Nothing Phone 2 vs. OnePlus 11: don’t pick the wrong phone

Both the Nothing Phone 2 and the OnePlus 11 are outfitted with some of the best processors on the market, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, respectively. While both chipsets are excellent, the OnePlus 11’s chip is the most recent iteration of Qualcomm’s processors, while the Nothing Phone 2’s is from a previous generation. This means that the OnePlus 11 will see slightly better performance than the Nothing Phone 2.

That said, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 could hardly be described as slow, so if you end up picking up the device, you would only begin noticing an issue if you directly compared it to something with a more recent competitor. Because both phones have displays with 120Hz refresh rates, they both feel snappy and responsive when being used, especially when paired with their chipsets.

The battery in the OnePlus 11 is 5,000mAh, a solid-sized cell that’s a bit bigger than the 4,700mAh one found in the Nothing Phone 2. In our testing, the OnePlus 11 lasts a bit longer per charge. The Nothing Phone 2 easily gets through a full day or day and a half, depending on your use, while it’s more likely you’ll make it through two full days per charge on the OnePlus 11.

The OnePlus 11 has a tri-camera setup, meaning that it offers more photo-taking options than the Nothing Phone 2’s dual-camera array. That said, some of the features that it boasts aren’t exactly selling points in practice, such as the 2x telephoto lens, which is disappointing in a market where Samsung and Google have smartphones with 10x and 5x optical zooms, respectively.

Both the Nothing Phone 2 and the OnePlus 11 run their own custom operating systems that are based on Android 13. The Nothing Phone 2 runs NothingOS, which fits very much in line with the physical design of the Nothing Phone, placing a high amount of emphasis on looking minimalist and analog. The OnePlus 11 runs OxygenOS. It’s a bit more customized than Nothing OS, though it also includes lots of extra features — including a more robust always-0n display, a Zen Mode app to improve your digital well-being, and more.

When it comes to software updates, OnePlus has guaranteed that the OnePlus 11 will receive four major Android updates and five years of security updates. The Nothing Phone 2 is guaranteed three years of Android updates and four years of security updates. In terms of longevity, the OnePlus 11 obviously will be supported for an additional year when compared to the Nothing Phone 2, but their life cycles are pretty standard for what should be expected from modern flagship devices.

Deciding which phone wins this category is something of a tossup and mostly comes down to preference in the operating system.

If you’re looking for a more robust Android experience, then the OnePlus 11 will satisfy you (and it helps that it’ll receive longer support than the Nothing Phone 2), but those who have bought into the minimalist, a-typical look that Nothing uses for its hardware and software will likely enjoy Nothing OS more.

Winner: Tie

We’ve already mentioned the lights on the Nothing Phone 2’s backside, but they’re more than just fancy set dressing. In fact, there’s a surprising amount you can do with them.

Their main function is that they’ll light up and flash for notifications you receive — including phone calls, texts, and more. Nothing designed a load of custom ringtones and notification sounds for you to use, each with its own unique sound and light pattern. You can also use the lights as a timer, to see the current volume of the phone, check your charging progress, and more. Some people may find it all a bit gimmicky, but we have to give Nothing credit as they make the Nothing Phone 2 wholly unique from any other smartphone.

Comparatively, the OnePlus 11 has no such lights. It does have OnePlus’s iconic alert slider, allowing you to cycle between ring/vibrate/silent modes with the flick of a switch. It’s cool and convenient, though nowhere near as impressive as the light show you get on the Nothing Phone 2.

Winner: Nothing Phone 2

Although the Nothing Phone 2 packs a lot of value, the OnePlus 11 slightly outperforms it in most areas thanks to its more up-to-date processor, its incredible charging speeds, and its high-resolution OLED screen. That said, the OnePlus 11 doesn’t completely blow the Nothing Phone 2 out of the water in any area except for its charging speeds (but even then, that might be debatable for fans of wireless charging), so much of the deciding factor is going to come down to individual preference.

As mentioned above, the Nothing Phone 2 was designed to be interesting to look at with its clear back and LED accents, so if that’s something that appeals to you, you won’t find it with the OnePlus 11’s design. Similarly, Nothing OS has a unique take on Android that sets it apart from OxygenOS.

Some things aren’t about preference, however, and come down to the pound-for-pound differences between the devices. For example, the OnePlus 11’s 6.7-inch display offers a crisper image quality with its 1440 x 3216 resolution and 525ppi. Additionally, the fact that the OnePlus 11 can record 8K footage at 24fps makes it a useful tool for anyone who’s looking to film extremely high-quality video — as long as they have a separate hard drive to store the footage on.

Purchasing a phone is also a pretty large investment for most, so knowing that it’ll be supported with updates for several years is important. In that regard, the OnePlus 11 is going to be supported for a full year longer than the Nothing Phone 2, which is rated to be less durable than the OnePlus 11.

So, what’s the conclusion? If you can afford the extra $100 to get the OnePlus 11 over the Nothing Phone 2, it’s likely money well spent. But if you’re trying to spend as little as possible, or you just want a phone that stands out from the crowd, the Nothing Phone 2 is a fantastic choice in its own right.