What is that? Oh, it’s Nothing… Phone (1), the first phone from a startup called “Nothing” that’s (eventually) heading to Australia.
The Nothing Phone (1) has been receiving a lot of buzz, even over here in Australia where we typically get technology a little while after the rest of the world.
The startup, Nothing, was founded by Carl Pei, a co-founder of OnePlus, who picked up funding from Tony Fadell (one of the inventors of the iPod), Kevin Lin (one of Twitch’s co-founders) and Steve Huffman (Reddit’s CEO).
It’s not the first product from Nothing: the “Ear (1)” came first, which received positive reviews.
But here comes the Phone (1), an Android smartphone that keeps its naming convention as simple as Apple with an additional layer of minimalism.
Why’s everybody talking about Nothing? Well, let’s dive into it.
The Nothing Phone (1) in Australia, explained
The Nothing Phone (1) is pitched as a revolution in the phone space, but don’t be taken for a ride: it’s a premium-oriented smartphone entering a crowded market with a lot of investor hype built up around it.
But hey, don’t take it from me, take it from Nothing’s own website:
“Less distractions. More soul. Just pure instinct, formed as a machine. Told through beautiful symbols. Deeper interactions. And brave simplicity. Phone (1) can bring us back. To us.”
Tech bro fluff aside, the phone does actually look quite nice and it does bring with it some welcome features (or, lack there of).
Nothing makes a big deal about its operating system, dubbed Nothing OS (I could never have guessed it), saying that it doesn’t come with bloatware. Considering the amount of bloatware that comes with a lot of phones, I absolutely welcome a phone that does away with unnecessary apps.
With bloatware out of the way, it does make way for other forms of over-bloating a phone, such as through “bespoke widgets” and… *Sigh*, an inbuilt NFT gallery. This was probably only included to further generate headlines.
Now we’re past all of that, it’s time to talk about the aesthetic of the phone: it’s really pretty. The back of the phone is transparent, with white lighting “glyphs” patterned across it. These look cool and actually have a use: depending on who is calling, or texting, or what notification has been received, the glyph light pattern will flash in different ways. Some might say this is a… Nothing feature, but I’m sure it’s exciting to some.
Now, let’s get into the specs.
Nothing Phone (1) technical specs
The Nothing Phone (1) is available in three different configurations:
- 8GB RAM + 128GB Memory ($749, black)
- 8GB RAM + 256GB Memory ($799, black and white)
- 12GB RAM + 256GB Memory ($899, black and white)
The display is a 6.55-inch HDR10+ gorilla glass screen, with a 2400×1080 resolution. It’s capable of between 60Hz and 120Hz with its adaptive refresh rate. The phone also has in-display fingerprint and facial recognition.
The battery includes 4,500mAh capacity, capable of a full charge in 70 minutes. It also has 15w wireless charging (full charge in 120 minutes).
Internally, the processor is a Snapdragon 778G+ CPU, part of an older generation but by no means a bad processor. The GPU is an Adreno 642L.
On the back, you’ll spot two cameras: a 50MP wide camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. On the front, you’ll see a 16MP selfie camera.
Additionally the phone is IP53 rated and has dual SIM functionality.
Nothing Phone (1) Australian pricing and availability
On the Australian website, the Nothing Phone (1) starts at $749, undercutting the iPhone 13 and the Samsung Galaxy S22 range of phones by quite a lot.
Available in either black or white, the Nothing Phone (1) hasn’t been confirmed for sale at any Australian retailers, although we know the phone will be coming to Australia. The Nothing Phone (1) will be available from July 21 via the Nothing website and from Nothing partners.
Nothing to worry about.