The Nothing Phone (1) is the upcoming smartphone from ‘Nothing’, a company founded by Carl Pei, who is also a founder of OnePlus. That being said, the Nothing Phone (1) will be the very first smartphone from the company. Nothing announced only one product thus far, the Nothing ear (1) truly wireless earbuds. Launching a smartphone was always the company’s goal, though. You can expect various other smart products from them as well.
The company has been teasing the Nothing Phone (1) for a while now, and a ton of other content appeared. In this article, we’ll basically group all of those in one place, and compile a preview of the Nothing Phone (1). That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect out of the device. This article will be split into different sections, including design, specs, camera, and price & availability. So, let’s get started.
This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Nothing Phone (1) (this is a preview article) — both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims — as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on June 27, 2022.
The Nothing Phone (1) will feature a see-through glass back
At this point in time, Nothing already confirmed the Nothing Phone (1) design. The back side of the phone got shared in images, following various teasers and similar content. As expected, the Nothing Phone (1) will feature a see-through backplate. The phone’s frame will be visible, well, part of it, along with various other details. The ‘Nothing’ logo will be etched into the frame, but you’ll be able to see it thanks to the transparent glass on the back.
LED notification lights may be included on the back
Two cameras will sit in the top-left corner of the device’s back, and they’ll be vertically-aligned. You’ll also notice a bunch of white lines on the back, lines that Nothing has been using to tease the device. Well, they’ll also have a purpose, it would seem. Those lines will act as LED notification lights. More on that later on.
An in-display fingerprint scanner is expected
A power/lock key will sit on the right-hand side, while the volume up and down buttons will be on the left (and will be separated). The device will almost certainly include an in-display fingerprint scanner as one is not located on the back or on the side. We’re expecting an optical fingerprint scanner, but an ultrasonic one is also a possibility. Speaking of the phone’s front side, that’s something that Nothing didn’t show.
Uniform bezels will also be a part of the package
The Nothing Phone (1) will feature uniform bezels on the front. That has been suggested by Nothing a while back, and confirmed in MKBHD’s video. MKBHD received a test unit early, and showed us both the phone’s front and back side, confirming uniform bezels. He also showed how the ‘Glyph’ interface will work, to control the LED notification lights on the back. You can check out the video below.
Prior to that video, the phone was spotted in an event in Switzerland. A couple of YouTubers managed to get some images and videos of the device. You can check out the gallery, and videos below for more information.
The Nothing Phone (1) is shaping up to be a powerful mid-range smartphone
When it comes to specs, Nothing did not confirm much information. Some info did get confirmed, however, and some additional stuff surfaced in rumors. So, we’ll try to make sense of everything. Nothing officially confirmed that the Nothing Phone (1) will offer wireless charging. That is set in stone, as is the fact that the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC will fuel the device. That’s about it when it comes to specs, though. Thankfully, various tipsters had more to say.
The Snapdragon 778G+ will likely fuel the device
Now, despite the fact some of you may expect the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to fuel this device, that likely won’t happen. Several tipsters suggested that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 will be used, Qualcomm’s brand new mid-range chip. That may not be the case, though, as the device appeared on Geekbench with the Snapdragon 778G+ SoC. Nothing is aiming for a somewhat lower price tag, so it will offer a truly capable mid-ranger. A 6.55-inch fullHD+ AMOLED display was also mentioned. That panel will be flat, and offer either a 90Hz or a 120Hz refresh rate, it would seem.
A 64-megapixel main camera is tipped
A 64-megapixel camera is also tipped, and that expectation comes from Nothing’s official sketch, actually. Though, a different rumor suggests a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 16-megapixel secondary unit. The company didn’t officially confirm it, but its sketch does suggest it. The same actually goes for a 90Hz panel, even though Nothing’s official video kind of suggested we’ll get a 120Hz display. We still don’t know what size the phone’s battery will be, but some charging-related information did surface. It seems like the Nothing Phone (1) will offer 45W wired charging. Wireless charging, as already mentioned, will also be supported, likely 15W wireless charging. The company is also tipped to offer 5W reverse wireless charging.
Android 12 will be paired with the Nothing Launcher
Android 12 is expected to come pre-installed on the Nothing Phone (1), along with the company’s Nothing Launcher. That launcher is already available to download to various devices, by the way, though in its beta state.
You can expect to get two cameras on the back
What can you expect in the camera department? Well, two cameras will sit on the back, and one on the front, that much we know. The main camera on the back will be either a 64-megapixel unit, or a 50-megapixel unit. The first number was suggested by Nothing’s sketch, while the second appeared in a rumor. That will be a wide-angle camera, most likely, while the secondary unit on the back will be an ultrawide camera. That secondary unit will likely use a 16-megapixel sensor. In terms of the front-facing camera, that is said to be a 16-megapixel unit also
A single camera will be included on the front, inside a hole punch
What about the front-facing camera? The exact details didn’t leak yet, so we can only guess. The same goes for its position. The Nothing Phone (1) will almost certainly utilize a punch hole on the front, and it will likely be centered. Nothing could go for a 16-megapixel camera on the front, but as already mentioned, that’s just our guess, it remains to be seen.
The Nothing Phone (1) will launch on July 12
What about the phone’s pricing and availability? Well, The company did confirm the Nothing Phone (1) launch date. We know that the device will become official on July 12. Do note that it will not be coming to the US, though. The event will also be livestreamed, in case you were wondering. Now, Nothing is also bringing back the invite system, similar to the one OnePlus used. You can now join the waitlist to get the phone, and on launch day, you’ll get a purchase link to buy the phone.
The device could cost around €500
It was confirmed that Nothing already partnered up with various retailers and carriers for the launch of the device. We know it’s coming to Europe, India, and various other markets. What about the price, though? Well, if a recent rumor is to be believed, the Nothing Phone (1) will set you back around €500. This is expected to be a truly powerful mid-range smartphone, with some flagship features. It remains to be seen how many people it will manage to attract, though, as the competition in that price segment is quite considerable.
Two color variants are expected
All of Nothing’s focus has been on the white-colored Nothing Phone (1), well, almost. A black variant of the device did appear in one of Nothing’s videos, but it wasn’t fully assembled. We’re not sure if Nothing plans to launch that variant at all, but chances are it will come later on, not on July 12.
2022-06-27 15:04:56