US "Beta Test" Of Nothing Phone Targets Those Who Value Wealth Over Common Sense

Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus, has founded a new smartphone firm with the strange moniker "Nothing." The company's first device, the Nothing Phone 1, was released in Europe, India, and China for 469 euros (about $500) about six months ago. Nothing will now allow you to spend $300 on that phone in the US. Although the corporation refers to this as a "beta test," it sounds as though you are only gauging consumer interest. The "beta test" designation suggests that purchasing the phone has restrictions, which makes it a fairly bad offer. Initially, a quick recap The $300 mid-range Nothing Phone 1 has a Snapdragon 778G+, a 6.55-inch, 24001080 120Hz OLED display, a 4500 mAh battery, and a number of other "meh" specifications. With only a few LED strips on the back panel to set it out from the competition, the gadget lacks a distinct selling point for why it's a decent smartphone. The business expects you to be amazed by the bizarre back panel. Photo Credit: CNET Regarding this beta test, you aren't actually purchasing a phone made to US standards for $300. Instead, in the hopes that all will work out, Nothing will send you the production model from Europe, India, or China. On every carrier, you will be missing important frequency bands, which could cause signal issues depending on where you are. According to the FAQ on the phone, 5G is not at all supported by AT&T or Verizon and is only partially supported by T-Mobile with one band. On each carrier, you're also lacking LTE bands. Voice over LTE, Wi-Fi, and CDMA won't function on AT&T or Verizon, respectively. Verizon will need to be pleaded with to add your phone to its IMEI database so that it can be enabled. Also Read: Will 5G impact your iPhone’s battery life? There is also no warranty. There is a 14-day return policy, according to the FAQ, and then "there's no after-sales service after this period." For all 50 states, the phone is delivered in five to seven business days. A Nothing Phone NFT will also be given to you. Photo Credit: The Verge The only thing you might test on the phone is the experimental version of Android 13 that it comes with, though you could just as easily test it in the official markets where Nothing Phone is sold. Of course, there is a chance that a beta OS will cause problems with your phone. Because a beta version of Android won't pass Google's Play Integrity API, or "SafetyNet Attestation," more secure apps will likely crash or throw error messages. These typically include tap-and-pay, banking, gaming, and DRM-restricted media apps like Netflix and YouTube. Paying to "test" a partially-broken product is extremely difficult to sell, even with the discount. The Pixel 6a costs $449 ordinarily, but it frequently goes on sale for $300 or $350 if you're just looking for a good phone at a reasonable price. (The $350 deal is now taking place.) In addition to being significantly faster than the Nothing phone, it also has a few nice-to-have features like FCC certification, cellular connectivity, a production OS that supports apps, and a guarantee in case something breaks. For those who are truly into back panel lighting, there is even an LED flash. Photo Credit: Sicom Testing Nothing specifies that the "Nothing Beta Membership program will operate through 30 June," implying that by that time the phone won't be available for purchase. Additionally, the Nothing Phone 1 will have been around for a year by then. The US is "set to be a major market to us," according to the firm, so perhaps the upcoming model will be appropriately sold here. The US might use some fresh smartphone competition, but not like this.