Nothing phone (1) first look: What the Glyph?

Nothing phone (1) is an Android phone that is bringing in some changes in how a phone is built. For one, it has been pushing a transparent design concept that lets one almost see inside the phone. While that does not give the user any additional value, it certainly makes the phone look different. With Nothing phone (1), the company has made the rear panel fully transparent within the very iPhonesque aluminium frame of the phone. This doesn’t mean users are exposed to all the circuitry and processors inside the device. Nothing has in fact put in some extra effort to ensure the innards are presentable — so you end up with a view of the wireless charging coil, a lot of good-looking panels and, of course, some screws.

The Nothing phone (1) offers a new design and clean user interface. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

But within these panels are strips of LEDs which differentiate this phone even more. Nothing calls it the Glyph interface, a new way for the phone to capture your attention and maybe even communicate to a certain extent. So, you can select ringtones and notification tones that not only sound different but also sync with the LED strips in different combinations. This means you can set different Glyph notes for different contacts and types of messages. And when on silent, the lights themselves will tell you who is calling.

The Glyph interface at the back of the Nothing phone (1). (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

The LEDs can also sync with your music and make your phone look like miniature wedding tableaux if that’s the kind of attention you crave for. However, for me, this did not work with apps like YouTube Music and Apple Music. I will have to test it out with locally saved music files.

The other use of the Glyph is with Google Assistant and it’s fun to see the ‘G’ LED light up when you say ‘Hello Google’. There is also the option to put the phone face down, like when you are in a meeting, so that all you will see are muted LED lights to suggest you are getting an incoming call or message. The Glyph also works when you plug in the charger for the first few seconds.

Despite the flourish of the Glyph, the interface inside is a minimalist view of Android with a few tweaks and design changes that add value and make it easier to find things. The best bit here for me is the ability on the Home Screen to increase the size of an app icon or folder that you use more than others.

The LED lights are also placed around the camera module. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)

The Nothing phone (1) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ processor and can run on 5G networks. The 4,500mAh battery can be charged fast using the 33W wired charger, which however will have to be bought extra.

Nothing doesn’t believe there is really any use for three cameras for regular users, and I sort of agree. The phone hence comes with just two 50MP cameras, one of them offering a wide field of view. The camera, however, offers macro and pro options in settings and can record 4K video at 30fps.

My first impression of the Nothing phone (1) is of a device that rethinks at least some aspects of the smartphone to make it stand out in what is a really crowded market. The Glyph interface clearly has the ability to capture the attention of at least young and savvy users. But is that enough to make this a successful phone? We will tell you more in our full review later this week.