Nothing Phone (2) Sold Out at Pre-Launch Events. Can They Dethrone Samsung in the Android Market?

The limited quantity launch edition even comes with x1 45w power adapter, x1 Ear (Stick), and case. That said, these goodies are selling out fast as we'll soon find out.

100 units were up for grabs at CROSSOVER Mid Valley that came with limited edition Crossover merchandise numbered from 1 – 100 and According to sources from CROSSOVER, they were sold out one day after the launch. Buyers were also given additional freebies during the launch on 15 July.

On 17 July, the pre-orders for Shopee and Lazada were sold out as well within 12 hours (according to Nothing) which left units to be sold on 22 July for the official launch.

The Nothing Phone (2) launch edition went on sale on the 22 July at these selected stores:

Kuala Lumpur 1. Yes - Lot 10 Store 2. TMT- Midvalley Mall 3. Tac Mobile - KL East Mall.

Selangor 1. DirectD - PJ Mega Store 2. Urban Republic - IOI City Mall 3. Vivid Concepts - Sunway Pyramid 4. SS Solution - Shah Alam

Johor 1. Shining E-Store

Penang 1. Ai SPACE - Gurney Plaza

Terengganu 1. Mr. Mobile Care Specialist

Sarawak 1. 3Xpress Mobility - Bintulu Commerce Square

At the DirectD PJ Mega Store, customers lined up since 5.40am to get their hands on the launch edition of the phone and according to our sources from Nothing, the launch editions are sold out at DirectD.

No word on the sales at the YES Experience Store Lot 10, but you can get the NP2 (12/512GB) for "FREE" there with a 36-month contract at RM178/month. That's RM6,408 over 3 years which, if you minus the cost of the phone at RM3,499 is about RM80.81 per month for your phone bill. Is that cheap? We'll leave that up to you.

You can also just get the launch edition at the YES Experience Store without a contract.

We've covered previously that the NP2 has a chip that's one year older than the Samsung flagship, but with its competitive pricing and standout visuals, the NP2 has potential to dethrone Samsung as the default Android smartphone.

The NP1 received 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates so the NP2 should last as long which puts it about the same as Samsung's device support for Android updates as well at about 4 years. However, like the design of its body, the Nothing OS is highly personalised and may be the make or break factor for the fledgling tech brand.

It may not have the specs to take on the S series Samsung phones but it certainly has more than enough to put it ahead of Samsung's A and M series phones.

Just like Windows machines, Android machines have one weakness: the lack of a singular driving force. Apple controls its product end to end, while the Android operating system pushes its software to many vendors who flood the market with devices that are increasingly difficult to tell apart.

There was one brief moment when it felt like the Google Pixel would bring clarity to the Android space and become the defacto focal point for Android smartphones, but the first Pixel was launched in 2016 and now, seven iterations later, it still hasn't come to the Malaysian market and one could arguably say that the phones have been a hit-and-miss affair.

Pixels didn't bring about an Android revolution and fans were still left with Samsung as the pioneer Android phone maker.

We've mentioned that there's a clear blue ocean that is waiting for the NP2 as it is priced competitively and it's differentiated in the Android and smartphone market in general. The third leg to its longterm success will be in its use which will help it stay in demand for the coming years.

Early reviews overseas have praised its unique design and OS, but there have not been glowing reviews for its camera. There are no proper reviews yet for the phone by locals but we hope that will change soon as the phone enters the market.