Up until this week, very little information had been publically available about the upcoming smartphone release from tech startup Nothing. In fact, when we first wrote about the Nothing Phone 1, all we truly knew was that a smartphone was in the works. Fast forward to June 22nd and more details have emerged, albeit slowly.
What we do know, is that folks are incredibly excited for and interested in the Phone 1. The design is notably similar to recent releases of Apple’s iPhone. Many have commented on the similar shape, camera lens orientation, and aesthetic minimalism. However, Nothing has highlighted its unique transparent design, which was also present in its first product launch: the ear (1). Additionally, the Phone 1 sports 900 individual LED lights, which make up the “glyph interface.” These will function as a visual notification system, lighting up in different patterns which users can pre-program to indicate different alerts like certain contacts calling/texting, app notifications, and more.
Furthermore, wireless charging, an OLED display, and the promise of future software updates have all been confirmed for the Android smartphone by Nothing founder Carl Pei. Pricing has not been set despite the apparent sale of the Nothing Phone 1 launching on July 12. In anticipation of the phone’s July 12th release, Nothing launched an exclusive presale on StockX of a limited number of laser engraved Phone 1s. Only the top 100 bids will be accepted.
One significant piece of news that has been released, and confirmed by The Verge, is that the Nothing Phone 1 will not be available in North America. There are hopes to release a US-supported Nothing Phone 1 in the future, but for now the smartphone’s stateside trajectory appears murky at best. In the meantime, users will have little to no access to the Nothing Phone 1’s functionality here in the US.
