Nothing Phone 1 vs Samsung A73 – Which One is Better?

The smartphone manufacturer Nothing has recently launched its first mid-range smartphone, the Phone 1. The smartphone is equipped with some impressive specifications. However, in the mid-range smartphone category, there are a number of competitors of Nothing Phone 1 in the market. The most staunch competitors include Samsung Galaxy A73, Redmi Note 11 Pro, OnePlus Nord 2T, etc. We already made a detailed comparison of Nothing Phone 1 with OnePlus Nord 2T. Today, we are going to make a comparison of Nothing Phone 1 vs Samsung A73, to check if the Phone 1 can beat a more established brand in the midrange category. However, before moving forward, we are going to mention the release date and price of the two phones.

Nothing Phone 1 vs Samsung A73 (Launch Date and Price):

The Nothing Phone 1 was rolled out on July 12 at a launch event. The base variant (8 GB, 128 GB) of the phone is available for $470. While on the other hand, the Galaxy A73 was launched on the 12th of March and is available for $440.

Design:

The design of both smartphones is decent and elegant. However, undoubtedly, Nothing Phone has a more unique design with a number of perks. So, the Phone 1 is a winner in the design aspect with its use of Gorilla Glass 5 for the back panel and aluminum for the frame.  On the other hand, the Galaxy A73 uses plastic material with no gorilla glass protection for the back. The Phone (1) also features a glyph interface which adds to the overall user experience.

Display:

Both of these smartphones use premium OLED panels with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. Simultaneously, the two phones come with a punch-hole display and a high 120hz refresh rate. However, the Galaxy A73 takes a slight lead and offers a larger screen of 6.7-inches. On the other hand, the Phone (1) features a more expensive flexible OLED panel which allows it to render symmetrical bezels. Overall, from a design perspective, both smartphones are on the same level.

Camera:

Rear:

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy A73 has a much better camera than Nothing Phone 1. The Galaxy A73 features a quad-rear camera setup with a 108 MP main sensor. However, after reviewing both cameras, we conclude that the OIS-equipped main camera and 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera are the useful ones in its setup. The Phone (1), on the other hand, keeps it simple with a dual-rear camera that consists of two 50-megapixel cameras–an IMX766 with OIS for the primary camera, and an ISOCELL JN1 for the ultra-wide-angle camera. On the other hand, the Phone (1) keeps things straightforward with a dual-rear camera that consists of two 50-megapixel cameras: an IMX766 with OIS for the primary camera and an ISOCELL JN1 for the ultra-wide-angle camera. So we can say that it’s also a tie in this aspect.

Front:

The Galaxy A73 has a comparatively better camera in the selfie department, as its punch-hole has a 32 MP resolution while the selfie camera has a resolution of 16 MP.

RAM and Storage:

Both phones have different variants in terms of memory space. 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. However, as we are comparing the most basic variants, the Nothing Phone 1 comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage while Samsung A73 comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Therefore, there isn’t a big difference, however, phone 1 has a slightly larger RAM size.

Performance:

If we talk about the performance of both (Nothing Phone vs Galaxy A73) phones, they are at par. The Nothing 1 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 G + 5G chipset and the A73 comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 G 5G chipset. These are similar midrange chipsets though the plus version in the Nothing Phone 1 is slightly improved and newer. Simultaneously, both phones have the same GPUs (Adreno 642L) and almost the same CPUs.

• Geekbench scores:

The CPU of the Nothing Phone 1 is put through testing on Geekbench to determine how well single core and multi-cores perform in job execution. The multi-core and single-core Geekbench scores for the Nothing Phone 1 are 2,956 and 718, respectively.

The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G CPU is put to the test on Geekbench to see how well it performs both as a single core and as a multi-core processor. The multi-core and single-core Geekbench scores for the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G are 2,796 and 725, respectively.

Now as we can see they both have almost similar geekbench scores with the phone 1 taking a slight lead, however, it won’t matter a lot.

Battery:

The Galaxy A73 features a larger 5000mAh battery as compared to the Nothing Phone 1. On the other side, phone 1 offers a 4500mAh battery. However, the latter has a better charging technology and offers faster 33w wired charging speeds in addition to 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Furthermore, there are other quick charging features in the Nothing Phone 1 including Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 4.0, etc. The Samsung A73 offers only 25W fast charging.

Sensors:

Both of these smartphones have a similar range of sensors. These include Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, and compass.

Comparison Table

Specifications	Nothing Phone 1	Samsung A73
Display	6.5 inches, AMOLED	6.7 inches, Super AMOLED
Resolution	2400 x 1080 pixels	2400 x 1080 pixels
Refresh Rate	120Hz	120 Hz
Display Features	HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor	Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SM7325-AE (6 nm)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SM7325 (6 nm)
GPU	Adreno 642L	Adreno 642L
CPU	Octa-core, 1x 2.5GHz Cortex-A78 + 3x 2.2GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x 1.9GHz Cortex-A55	Octa-core, 1x 2.4GHz Cortex A78 + 3x 2.2GHz Cortex A78 + 4x 1.9GHz Cortex A55, 64-bit
RAM	8 GB	6 GB
Internal Storage	128 GB	128 GB
Rear Camera	Dual 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.56″, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide)	Quad 108 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) 5 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
Rear Camera Features	LED flash, panorama, HDR	LED flash, panorama, HDR
Video Resolution (rear)	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, live HDR	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps; gyro-EIS
Selfie Camera	16 MP, f/2.5, (wide)	32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide)
Blutooth	5.2, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go	USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
OS	Nothing OS (based on Android 12)	Android 12, One UI 4.1
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery	Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable	Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable
Charging	Fast charging 33W, 50% in 30 min, 100% in 70 min (advertised) Wireless charging 15W Reverse wireless charging 5W Power Delivery 3.0 Quick Charge 4.0	Fast charging 25W

Our Verdict:

After comparing various aspects of both smartphones, we see them at par in almost everything. Simultaneously, there isn’t a big difference in the prices of both phones. So, if you are brand and quality conscious then we would certainly recommend the Samsung Galaxy A73, and if you want something new and unique then you should be going for the Nothing Phone 1.

Also, check out? Nothing Phone (1) vs. iPhone 13 – The Best Comparison So Far on the Internet