Nothing Phone 2 is mostly fine on Verizon — if you have good 5G coverage

Sometimes you have to break the rules and do this. I attended Nothing’s New York City product drop last week and got my hands on the Nothing Ear 2S and the Nothing Phone 2. Now, I’m a longtime Verizon customer, which seemed like a huge deterrent to actually testing this phone and its glowing glyph. At one point, Nothing mentioned “limited” support for Verizon on its website, but the company has since removed the carrier. Overall – never a good sign.

But as I found out, as long as you have an active SIM that was already in another Verizon-certified phone, you can pop that into the Nothing Phone 2 and start working without any immediate headaches. When I tried to do this, the phone’s mobile data turned on, calls and texts worked properly (including RCS messaging), and I’ve avoided any hangups so far. Never received an automated SMS scolding me for using an unauthorized device.

After about a week of trying out the Phone 2 as my full-time device, I noticed that the network indicator is showing 4G, 4G Plus, 5G, and 5G Ultra Wideband. Even the VoLTE (Voice over LTE) icon is present almost all the time. I’m a little unclear on what 4G Plus means in Verizon’s parlance; Maybe it’s LTE Advanced, or maybe the phone is just getting confused about what network it’s on. But it’s going with the punches either way. I’ve traveled to Manhattan and Brooklyn and so far haven’t had any apparent disruption in service. But this is NYC we’re talking about; 5G, as is often the case, can be found everywhere.

Elsewhere the experience can be a bit more unpredictable. And in the case of the Nothing Phone 2, it’s because it completely removed support for band 13, That frequency band is very important to Verizon’s 4G LTE network. It is essential for most of the people of the country. So if you move away from a city or crowded suburbs and start to move away from 5G coverage, that’s where you’re likely to have some problems and start to lose signal — and it’s why Verizon is unlikely to ever fully certify Nothing’s latest phone.

I’m a tech critic and usually have a few different phones. So I’m not going to waste my time lugging a $599 phone around town for nothing. But if I were driving seven hours to visit my dad in the “North Country” of New York, there’s no way I’d gamble and keep my Sim with me.

Do I find the glyph system gimmicky? For the most part, yes. I’ve got the upper right LED allocated for messages, and if my phone is flipped on it’s definitely nice to know when I’ve received a text. Other than the lights and network limitations, I’m a fan of this phone overall. The Phone 2 manages excellent battery life in my opinion, has a very nice and vibrant display – I am fastidious About the screen, people – and I love the software changes that Nothing has made.

Being able to place quick settings toggles directly on the lock screen is surprisingly useful. I’m working pretty basic right now and I’m sure there’s a lot more I can do, but so far so good. The Phone 2 hums and I’ve barely noticed a single stutter during my time with it. And Mostly satisfactory.

All of this is to say that if you have Verizon and are curious about trying out the Phone 2, it is possible. You will receive your messages and calls. Data works great. but you shouldn’t depend Nothing on the device in this scenario. Outside of 5G coverage areas, you’re not likely to have as strong a signal as you would on other phones that support Verizon’s full range of bands. So if you decide to spend the money on this new gadget, keep another, really certified phone within your reach.