Nothing phone 1

Based on a teaser image accompanying today’s news, the Phone 2 looks like it will continue to offer the “glyph” notification lights featured on the back of the Phone 1. On that device, they’re partly a style flourish and partly practical since they can indicate different types of incoming notifications by flashing in different patterns. Underneath the blinky lights, the Phone 1 was a good midrange phone that

At first blush, the appeal of the Nothing Phone 1 rests on its standout design and the strength of its story. The company clearly learnt lessons from its first product and the level of polish applied to the Phone 1 surpasses expectations, while unique features like its transparent back and glyph lighting marry novelty and functionality in a way that's absent from most other phones. Two-minute review Reading this, you're either here curious about who Nothing is and what the Phone 1 brings to the table compared to more well-known offerings, having never heard the name before or you're already clued-in on the story of the London-based startup and the existence of the Phone 1, wondering how the company's quick cultivation of talent and hype manifests when distilled into a smartphone. The Phone 1 is Nothing's second ever physical product released in its short existence, following on from 2021's Those inaugural buds set the tone for the kind of products the company aspires to make, defining a clear design aesthetic for both the brand and its wares that's been carried through to the Phone 1 and beyond. Now that the Phone 1 is here, it's clearly been made using more than just a check-list of me-too features; with a rear design unlike anything else on the market, functionality – like the Glyph Interface lighting on its back – that offer intrigue and whimsy, and an otherwise well-rounded and capable pairing of software and hardware. Sure, the cameras aren't class-leading and battery...

The Nothing phone (1) nails the basics: the 120Hz OLED screen has good colors, the hardware is reliable, the cameras take great photos, the software is clean, and the battery lasts over a day. There is potential for greatness here, but the phone isn't without shortcomings: the distinctive design with LEDs at the back is quirky, but there's no way to customize the lights. The screen is good for daily use, but the ambient light sensor is erratic. The software is clean and bloat-free, but you'll come across bugs. On the whole though, the phone (1) does just enough to set itself apart in this category, and that is no small feat. But there are always new challengers that seek to thwart the beast; in the last five years, we've seen several try and fail to make a mark. Nextbit had a design-focused vision and an interesting cloud-first model that didn't live up to its potential, and the brand withered away after just one phone, the Robin. Even Essential wasn't immune to the beast's ministrations, and it folded after a year. Nothing is the latest entrant in this arena. It has a strong foundation to build on; Carl Pei knows what it takes to manufacture and sell a phone, and the brand has strong backers in the form of Google and Qualcomm. Then there's the device itself — the phone (1) combines a quirky design featuring LED lights with clean software, and Nothing's goal with the device is no less than to make tech fun to use again. About this review I'm writing this review after using...

Contents • • • • • • • • • Show 4 more items Pushing all this aside, what’s the Nothing Phone 1 actually like? It’s good, but not because of the LED light show on the back. The Nothing Phone 1 looks nothing like any other phone available at the moment. Sure, glass on the front and back sandwiches a metal chassis, but the rear of the phone is transparent. Because of this, it shows the internal components and is lit up by Nothing’s fancy Glyph LED lights. Ignore the naysayers — it’s fun, special, and downright cool. The phone comes in black or white color schemes, is 8.3mm thick, and weighs 193 grams. It’s sensible to use with one hand, it’s not too bulky or thick, and it slips into most pockets and bags without a fuss. Related • • • Andy Boxall/Digital Trends The flat-sided metal body looks very slick, but it’s not that comfortable to hold for extended periods, much like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 it’s so clearly imitating. There is a hint of a chamfered edge, but it’s not enough to make the phone as comfortable to hold as the The transparent back of the Nothing Phone 1 looks ace. All the phone’s guts are actually covered up, leaving the wireless charging coil as the only naked component on show. That may disappoint some folks at first, but in reality, it’s a good thing. Components are usually ugly, and aesthetics aren’t taken into account when laying out the inside of a phone. Covering them up with different-shaped panels under the glass gives the Nothing Phone 1 a cool, ...

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But Nothing isn’t ready to talk specs or price. During an interview with The Verge ahead of today’s event, Pei was even coy about what function these light strips could serve in the final device. Could we be looking at a new take on the notification light, which was once a standard issue across numerous Blackberry and Android phones, But when it comes to software, the CEO is more forthcoming. Today, Nothing is releasing a series of images of Nothing OS, the Android skin it plans to ship on the Phone 1. The images don’t reveal much about what the software might be able to do, but Pei is keen to emphasize its look, which very consciously lines up with the rest of Nothing’s branding. The interface is a sea of black, white, and red that leans heavily on the dotted font that Nothing uses for its logo. “A lot of organizations have big silos between different teams,” Pei says, explaining how the product team will often work separately from the design team, who’ll be separate from the software and marketing teams. Nothing, he says, wants to offer a “singular vision” across its devices, which seems like it could be a challenge when the startup already has design teams working in the UK, Sweden, and China. Nothing’s aim, Pei says, is to create products with a singularly focused design language across everything from hardware to software so that there could never be any confusion about them coming from another company. It’s a tall order in a world of increasingly indistinguishable sm...