Nothing Phone (2) tipped for big price hike as smartwatch rumors swirl

Ben Schoon | Jun 21 2023 - 7:13 am PT

The Nothing Phone (2) is confirmed to be just a few weeks out, and according to a new report, the upgraded smartphone will carry a much higher price tag.

The original Nothing Phone (1) launched with a fairly affordable price across the UK and Europe, which was part of the appeal of the device. High-end features for a mid-range price. But, apparently, the sequel will come with a price hike.

Where the Phone (1) was sold for €469 in Europe, the Nothing Phone (2) may start at €729. That’s according to a report from Dealabs, which claims the Phone (2) will see this over-50% price hike. The report pins down that price for France in particular, so it’s unclear what the price may be in the UK, US, or even other parts of Europe.

That price is for the base model of the Phone (2), which has 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. A higher-end model with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM would land at €849.

This increase doesn’t come without some clear benefits, though. For one, the Phone (2) is confirmed to be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which will provide a big increase on raw power compared to the Snapdragon 778 used in the Phone (1). But, still, the big hike it going to be a tough pill to swallow unless there are other upgrades.

Meanwhile, there’s some evidence suggesting that Nothing may have a smartwatch in the pipeline. Mukul Sharma, better known as @stufflistings, uncovered a trademark from Nothing that is categorized as a smartwatch. This doesn’t tell us much about the timeline Nothing is looking at, or if the company is even rather serious about producing its own smartwatch, but the company’s goal to essentially offer the iPhone of Android wouldn’t be complete without one. It’ll be interesting to see where that goes.