The Nothing Phone 2 is finally here, and since it’s getting a full U.S. release at launch, the smartphone is poised to be the biggest hardware launch yet for the growing tech company. Because of how cryptic Nothing tends to be with its marketing, there have been a lot of questions making the internet rounds over the past few months as the Nothing Phone 2 was teased — but now we have all of the answers.
In the current age of smartphones, headphones jacks are never a guarantee ever since the biggest manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Google ditched them for their flagship devices in favor of wireless listening options. While many of the biggest phones in the world don’t sport headphone jacks, some select devices still do — which causes many prospective Nothing Phone 2 buyers to wonder if the new smartphone will have a 3.5mm headphone jack for easy, wired listening. Here’s what you need to know.
To put it bluntly, no, the Nothing Phone 2 doesn’t have a headphone jack. Its predecessor, the aptly named Nothing Phone 1, similarly doesn’t feature a headphone jack, so there wasn’t much expectation that the Nothing Phone 2 would have one, but now we know for certain.
As mentioned above, this is a trend in most major flagship devices that completely omit the headphone jack in favor of using the space for additional speakers, stylus slots, and more. Luckily, there are still plenty of different ways to listen to audio on the Nothing Phone 2.
To listen to audio content on the Nothing Phone 2, the easiest way is to use the phone’s Bluetooth connection and use wireless headphones such as Nothing’s own Nothing Ear 2 wireless earbuds. If the Nothing Phone 2 is your first Nothing device, you don’t need to use the company’s headphones and can connect wireless headphones of any brand just as you would with an iPhone or Galaxy device. In other words, any of the best wireless earbuds available today will work just fine with the Nothing Phone 2.
If you’re looking for a wired connection, it’s actually still possible, even with the Nothing Phone 2’s lack of a headphone jack. To listen with wired headphones, you’ll need to use a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle. Connect it to the Nothing Phone 2’s charging port and the headphones, and you’ll be able to listen that way. Take note that Android-based devices sometimes struggle with this method of audio listening, so you may encounter some issues when using a dongle, making the experience less than seamless.
If you don’t want to use headphones, the Nothing Phone 2 is equipped with two stereo speakers, so you can listen to audio content out loud as well. Additionally, you can use the phone’s Bluetooth settings to easily connect to wireless speakers the same way you’d connect to wireless headphones or any other Bluetooth devices.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.