{"id":2052,"date":"2022-03-23T15:09:54","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T15:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/23\/nothings-first-smartphone-is-aimed-at-apple-not-oneplus\/"},"modified":"2022-03-23T15:09:55","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T15:09:55","slug":"nothings-first-smartphone-is-aimed-at-apple-not-oneplus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/23\/nothings-first-smartphone-is-aimed-at-apple-not-oneplus\/","title":{"rendered":"Nothing\u2019s first smartphone is aimed at Apple, not OnePlus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/3\/23\/22992424\/nothing-phone-1-smartphone-carl-pei-apple-ecosystem<\/a>
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Nothing will launch its debut smartphone this summer, its CEO and former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced today during a live stream. It\u2019ll be called the Phone 1, run Android, and be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. And yes, it was this phone that Carl Pei was photographed showing Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon<\/a> \u2014 albeit wrapped in a privacy-protecting case.<\/p>\n

The Phone 1 will be the company\u2019s second product following the release of its Ear 1 true wireless earbuds<\/a> last year. A short teaser trailer released today suggests that the phone could have a series of light strips built into its back, while a previous report claimed<\/a> it could feature transparent design elements like the company\u2019s earbuds.<\/p>\n

But Nothing isn\u2019t ready to talk specs or price. During an interview with The Verge<\/em> ahead of today\u2019s event, Pei was even coy about what function these light strips could serve in the final device. Could we be looking at a new take on the notification light, which was once a standard issue across numerous Blackberry and Android phones, including some from OnePlus<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Pei teases with a grin.<\/p>\n

But when it comes to software, the CEO is more forthcoming. Today, Nothing is releasing a series of images of Nothing OS, the Android skin it plans to ship on the Phone 1. The images don\u2019t reveal much about what the software might be able to do, but Pei is keen to emphasize its look, which very consciously lines up with the rest of Nothing\u2019s branding. The interface is a sea of black, white, and red that leans heavily on the dotted font that Nothing uses for its logo.<\/p>\n

Pei\u2019s also very into the sound of the phone, an area he thinks is often overlooked. \u201cOur sound design is really cool,\u201d he says, \u201cso definitely check that out.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Nothing OS home screen and widgets.<\/em><\/figcaption>Image: Nothing<\/cite><\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot of organizations have big silos between different teams,\u201d Pei says, explaining how the product team will often work separately from the design team, who\u2019ll be separate from the software and marketing teams. Nothing, he says, wants to offer a \u201csingular vision\u201d across its devices, which seems like it could be a challenge when the startup already has design teams working in the UK, Sweden, and China.<\/p>\n

Nothing\u2019s press release says the Phone 1\u2019s Nothing OS will distill Android to \u201cjust the essentials, where every byte has a purpose.\u201d However, don\u2019t expect the phone to evoke the ghost of the Essential Phone<\/a>, even though Nothing acquired the rights to the brand<\/a> early last year. Pei tells me the acquisition was just about acquiring its trademarks back when \u201cNothing\u201d could have been called \u201cEssential.\u201d In the end, though, \u201cwe decided Nothing was probably better,\u201d Pei says (cue the \u201cbetter than Nothing\u201d jokes). <\/p>\n

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