Introduction
No phone has been rumored for months, but the wait is finally over. The company’s CEO, Carl Pei, introduced the world to the No Phone (1) with a simple, straight-to-the-point approach, which felt unexpected but right for such an overrated product. So, here it is, find No Phone (1).
The company’s first smartphone seems to be built according to one simple rule – everything you need, nothing you don’t. And of course the pinnacle of creativity. And when we look at the details of No Phone (1), we clearly see this being implemented in practice and practice.
No Phone (1) uses a 6.55-inch OLED with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh. And because of this flagship display, the phone doesn’t really need the latest Snapdragon chipset. That’s why, even though the self-proven Snapdragon 778G+ 5G chipset isn’t top-of-the-line, it’s not a worthy pick.
The camera department also seems down to earth, but fair enough, though. There’s a 50MP dual camera on the back – the primary with a wide-angle OIS lens and an ultra-wide-angle secondary with AF. A 16MP selfie camera sits in a small display punch hole on the other side.
Then, you also get a 4,500mAh battery with 33W wired and 15W wireless charging support. There is also reverse wireless charging.
Although No Phone’s (1) strength lies elsewhere. First, it’s a unique splash-resistant design, second – incredibly fast Android 12 with no interface, and finally, the unique Glyph lighting interface. These will make any phone (1) stand out from any crowd. So we were intrigued!
Not offering modern technology is certainly a risky move, but you can’t make a €450 flagship in 2022. Not like the original OnePlus phones from eight years ago. That’s why we think you’ll rarely use a chip like LiDAR, a 4K screen, or a chip that ruins battery life to get a phone with the most useful features and not pay extra.
Look, we’ve managed to avoid any jokes up until this episode, and we’re proud of ourselves for that. So, before succumbing to the temptation, let’s go through the checklist.
No phone (1) specification at a glance:
- Body: 159.2×75.8×8.3mm, 194g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), Glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), Aluminum frame; Many LED lights on the back (notifications, charging process, camera charging light), flashing red light on the back (video recording indicator), IP53 – splash, water and dust resistance.
- Demonstration: 6.55 inch OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 1200 nits (max), 1080×2400 pixels resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402 ppi.
- Chipset Qualcomm SM7325-AE Snapdragon 778G+ 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (1×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 642 l.
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
- Operating System/Software: Android 12, No OS.
- rear camera; wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56”, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS; Very wide angle: 50MP, f/2.2, 114˚, 1/2.76, 0.64µm, PDAF.
- Front camera: 16MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.1, 1.0µm
- Video recording: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, live HDR; Front camera: 1080p@30fps
- Battery: 4500mAh; Quick Charge 33W, 50% in 30 minutes, 100% in 70 minutes (advertised), Wireless Charging 15W, Reverse Wireless Charging 5W, Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 4.0.
- Miscellaneous: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Stereo speakers.
The only major flaw we notice right off the bat is the complete lack of intrusion protection. Of course, splash resistance is still something, but for a phone with such a fake rating, we expected at least IP67.
No phone (1) is available in two color options – black and white – and three memory variants – 8/128, 8/256 and 12/256. The base model starts at 469 €, which is a reasonable price for, well, everything.
Everything boils down to one question – no phone (1) is it a breath of fresh air, a new hope if you will, or a respectable and paid medium? Let’s find out!
Unboxing any phone (1)
No phone (1) ships in an eco-friendly box made from recycled fiber. It’s destroyed when it’s opened, and unless you copy it back, it’ll never look the same.
So, once you open that paper box, inside, you’ll find no phone (1), a USB-C cable, and the coolest SIM eject tool we’ve ever seen!
There is no charger in the box. The phone supports USB-PD 3.0, so you can use any PD charger you have at home.
One more thing, no phone (1) comes with a factory-applied thin screen protector. The quality is better than usual and it is not painted like it is on many Xiaomi phones.