Nothing has simply introduced a model new smartphone, and listed here are all the small print which have been revealed to this point.
After all of the rumours and anticipation, we’ve lastly been handled to our first style of the Nothing telephone (1), the start-up model’s very first smartphone. Right here’s all that we find out about it to this point.
Worth and availability
Whereas the Nothing telephone (1) has been introduced, we haven’t but seen the telephone in all its glory but, and it’s definitely not but that can be purchased. The model has promised the launch to happen in Summer time 2022, whereas extra particulars can be introduced over the approaching months.
There’s no phrase but on worth or availability, however we are able to take notes from Nothing’s solely earlier product launch, that of the Nothing ear (1) true wi-fi headphones. On this instance, the product was accessible for a comparatively low worth level contemplating its capabilities, however availability was very restricted to the purpose it’s fairly tough to get your palms on a pair. We’re hoping that the Nothing telephone (1) can be extra accessible — however don’t rely on it.
Software program
Nothing OS is the identify of the consumer interface that the Nothing telephone (1) will sport, and that is the side we all know probably the most about at the moment.
The producer claims to have captured “one of the best options of pure Android, distilling the working system to simply the necessities, the place each byte has a objective.” As you possibly can inform, because of this it’s a really gentle contact, with what we’ve seen to this point being similar to inventory Android. That’s not altogether stunning when you think about that the model’s CEO is Carl Pei, previously of OnePlus, a producer that holds to an analogous software program philosophy.
Explaining himself on the keynote, Pei claimed that this stripped-down look would take away bloatware — “why copy the good apps that Google has already made?” he requested, rhetorically — however the telephone will optimise processing energy and RAM to make sure that these apps load and shut in a short time.
A big quantity of the design language is about consistency; so the highest widget and clock will stay uniform between the lock display, always-on show, and residential display, and the {hardware} and software program had been designed in tandem in order that one compliments the opposite.
The press launch went on to explain Nothing OS as follows: “A coherent interface, the {hardware} seamlessly integrates with software program via bespoke fonts, colors, graphical components and sounds.” The above picture exhibits widgets that includes prominently on the house display, for each time and climate, with the latter of those utilizing the identical “dot matrix” design because the model’s brand.
Pei summarised the design expertise as balancing “uncooked expertise with human heat”, and claimed that the voice recorder app (pictured above) greatest exemplified this, with an interactive analogue tape recorder image that may be pushed again and ahead together with your finger to skip ahead and again when taking part in again an audio file.
The primary preview of this consumer interface in motion can be by way of a launcher that can be accessible to obtain “on choose smartphone fashions from April.” We’ll preserve you up to date as extra particulars are revealed.
Customers of the Nothing telephone (1) will obtain 3 years of OS updates, and 4 years of safety updates.
Efficiency
The Nothing telephone (1) can be “powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform”, however for now we have now no additional particulars than that. Qualcomm makes an enormous vary of cell chipsets, from these present in price range Android gadgets all the best way as much as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is a flagship-level processor. If Nothing is meaning to make a giant assertion of intent with its first smartphone then that is the silicon it should use, however equally the upstart producer might make its debut with a extra modest mid-range machine.
Design
To this point we’ve not seen any photographs of the bodily product itself, which could be very uncommon contemplating it has been introduced and is only some brief months away from launch.
Going by Nothing’s home model, established with its true wi-fi headphones, we’d count on the smartphone to have a clear casing that means that you can see among the internals, whereas the color scheme is more likely to be composed principally of white and black, maybe with a purple spotlight right here and there (and this supposition definitely appears to be borne out by the software program photos we have now already seen).
Nonetheless, on the occasion itself Carl Pei emphasised that the design can be like nothing else we’ve ever seen earlier than; a revolution akin to that which occurred when touchscreens changed button telephones. If this expectation may be met then it’s probably a extremely thrilling product, however after such a lofty promise there’s a threat that the truth can’t assist however be underwhelming.
The cryptic picture above appears to carry a clue as to the eventual look of the telephone, so let hypothesis begin as to what it should seem like when it arrives this summer season.
All that stated, we have now really already seen a sneak peek of the machine — albeit from a distance, and never notably clearly. The famend leaker Evan Blass posted the above photograph which seems to have been taken at MWC 2022 and depicts Nothing CEO and founder Carl Pei holding an unidentified machine, exhibiting it off to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. The Verge has confirmed that this machine is certainly the telephone (1), “albeit wrapped in a privacy-protecting case”, however plainly we’ll have to attend till the machine is unveiled earlier than we are able to take an actual shut have a look at it.