The latest phone from Nothing or the compact Pixel flagship? Which one to choose?
Nothing Phone (2) Vs. Google Pixel 7 – KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Display: Nothing Phone (2) has a bigger 6.7-inch AMOLED display, while Pixel 7’s display is smaller at 6.3 inches. Both displays have a resolution of Full HD+, but Nothing Phone (2) has a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, while Pixel 7 is limited to 90Hz.
- Chipset: Nothing Phone (2) is more powerful as it is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, while the Tensor G2 chipset on Pixel 7 isn’t as powerful as the latter.
- Cameras: Both phones have dual cameras on the back. Nothing Phone (2) has a 50 + 50 MP setup, while Pixel 7 has a 50 + 12 MP setup.
- Battery: Nothing Phone (2) has a bigger battery, a 4,700mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery with 20W wired. 20W wireless and 5W reverse wireless charging support.
- Bottom line: Pixel 7 is the better buy considering it costs almost $100 less than Nothing Phone (2). However, if you want better performance, better battery life, and want the phone to stand out, Nothing Phone (2) is the one to go for.
Nothing Phone (2)
Nothing Phone (2) improves on the Phone (1) formula, with upgraded chipset and improved cameras.
Pros
- Stand out design
- Good performance
- Good cameras
Cons
- No charger bundled in the box
Google Pixel 7
Google Pixel 7, with its slashed price, is one of the best deals on Android right now. It has a great set of cameras and offers a clean Android experience.
Pros
- Great cameras
- Compact
Cons
- Slow charging
- No charger bundled in the box
Design
The primary reason for the smashing success of Nothing Phone (1) was how it looked. Nothing Phone (2) maintains that look, bringing in just some subtle changes. The phone has a transparent glass back that reveals inner covers, a wireless charging coil, and the glyph interface. The camera array also remains similar, with it being a dual camera setup, and the phone still has a flat frame.
Google Pixel 7 follows the design language introduced with Pixel 6 series. The camera bar takes center stage, which houses the phone’s dual camera setup. The phone uses a glass back, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Displays
Nothing Phone (2) comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of Full HD+ and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It can reach 1600 nits in peak brightness and has HDR10+ certification. Corning Gorilla Glass protects it, but the version of Gorilla Glass is unspecified.
Google Pixel 7 is much smaller with its 6.3-inch AMOLED display. It has a resolution of Full HD+ and a refresh rate of 90Hz. It also comes with HDR10+ and can go up to 1,400 nits in peak brightness.
Nothing Phone (2) has the upper hand here.
Performance
Nothing Phone (2) is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, last year’s flagship chipset from Snapdragon. It is no Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but it is plenty powerful and can easily handle anything you throw at it. It is also much faster than the Google Tensor G2 on Pixel 7.
The Google Tensor G2 SoC is Google’s in-house chipset, used in Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7A, and Pixel Fold. It performs well but is no match for Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 or other flagship chipsets. The performance is lower but hits back with Tensor Processing Unit for AI processing. This chipset enables Google to pack all the AI magic it does with Pixel phones.
Camera
Nothing Phone (2) and Pixel 7 have dual camera setups on the back.
Nothing Phone (2) has a 50MP primary camera and a Sony IMX890 sensor with OIS support. It is aided by a 50MP ultrawide camera. To the front, the phone has a 32MP selfie shooter.
Google Pixel 7 has a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The selfie camera is 10.8 megapixels.
Battery
Nothing Phone (2) has a 4,700mAh battery, which supports 45W fast charging. It also comes with 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging.
Pixel 7 has a smaller 4,355mAh battery and supports 20W wired and 20W wireless charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging.
Software
Nothing Phone (2) comes with Nothing OS 2.0 based on Android 13. Nothing OS, the brand’s custom skin, is a close-to-stock Android skin that resembles stock Android for the most part but has Nothing specific features and fonts.
Google Pixel 7 comes with Android 13 out of the box, often called Pixel UI unofficially, as it is also a custom skin with minor additions to stock Android. It’s the perfect phone for Stock Android lovers.
Specs Comparison Table
| Specification | Nothing Phone (2) | Google Pixel 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6 mm | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm |
| Weight | 201.2 g | 197 g |
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP68 |
| Display size | 6.7 inches | 6.3 inches |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2412 pixels | 1440 x 3216 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 90Hz |
| Display Certifications | HDR10+ | HDR10+ |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass (version unspecified) | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | Google Tensor G2 |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×3.0 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.5 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (2×2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2×2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G710 MP7 |
| RAM | 8 GB / 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB | 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm, 1/1.31″, 1.2µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS |
| Ultra-wide camera | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚, 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, AF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 114˚, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm |
| Selfie camera | 32 MP, f/2.5, 1/2.74″, 0.8µm | 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm, 1/3.1″, 1.22µm |
| Battery capacity | 4700 mAh | 4355 mAh |
| Charging speed | 45 W | 20 W |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 20 W |
| Reverse wireless chargin | 5 W | 5 W |
| Operating system | Nothing OS 2.0 based on Android 13 | Android 13 |
| Price | Starting from $599 / CAD 929 / £579 / €679 | Starting from $599 / CAD 799 / £599 / €649 |
Price And Value For Money
Here are the prices of Nothing Phone (2) across regions:
- 8 GB + 128 GB – $599 / CAD 929 / £579 / €679
- 12 GB + 256 GB – $699 / CAD 999 / £629 / €729
- 12 GB + 512 GB – $799 / CAD 1,099 / £699 / €849
- You can check the cost in your region here.
Here are the prices for Pixel 7:
- 8 GB + 128 GB – $599 / CAD 799 / £599 / €649
- 8 GB + 256 GB – $699 / CAD 929 / £699 / €749
Nothing Phone (2) has a higher storage and RAM variant of 12 + 512 GB, while Pixel 7 is limited to 8 + 256 GB. Interestingly, the prices of 128 GB and 256 GB variants are identical in the US, while it is radically different in other markets. You’d also get Pixel 7 for a much lower price on Amazon in the US; currently, the 128 GB variant is listed for around $500.
- Also Read: Pixel 7a vs Pixel 7 – So What’s Different?
Conclusion
Nothing Phone (2) and Google Pixel 7 are both great smartphones available at comparable prices.
Nothing Phone (2) has an edge over Google Pixel 7 on performance and battery. It looks nothing like any other phone in the market. If you’re in the market for a unique smartphone with good performance and cameras, Nothing Phone (2) is the one to get.
Pixel 7, even though it lags behind Nothing Phone (2) in terms of camera hardware, more than makes up for it with its camera software optimization.
But you need to consider the current prices of Pixel 7. Both phones were launched at the same price in the US at launch, but Pixel 7 has received price cuts on Amazon in the US and can be bought at close to $500, making it a stellar deal compared to Nothing Phone (2).
