Nothing Phone (1) is now available in the US with $299 ‘beta membership’

Ben Schoon | Jan 10 2023 - 9:17 am PT

After a previous teaser, the Nothing Phone (1) is now officially on its way to the United States, but the only way to get it is to spend $299 for a weird “beta membership.”

Announced today, the “Nothing OS 1.5 Beta Membership” is available to customers in the United States and grants the ability to test out Android 13 for the Nothing Phone (1) ahead of its final release. Participation in the program costs $299 and comes with a black version of the Nothing Phone (1) in its 8GB/128GB variant.

Nothing explains:

Purchase to test our new Phone (1) Beta software and get exclusive access to Nothing perks. Your opportunity to experience Phone (1) at its most advanced, with Nothing OS 1.5, powered by Android 13.

Notably, this isn’t a completely formal launch of the Nothing Phone (1) in the United States. The company explicitly states that the phones shipped out will be “final models” and even the same model sold globally, and as such, they “may not work with all US carriers.” In a later FAQ, Nothing states that T-Mobile will be the best bet, with support for both LTE and 5G bands, though not all of the carrier’s 5G bands. AT&T will work on LTE but not 5G, and Verizon will have “very limited” 4G support.

The beta membership will last through late June of this year, but it’s still not clear if that means Nothing will introduce a formal US variant of the Phone (1) at that point or if this is just a chance for fans to get their hands on the device and provide some feedback on Android 13. Nothing further explains:

Phone (1) was not originally released in the US but it’s set to be an important market to us. By giving our American audiences access to the Nothing Beta Membership, we can get to know them better and incorporate their input.

In any case, if you’ve been waiting on a chance to try out the Nothing Phone (1) in the United States, this is your chance, and it’ll cost a lot less than importing one.