Spoločnosť Nothing you may know, for example, from their first project, the Nothing ear wireless headphones (1). The company's CEO is Carl Pei, a former co-owner of the OnePlus brand, and investors include well-known names such as Casey Neistat. He is now preparing his first smartphone model Nothing phone (1). And this is the comprehensive information we know about this device.
Nothing phone (1): Unique smartphone with a transparent design
Tech startup Nothing definitely has the potential to become a big player in the Android device field. As of April 2022, the company has raised more than $144 million, with 63 million of that coming from investors from the Android community and the rest from venture capital investors. The ambition to be a "convincing alternative" to Apple devices has so far been a success.
AndroidCentral.com has published a podcast featuring the CEO, Carl Pei, and as part of his answers, he immediately provided some interesting information about the planned facility. The news concerns the unique design of the device, but the topic of performance or technical specifications was also outlined.
Recycled aluminum and light notifications
The smartphone first appeared on the Internet, from the back, about a month ago. It was this first information that indicated a partially transparent design, with a charging coil and two rear cameras. The square design is complemented by a slightly textured pattern, the Nothing logo at the bottom left of the rear wall, and a flat panel display on the front.
But let's move on to the construction. As Carl Pei said, Nothing phone (1) it is made of "100% recycled aluminum" and has "more than 50% bioplastics and recycled resources in the plastic components." It thus represents a smaller burden on the environment.
However, the back side is also unique, the pattern of which is formed from a set of specifically arranged LED diodes. These diodes should be a unique light element that should complement the vibrations of incoming calls, notifications, or even when charging the device or charging other devices. We will reveal more about this technology in the next chapter.
Glyph Interface: Lighting effects you haven't seen before
Thanks to the fall of the embargo after the first press conference, where the manufacturer showed us a smartphone, we can say more about the technology of LED lights. The LEDs on the back have a specific shape, surround the camera lenses, the wireless charger coil, and are located at the bottom of the charging connector.
This is the Glyph Interface. Unique patterns light up in sync with custom sounds. Know who's calling you and when you get an app notification, without the screen-time. Find out more. https://t.co/ZHKNx4WEE6 pic.twitter.com/cOpuEbvCmy
- Nothing (@nothing) June 22, 2022
The functions associated with this "illumination" of the rear wall can be found directly in the smartphone system, and are collectively called "Glyph Interface." These settings hide different combinations of unique ringtone settings for a given contact or notification. There is no night mode, which should not disturb you with light or a design accessory in the form of lighting when turning the device. In addition, there is one red LED that signals the recording of content.
Among other functions of these diodes, we can mention a powerful flash or lamp, either when taking photos or recording video in poor lighting conditions. However, you will also appreciate it with the standard "Flashlight" function. The corresponding diodes light up when you charge wirelessly (reversely), but also with a cable. In the second case, they show the charging progress (status), which is really useful.
You can also watch the lighting effects in the video from the world premiere:
The back wall is an imitation based on reality
You will remember the limited editions of Xiaomi smartphones, such as the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro. However, it turned out that the transparent back wall is an ordinary sticker that has nothing to do with the layout of the internal components. It was a design rather than a functional improvement. In case Nothing phone (1) it should also be an imitation. However, it is based on facts, and the aim was to make selected technological components more attractive, as confirmed by Nothing's head of design, Tom Howard.
"From a design perspective, we really wanted to bring the inside out, and that meant working with the engineers to start from scratch," he says. Howard. "There are more than 400 components assembled in layers in a smartphone. We wanted to celebrate the 'good' things, the things that we thought were really interesting, and we wanted to highlight them."
These are the intended technical specifications
We do not yet know the official technical specifications, so all available information is not yet verified, and at the stage of speculation or expectation. Although we do not know the specific dimensions and sizes of the smartphone display, we know that it will be a flat front panel with rounded edges and space for the front camera. However, we will learn more about the technology and resolution only at the official presentation of the smartphone.
There has even been a false leak of specifications on the Internet. However, Nothing is relatively resilient to similar leaks, unlike its competitors such as Google or Samsung. It is not yet confirmed that the smartphone will contain a processor from the Snapdragon brand. However, a source close to AndroidCentral.com said that the upcoming model could contain a hitherto uninitiated chip of the Snapdragon 7 series. It will probably be a recently announced chip. Snapdragon 7 Gen1 or a variant exclusive to the Nothing phone (1).
This processor should be efficient, also in terms of battery life, which was confirmed by the CEO in an interview, Carl Pei:
Carl Pei said in a podcast for AndroidCentral.com that the Nothing phone (1) will offer "a powerful and energy-efficient smartphone experience with high connection speeds." He went on to say that the operating system will "provide optimal computing power and RAM for the exact application you're using."
Of the other specifications, we have not confirmed the presence of a 120 Hz panel, but we believe that due to competing devices, it will be part of the equipment of the Nothing model. The fast 45 W charging or other alternative, which made the former Carla Peia brand famous, was not confirmed, OnePlus. Information we don't know about includes a set of rear cameras.
The only "spec" we can confirm with certainty is the amount of software support that Nothing phone (1) will get. Pei promises three operating system updates and four years of software support, which would mean the life of the smartphone until about the summer of 2026.
Graphic superstructure Nothing Launcher
The minimalist exterior is complemented by a distinctive graphic superstructure NothingOS. It has a similar design language to the ear (1) application for Nothing headphones, a specific font and element layout. In addition, this extension is available for download in the Play Store as the Nothing Launcher app.
The iconic nothing striped wallpaper is complemented with functional improvements. Carl Pei refers to Apple's connectivity and emphasizes that Project Nothing will not aim to achieve a similar "closed ecosystem." On the contrary, it should be an ecosystem that would also support the connection of alternative third-party products.
The system will offer unique features, such as the voice recorder logo in the shape of an analog tape recorder, after which you can swipe to rewind, fast forward or adjust the playback speed. And there will be system notifications with "raw, technical sounds" inspired by Morse code, oscillators and digital clocks.
If you want a superstructure Nothing Launchr try it out for yourself, the beta version is available for download now. This is for devices with Android 11 or higher. You will find the application in the following link.
Official presentation, price and availability of a new smartphone
Press conference at which the smartphone will be officially presented Nothing phone (1) should take place in a few weeks. Specifically July 12, 2022, at 17:00 p.m. our time. The event is called Return to Instinct, and will be held in London. Of course, there will also be live broadcasts, through the social networks of society.
Bold. Warm. Full of soul.
A return to instinct.
This is phone (1).
Tune in on July 12 to hear all about it: https://t.co/FEJL4Jb2Aw pic.twitter.com/5XUbvo8dwZ
- Nothing (@nothing) June 15, 2022
Device availability Nothing phone (1) we do not know in the sale yet. However, we expect this to happen later in the course of 2022, probably in waves, as with the ear headphones (1).
We can only speculate about the official sale price, but a recent leak assessed that it should be the amount at the level of 500 pounds. This should be competition in the upper middle class for devices such as Google Pixel 6a.
This is what Nothing phone (1) looks like in the introductory video:
How do you like this upcoming smartphone from Nothing? If you have any other questions about this interesting product, feel free to write them below in the discussion below the article. Follow our website too China Planet, subscribe to the newsletter and join us also to our group on Facebook.
