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Nothing Phone 1 brightness rating dropped suddenly by 40% (Update: Statement)
- Nothing advertised its Phone 1 had a brightness rating of 1,200 nits.
- It was discovered the Phone 1 is only capable of hitting 700 nits currently.
- The hardware is capable of emitting 1,200 nits, but would need a software update.
Update, August 16, 2022 (02:45 PM ET): Nothing gave a statement to Android Authority clarifying the controversy below. Here is the statement:
The hardware is capable of reaching up to 1,200 nits peak brightness, but this is currently capped by the software to 700 nits. This decision was made to ensure a balanced user experience regarding heat and battery consumption. We look forward to hearing from our users about this and will monitor feedback closely to understand if this should be addressed in future software updates.
You can read more about Nothing’s given information about this brightness issue here.
Original article, August 11, 2022 (02:14 PM ET): When Nothing released the Phone 1, it was advertised that the maximum brightness of the handheld could reach up to 1,200 nits. However, it was discovered (via ComputerBase and h/t XDA-Developers) that currently, the phone can only achieve 700 nits.
The discovery was made while ComputerBase was testing the device. Despite attempts to create situations that might trigger the phone to emit its advertised brightness, the German publication found the rating would never go higher than around 700 nits.
According to XDA-Developers, after ComputerBase reached out for comment, Nothing responded by saying, “the peak values are around 700 nits for brightness.” Nothing then proceeded to discreetly change the advertising on its website to reflect this new number.
Although the handset’s brightness peaks at 700 nits, the screen is actually capable of achieving the promised 1,200 nits. The company may have believed this was a good enough reason to make their initial brightness claim. However, in order to make it possible, Nothing would need to release a software update that supports higher illumination.
At this time, it’s unknown if Nothing plans on issuing an update to address the brightness rating issue. However, there are reasons why it may hesitate to do so, such as increased battery drain.
This isn’t the first time Nothing’s Phone 1 has ended up in the news. Just last month, users were noticing a green tint to the screen, as well as some dead pixels around the selfie camera. Nothing contacted Android Authority about the issue in a statement you can find here.