been drop tested from 1.5m/5ft onto concrete and is MIL-STD-810H compliant. This is a chunky phone, 18.1mm thick and weighing 400g, but it is clearly a work phone. It has a 24MP night vision camera (with 2 IR LEDs) alongside the 64MP day camera, plus an accessory connector for an Ulefone endoscope or microscope.

Finally, the Galaxy A14 siblings. The 5G model is pricier, despite having half the storage (both have microSD slots). However, the 5G model also gets a more powerful chipset (Dimensity 700 vs. Helio G80) and a 90Hz LCD (both 6.6” FHD+). The 4G model counters with a 5MP ultra wide camera (vs. none). Both have 5,000mAh batteries with 15W charging.

UK

The Nothing Phone (2) pre-orders are about to end as open sales begin on Monday. You can pick up the base 8/128GB unit for £580, check out our review for more details on the phone.

Instead of the sequel, you can grab the original Nothing Phone (1) in 8/128GB trim for just £320. You don’t get the faster new chipset (SD 778G instead of 8+ Gen 1) or the camera improvements, but the original is also a bit smaller and lighter (6.55” OLED vs. 6.7” LTPO OLED displays).

Nothing OS offers a pretty clean Android experience, save for some Nothing-exclusive widgets and the Glyph controls. But you can also get Google’s take on Android with the Pixel 7a, offered here in bundle with a 30W charger. Note that the display is much smaller at 6.1” and it is a 90Hz non-LTPO OLED. Also, the 13MP ultra wide is lower resolution than the 50MP unit on the Nothing, plus the battery endurance (76h) on the Pixel isn’t nearly as good.

The Redmi Note 12 and Redmi Note 12 Pro are £60 apart (note: both of these are 5G models). The Pro has 2 gigs of RAM more to go with its more powerful Dimensity 1080 chipset (vs. Snapdragon 4 Gen 1). Both phones have 6.67” 120Hz FHD+ displays, but the Pro one is a 10-bit panel. The Pro also gets a better camera with a larger (1/1.56”) 50MP sensor and OIS, plus faster 67W charging (vs. 33W), so it hits 50% on the 5,000mAh battery in 15 minutes instead of 22 minutes. The Pro has stereo speakers, the non-Pro gets a microSD slot instead (both have 3.5mm jacks).

The Samsung Galaxy A34 is around the same price, also with a Dimensity 1080. It has a 6.6” 120Hz AMOLED display and while its 48MP main camera may have a small 1/2” sensor, it also has OIS (which the Note 12 non-Pro lacks). The 5,000mAh battery beats both Redmis by over 30 hours in terms of endurance rating, even if it is dog slow to charge at 25W. The A34 is getting flagship-grade software support (4 OS updates, 5 years of patches) and has an IP67 rating (vs. IP54 on the Redmis).

There’s also the Motorola Moto G73 with a Dimensity 930 and a 6.5” 120Hz IPS LCD this time around. It has double the storage (both it and the A34 have microSD slots), plus a 3.5mm jack and stereo speakers. The 50+8MP camera is pretty basic (there isn’t even OIS), while the 5,000mAh battery is only marginally faster at 30W. The phone has basic water resistance too.

The Nokia G60 comes with what HMD calls the “3-3-3 promise”, that’s 3 OS updates, 3 years of security patches and 3 years of warranty. This phone runs on a Snapdragon 695, has a 6.58” 120Hz IPS LCD, a 50+5MP camera (no OIS) and a 4,500mAh battery with 20W charging.

Here’s an odd combo from Nokia UK. It combines the Nokia T21 tablet with a Nokia 2660 Flip phone. The T21 is an aluminum slate with a 10.4” IPS LCD (2,000 x 1,200px, 15:9) with a Unisoc T612 chipset, stereo speakers and a 8,200mAh battery with 18W charging.

Finally, an action camera to capture your adventures this summer – a GoPro Hero 11, which is bundled with a free extra battery and a microSD card (32GB). For £50 more you can get the accessories bundle, which adds extra mounting hardware.

USA

While the original wasn’t available in the US (not really), the Nothing Phone (2) is here and open sales begin on Monday. You can pick up the base 8/128GB unit for $600, check out our review for more details on the phone.

For less than that, you can get a OnePlus 10T in a 16/256GB configuration. This one is also powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and also has a 6.7” 120Hz AMOLED display, though note that the Nothing panel is of the LTPO variety. The 10T also has a plastic frame (vs. aluminum on the Nothing), to say nothing of the lighting effects. The 10T also has a basic 8MP ultra wide camera (vs. 50MP), but it wins the charging race as it goes at up to 125W (but it lacks wireless charging).

