If you clicked on this article you probably know about Nothing, the startup launched less than 2 years ago by former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei. As such you also know they have only released two products, a pair of affordable earbuds and the Nothing Phone (1).
The Nothing Phone (1) was released in July and has seemingly made its way into the Kenyan market with third-party retailers listing the phone without a warranty for Sh71,999. This is because the device is not officially launching in Africa, as a matter of fact, it is only launching in the UK, Europe, and Asia.
If you do not know about the device, it is most famous for its design, first revealed on 15 June.
The Phone (1)’s design language is like nothing you’ve seen before. Following in the Ear (1) headphones’ footsteps, the smartphone is built with a mix of opaque and transparent back that hints at the phone’s internals without explicitly revealing too much of them. It’s available in either white or black.
The phone also packs a set of LED light strips on the back which the company calls the Glyph Interface, these are able to flash white in various patterns. The LED lights have some cool features:
- Flashing for notifications
- Glowing around the charging coil when reverse wireless charging
- Slowly filling the bottom bar when using wired charging, as a battery indicator
- All illuminating at once as a fill light when using the camera
- Flashing in distinct patterns in time to a number of pre-set ringtones and notification alerts
The phone’s frame is made out of recycled aluminum. The front and back of the phone are finished in Gorilla Glass 5 for protection, and the handset also boasts an IP53 rating for dust and water-resistance
The specs on the device are not that impressive tho, the phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chipset, and is paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage.
The Phone (1) gets its juice from a typical 4500mAh capacity and supports 15W wireless charging as well as 5W reverse wireless charging and wired charging up to 33W.
For $399, 120Hz, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits the 4,500mAh battery, USB-C, 50 Megapixel, and 16 Megapixel Selfie Camera are pretty good. However, to get one in Kenya you’ll have to spend big for the bare minimum, will, rather, would you?
Nothing Phone (1) full: Specifications
Specification | Nothing Phone 1 |
---|---|
Build |
|
Dimensions & Weight |
|
Display |
|
SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus |
RAM & Storage |
|
Battery & Charging |
|
Security | In-display optical fingerprint scanner |
Rear Camera(s) |
|
Front Camera(s) | 16MP selfie camera |
Port(s) | USB Type-C |
Audio | Stereo speakers |
Connectivity |
|
Software | Nothing OS over Android 12 |
Other Features | Glyph lighting interface |
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