Ayaz

When OnePlus One first launched in April 2014, there was a lot of hype and curiosity around the phone. After all, it offered a unique finish (the sandstone black finish was rare), a good processor (the Snapdragon 801), and came with the Cyanogen Mod– a much-loved version of forked Android among hardcore fans. The OnePlus One when it eventually launched in December 2014 started at Rs 21,999. At the time, OnePlus had an invite system– meaning you needed a pass or code to buy the phone. And yes, it was dubbed as the original ‘flagship killer’ since it offered great specifications and a smooth software experience for what was half the price of a flagship those days. Cut to 2022, and the smartphone market is very different and even OnePlus has evolved as a brand. So it is no surprise that the Nothing phone (1), the latest smartphone from the new company of former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, is being compared to the OnePlus One. But hype aside, can Nothing make its mark in this mid-range segment? We take a look at the challenges for Nothing phone (1) and why it might also have an edge.