There’s also the OnePlus 11, the 16/256GB variant costs as much as a 12/256GB Phone (2). The OnePlus, however, uses the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and it does have an LTPO display – at QHD+ resolution to boot (vs. FHD+). And in addition to the 50MP main and 48MP ultra wide, it also has a 48MP camera with 2x optical magnification. The 5,000mAh battery supports 80W wired only charging.

The Motorola Edge+ (2023) (aka Edge 40 Pro elsewhere), is down to $700. This phone has the faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and here it is paired with a fast 165Hz 6.67” OLED display (FHD+). You get a 50MP main and 50MP ultra wide cameras, plus a 2x portrait cam with only a 12MP sensor this time around. The 5,100mAh battery supports both 68W wired and 15W wireless charging.

While the Pixel 7a can be found for under $500 already, there are offers like this one that keep the Pixel 7 hanging around – a 128GB unit bundled with Pixel Buds A-Series can be yours for $568. The buds themselves are currently $69 on Google’s online store.

Prime Day may be over, but Prime deals are not. Subscribers can get the Motorola Edge (2022) for just $250 (it’s $500 without Prime). This phone has a 144Hz 6.6” OLED display, a Dimensity 1050, a 50+13MP camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired and 15W wireless charging. This is a hardware combo that’s tough to beat at $250.

There are cheaper ways to get a 5G phone, of course. The OnePlus Nord N200 price keeps falling – it was $170 earlier this month, it’s $150 now. The phone itself is not much to write hoe about, but with a 6.49” 90Hz IPS LCD (FHD+) and a 5,000mAh battery (18W) it covers the basics.

Finally, there is a 4-pack of Apple AirTags to help you keep track of your stuff. Both Amazon and Walmart have the same 11% off deal.

India

The Nothing Phone (2) is coming to India too, though sales will kick off a few days later than the rest of the world (kick off is scheduled for July 21). You can pick up the base 8/128GB unit for ₹45,000 from Flipkart. Check out our review for more details on the phone.

The Samsung Galaxy F54 is similar to the A54, but it has a larger 6.7” OLED display (120Hz FHD+) instead of a 6.4” panel and a larger 6,000mAh battery. Also, the main camera has a 108MP sensor for lossless zooming. The F54 is powered by the same Exynos 1380 chipset.

The iQOO Neo7 goes even bigger with a 6.78” 120Hz AMOLED display, paired with a Dimensity 8200 and a 5,000mAh battery with 120W charging. The camera setup is as basic as it gets in this price range with a 64MP main (1/1.97”, OIS) and only a couple of 2MP helpers.

The Infinix Hot 30 5G is also on pre-order and can be found on Flipkart. It pairs a large 6.78” 120Hz IPS LCD with a Dimensity 6020. This one has a basic camera too (50MP, 1/2.55”, no OIS) and the 5,000mAh battery charges at only 18W. It’s quite cheap for a 5G phone, though, just ₹12,500.

The Poco M4 5G is at a similar price point (₹11,000) and has only a 6.58” 90Hz IPS LCD, plus a much older Dimensity 700 chipset. The 50MP camera and 5,000mAh battery (18W charging) are essentially the same, though. Both phones have microSD slots and 3.5mm jacks, but only the Infinix has stereo speakers.

The Realme Narzo N55 and Tecno Camon 19 Neo are both ₹10,500. Both have large IPS LCDs, 6.72” and 6.8”, respectively, though the N55 one runs at 90Hz. Both have very similar chipsets, Helio G88 and G85, respectively, and similar cameras too – 64MP and 48MP. Their batteries have 5,000mAh capacity each, but the Narzo charges at 33W, while the Infinix only goes at 18W. Note that these are 4G-only phones.

The Honor Pad 8 may be a year old, but it’s pretty cheap for a 12” tablet (it has a 2,000 x 1,200px IPS LCD, 15:9, 60Hz). It has a total of 8 speakers, so it’s great for multimedia. The Snapdragon 680 isn’t great at games, though, so AAA titles are out of the question. The 7,250mAh battery could have been bigger or at least faster to charge (it supports 22.5W charging).

The Lenovo Tab M10 Gen 3 is smaller with a 10.1” IPS LCD (1,920 x 1,200px, 16:10, 60Hz) and uses an even less powerful Unisoc T610 chipset. There are only two speakers on board and the battery is even smaller and slower (5,100mAh, 10W).

We will wrap up with a pair of simple feature phones – the Nokia 105 and 106. Note that these are the updated 4G models from this year. Both can serve as basic entertainment with a microSD slot and MP3 support, plus an FM radio receiver.

What really caught our eye, though, is that while these are super cheap, they support UPI, the Unified Payment Interface. This allows the user to send and receive payments on the service, which had over 300 million monthly active users as of late last year.

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