Nobody conducted a low-key surprise announcement at MWC 2023 last week. The mini-event took place inside Qualcomm’s booth, where a small group of journalists came to watch the intriguing unveiling. It had to be Qualcomm-related, thus the Nothing Phone (2) made the most sense for the teaser.
That’s what Qualcomm and Nothing ended up teasing. Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced that the flagship Snapdragon 8 Series processor would power the Nothing Phone (2). Nevertheless, the executive did not disclose which model semiconductor was used at the time.
We now know, a week later, that it will not be the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. And we know this because of an unintentional confirmation from a Qualcomm executive.
Pei’s strange language last week suggested that the Nothing Phone may not feature the most recent Qualcomm processor (2). The CEO said that the device will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 CPU while avoiding any model specifications.
Qualcomm has released three Snapdragon 8 System-on-Chip (SoC) variants: 8 Generation 1, 8 Plus Generation 1, and 8 Generation 2. If Qualcomm has an 8 Plus Gen 2 SoC on its plans, a fourth model might be released later this year.
Customers hoping for a truly flagship smartphone from Nothing should not anticipate the Phone to be powered by a 2023 CPU (2). The British startup is still in its infancy. 91mobiles quickly took a snapshot of a LinkedIn post in which Qualcomm’s Alex Katouzian verified the sort of processor Nothing would utilise in its next-generation phone.
Qualcomm’s SVP and GM of the Mobile, Compute, and XR business segment is Katouzian. He must be aware of what Nothing is doing with the next-generation phone. The executive erased his post, but the screenshot below shows that you can’t actually take anything off the internet after you’ve published it.
The Qualcomm executive said that the Phone (2) would use a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, which will likely put a stop to speculation earlier than Nothing would have liked. Katouzian may have made a mistake, but it seems improbable.
Anyone hoping for a Smaller device with the same power as the Samsung S23 series may be disappointed by the chip selection. And the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is an excellent Processor for this year’s leading Android devices. Check out this real-world Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max speed test.
Nonetheless, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is still a fantastic choice. It is the flagship CPU utilised by Samsung in both of their 2022 foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4.
Also, the chip selection should be excellent news for the pricing of the Nothing Phone (2). Since the old chipset is less costly, the new Nothing device shouldn’t be as pricey as flagship phones like the Galaxy S23.
For example, the Realme GT3 phone, which has a battery that recharges at 240W rates, begins at $649. It’s a 2023 flagship with the same Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor. The Galaxy S23 begins at $799. However, in Europe and other areas, the mid-range Nothing Phone (1) costs less than $500.
