Out of the blue, Nothing Phone (1) has become one of the most talked about smartphones. When most smartphone makers have focused on phones with folding screens and lightning-fast charging solutions, this young startup wants to add a twist to the existing design language.
However, we had a good idea of what the phone might look like thanks to the many official teasers that have been generating hype around the device.
However, the latest handy video posted by YouTuber MKBHD not only gives us a sneak peek of the design that includes the interesting use of LED light strips, but also, for the first time, shows us what the front of the phone. I like. In case you haven’t watched the video, you can do so here.
It’s easy to notice that the phone will have a flat screen on the front with a punch cut in the top left corner. This notch, like most smartphones these days, is not perfectly aligned with the corner curve, which is a nightmare for people who prefer a clean design or have OCD.
However, the bezels around the screen appear to be symmetrical, which is certainly good news. The phone also has flat sides and a flat back panel. The overall design looks similar to one of the iPhones, but here’s the similarity.
(Image credit: MKBHD / Res)
Although Marks may have accepted a embargo that limits it from sharing all the technical specifications and its opinion on the performance of the phone, however, it did give us a detailed experience of the phone’s canopy function (1): LED lights.
Because the back panel is transparent, the company has used it to make it more meaningful, and LED light strips react to phone charging, incoming calls, and notification alerts. The phone will also be sent with lots of ringtones that will cause the LED lights to react.
Nothing Phone (1) includes ringtones with matching light patterns 🤩Full Video: from @MKBHD pic.twitter.com/OTNHkW3dgh21 June 2022
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This, however, is not entirely new and unique. In the 80’s and 90’s, kids were quick to walk down the aisle of nostalgia to remind you of a couple of good old phones with Nokia features that came with built-in LED lights. In fact, we even had RGB LED strips attached that light up if someone called you or sent you a message. In case you’re wondering, this is the era before 2G / 3G. In the case of the phone (1), these lights will be useful for taking close-up photos, as they are bright enough to illuminate the subject properly.
However, comparing the Nothing Phone (1) with its current counterparts, the design is definitely unique and will help the phone stand out from the crowd of similarly looking phones. Implementing a notification light to indicate when the camera is in use is also a well thought out feature and should be appreciated by the company. In case you think that putting on a protective cover will make all this design useless, the company could even bundle a transparent cover to solve the problem.
(Image credit: MKBHD / Res)
But design alone will never be a deciding factor
Nothing for an obvious reason will always compare to OnePlus. Following this brain behind making OnePlus a crowd favorite is running the new boat.
This is probably the reason why Carl Pei may have decided to start from the same place where he left off. Remember that his last major appearance for OnePlus was with MKBHD talking about the OnePlus North.
The fact that Nothing Phone (1) has been shared with one of the most influential voices in the technology space long before the launch will help people get used to the design of the phone. Once that happens, the extreme reactions to the design at launch will therefore have little impact on sales.
This also gives Nothing enough time to take the exaggeration to the next level by revealing the specs of the phone in a timely manner, probably revealing the price as the only one that will be revealed during the launch.
However, the configuration of the camera and the overall performance of the device will depend on the hardware used by the company. And in the midst of all this hype around transparent design, hardware specifications have gone into the background. While we have to wait for the phone to launch in order to evaluate its performance, we must not forget that it is just another Android phone with a sleek back panel.