With the Nothing Phone (1), the startup of OnePlus founder Carl Pei launches its first smartphone in July 2022, which is inspired by the semi-transparent design of the Nothing Ear 1 headphones from last year. In a first Nothing Phone (1) hands-on video, the smartphone is shown in detail for the first time.
Nothing Phone (1) hands-on video released
After Nothing had already published a few days ago first teasers to the specially developed smartphone and showed in it for the first time the back, Youtuber Marques Brownlee on his channel now shows the world’s first hands-on video of the device.
Thus, long before the official presentation, which is to take place on July 12, at least the design is no longer a surprise. As with the Ear 1 in-ear headphones, the Nothing Phone (1) once again relies on a semi-transparent design and equips the device with some exciting features.
For example, the smartphone’s display edges, which are the same size on all four sides, are striking. The front camera is located in a punch hole in the upper left corner of the screen. Visually, the manufacturer’s first smartphone is somewhat reminiscent of the iPhone 13 models and relies on a flat frame.
According to the video, the volume up and volume down buttons sit on the left side of the case, while the power button is home to the right side. According to the hands-on video, the SIM card slot and USB Type-C port are on the bottom. The manufacturer apparently places a dual-camera setup on the back.
The operating system is Nothing OS, which is based on Android 12, but has been heavily customized. However, you’ll have to wait until July 12 for most of the Nothing Phone’s (1) technical specifications.
Nothing Phone (1): the back has it all
One of the most exciting details on the new Nothing Phone (1), however, is represented by the transparent back, which features several LED strips. Various LED modules are found around the camera module, in the upper right corner, in the center and on the bottom.
This does not only look cool, but also serves several purposes. On the one hand, the approximately 900 LEDs function as an indicator for incoming notifications. Nothing calls the whole system “Glyph Interface”, which is also able to inform about the battery’s current state of charge.
When charging via USB-C, the light bar shows to what extent the battery is already charged. When charging wirelessly (reverse wireless charging is also possible), only the center area is illuminated.
In addition, the entire Glyph interface can light up in full brightness. This is supposed to be especially useful when taking pictures in low-light conditions to achieve an even illumination, which is supposed to be clearly superior to the classic LED flash.
In addition, there is a red flashing LED light on the Nothing Phone (1) that indicates when you are currently recording a video. But that’s not all. Nothing ships the smartphone with a total of 10 pre-installed ringtones that are synchronized with the LED strip and make them light up to match the sound.
Thus, even in muted mode, it should be possible to tell who is calling based on the LED illumination alone. Of course, this only works if you assign special ringtones to different contacts. Still, it’s a cool feature.
Introduction on July 12
While many specifications, for example about the installed hardware or the display size of the Nothing Phone (1) are not yet known, the hands-on video once again shows that Carl Pei wants to provide a breath of fresh air on the smartphone market with his new company.
The Nothing Phone (1) is to be officially unveiled on July 12, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. German time. More information is available on the event website of the manufacturer.
