Is it worth entering Nothing Phone 1?

It is tempting to import Nothing Phone 1. The combination of eye-catching design, perfect performance and reasonable price can make it more attractive than other mid-range smartphones and even more are some expensive flagships. But is it really worth the effort? Phone 1 go to USA? Unnecessary. There are some challenges you will have to overcome, even when the device reaches you.

Importing can cost more than you think

The Phone 1 costs £399 in the UK and €469 in EU countries, or around $478 US as of the time of this writing. However, you can’t just ship one to a US shipping address. We have not found any major UK or European Union retailers that will ship Nothing products to the US and it is unlikely that you will provide a Phone 1 that has not received the necessary FCC certification to Legal sales in the country.

Unless you know someone willing to serve as a middleman, you will need to enlist the help of a package forwarding service that will ship the Phone 1 to a US address. In the UK, your options include companies like Forward2Me, We and Reship. Many of them will handle single shipments, but you may need to sign up for a membership (usually $10 per month). And an individual order can be expensive. For example, Forward2Me currently estimates that it will cost you between $29 and $47 to ship a typical smartphone box.

At least you may not have to pay significant import fees. While US Customs and Border Protection request Goods handling fee (from $2 to $10 for informal entries like this), you can import products for personal use tax and tax free when they are worth less than $800. The package forwarder will handle the paperwork and often quote actual shipping rates. With that said, be sure to read the terms for these services and be prepared for the possibility of additional charges.

The phone may not work properly

The costs may not be the real deal deciding factor. If anything, you’ll need to worry more about network compatibility. Although the Nothing Phone 1 supports the 5G and LTE frequencies of some US carriers, it lacks the long-range bands for T-Mobile and Verizon. You won’t get robust coverage and performance may drop. In testing, PCMagby Sascha Segan found that that Phone 1 only manages 100Mbps downloads on 5G in areas where other phones reach 400Mbps.

This assumes you can get the handset to work in the first place. No certification from FCC or US service providers, yes There’s no guarantee you’ll be connected. There’s no warning that Phone 1 can’t make 5G or LTE calls on AT&T because a device isn’t certified, and Segan lost Verizon service after two hours of use. Don’t expect functionality to be improved. Founder Like Nothing, Carl Pei Explains to PCMag, US certification is not worth the trouble without an agreement with a local service provider; any broken connection is likely to be broken.

After-sales support is also an issue. There is no warranty service is only included in the region of original purchase, so you can’t ask for official help. We also wouldn’t expect independent repair shops to repair Phone 1. You’ll probably have to buy a brand new phone if something breaks, or otherwise.

What are the alternatives?

Pei pointed out that US community investors can get Phone 1 through the closed beta program. There’s no such thing as “big plans” to launch a US-friendly phone at some stage. However, if you’re not part of that beta and aren’t ready to wait for the sequel, you should probably buy a replacement device. Thankfully, there are a few viable models in the sub-$500 range.

By Google Pixel 6a (launching on July 28) might be the easiest choice. It won’t have the smooth 120Hz display, wireless charging, or dual 50-megapixel rear cameras of the Phone 1, but you’ll get a speedy processor and the latest Google software features for a modest price. cost $449. If you want a high refresh screen, Motorola is capable of 144Hz 2021 edge being sold to $400 as we write this. And yes, iPhone 11 still surprisingly capable if you don’t mind the three year old specs.

We recommend against Samsung slowness Galaxy A53 5G, but it is an option if you are determined to get a 120Hz screen or simply prefer the safety of the ecosystem of a big brand. You may also want to wait a while. Apple should have a better $500 device when it updates its iPhone lineup in September (probably iPhone 12″), and solids Galaxy S21 FE could see prices fall further.