There’s a lot of hype behind Carl Pei’s return to smartphones in the Nothing Phone (1), but it remains to be seen if the device will actually live up to expectations. Ahead of its launch, though, we’re getting a first look at the Nothing Phone (1) and its signature trick, “glyph” lights.
Nothing Phone (1) gets the hands-on treatment
Marques Brownlee posted a new video on his YouTube channel today, offering up a first look at the Nothing Phone (1) in action.
We’ve seen some still images and clips before now, but this is the best look we’ve had at the device so far.
As earlier looks hinted at, the Nothing Phone (1) looks a whole lot like an iPhone 12/13, with the same dual-camera array and layout on the back, and flat metal sides. The front also has moderately sized bezels in today’s market, but with a hole-punch for the selfie camera instead of the iPhone’s notch.
But of course, the key difference to the design is the back of the device, where its “transparent” design does indeed given it a very unique look compared to most devices.
The transparent back has a special “glyph” design underneath the glass, which has lights that serve as both a way to make the design stand out, and also serve a few functions.
Here’s what the lights on Nothing Phone (1) can do
Besides just looking cool, there are some actual functions that the lights on Nothing Phone (1) can do.
These include:
- Lights up to indicate notifications
- Glows when you use reverse wireless charging
- Bottom light is an indicator for wired charging progress (shake to show)
- Fill light for cameras
- Blinking red light when recording videos
- Blink lights to match built-in ringtones
It also appears that there will be some sort of feedback with Google Assistant and the glyph lighting system.
It wasn’t touched on in the video, but it’s we’d assume this might act like a Google Assistant smart speaker, with the lights turning on to react to “Hey Google” voice commands. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.
Will these turn out to be a gimmick?
Some of them probably will, but these are certainly unique ideas that sound pretty fun.
With a clear case, or one that even pipes the light to the rest of the phone, there could even be a good amount of utility here.
Nothing Phone (1) is set to be fully revealed next month, but we still don’t know exactly how much it will cost or where it will be available.
More on Nothing:
- Nothing phone (1) set to launch on July 12 in live-streamed keynote
- Nothing Phone (1): What to expect from Android’s newest entrant [Video]
- Nothing Phone (1) ‘transparent’ design revealed ahead of early-July launch
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