Nothing Phone 1

Nothing, Carl Pei's tech startup, officially launched its debut Android smartphone. And while the Phone (1) looks cool, it's not coming to the U.S. right ...

Aside from that, it uses a proprietary version of Android called Nothing OS. It has its own widgets with dot matrix fonts and promises a lack of bloatware apps, which will be good news for Android enthusiasts who are tired of deleting apps every time they get a new phone. There are a series of lights in this back panel called the “Glyph” interface which can be customized to light up differently for calls, notifications, and charging status. Still, with a transparent back case featuring a unique light-based notification system, and white and black models, it’s one of the more stylish phones on the market.

Nothing has announced its debut smartphone, the Nothing Phone 1, which boasts a novel "glyph" interface and two 50-megapixel cameras.

As mentioned, the Nothing Phone 1 starts £399 (about $475) and will be available on July 16 in a limited capacity outside of those who pre-ordered it. On the rear of the phone, there are two 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensors with an f/1.88 aperture and 1/1.56 inch sensor size, one is ultrawide and one is standard. Carl Pei, CEO and co-founder of Nothing, demonstrated the phone’s ringtones that synchronize with the lights in the launch video.

The Nothing Phone 1 features a unique back panel design with light strips that illuminate in combinations called glyphs. Take a first look at its unique ...

When you can’t see the blinking lights on the back, Phone 1 is a very mainstream, familiar-looking device. What Phone 1 offers is a very good set of specs for a midrange phone with a clean interface and a novel notification system. But, with one foot in the past and the other in the future, Phone 1 lands squarely in the present. It’s paired with a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and around front, there’s a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The Nothing-provided wallpaper options also lean futuristic with a hint of mystery about them. The preloaded voice recording app is styled with a nod to analog tape recorders, and the alarm sounds harken back to the digital bedside clocks everyone’s dad had in the ‘80s. (The glyph lights are really bright at default, but you can tone it down in settings.) Glyphs are each paired with their own signature sound, a combination of old-school-tech-inspired pings and chirps with quirky names like “squiggle” and “isolator.” The phone’s unusual back panel has been at the center of early first looks and Nothing’s promotional materials, and it features a transparent glass that reveals the guts of the phone — painted white or black depending on the model you order. Before getting into what’s not different, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: OnePlus. Nothing is Carl Pei’s new venture after his 2020 departure from the company he co-founded. Even before the light strips illuminate, it is very obviously not an Apple or a Samsung or a Motorola phone. When the “glyph” flashes to signal a notification or an incoming call, then you definitely know this is something else.

A few weeks ago, the news broke loose that there was a brand new smartphone on the block looking to make an impact. With an Android operating system and a ...

The Nothing Phone boasts a 50mp camera, with dual lenses and a wide-angle sensor that gives it a 140-degree field of view. And while there has always been a lot of controversy surrounding the Apple vs Android cameras, I can safely say that I am impressed by Phone(1)'s cam. Pei goes on to explain that the Nothing team worked hard to ensure that its OLED display didn't affect the shape of the phone. The Nothing Phone (1) (opens in new tab) is being launched on 21 July 2022 from Convent Garden, London, starting from just £399. We've rounded up some of the Nothing Phone(1)'s most intriguing features that have got me excited about the phone, and may give Apple a run for its money. With an Android operating system and a unique design, the Nothing Phone(1) gathered a lot of attention and has piqued our interest. The Glyph Interface is a series of lights that correspond to the phone's functions.