The Nothing Phone (1) from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's firm has taken first place in the category "Innovative smartphone design" in the list of the best inventions of 2022 compiled by the authoritative TIME magazine.

The Nothing Phone (1) received an award for uniqueness, experts notes that it resembles an iPhone, has a native Android interface and a transparent panel with 900 LEDs that can be used to create light patterns that correspond to music, notifications and vibrations.

Apparently foldable smartphones aren't so amazing anymore, as TIME named the Galaxy Z Flip3 the most innovative smartphone of 2021.

Nothing Phone (1) is the most innovative smartphone of 2022: Why?

Design

The appearance of the Nothing Phone 1 is unlike any other phone on the market. The phone has a metal body sandwiched between glass front and back, but the back is transparent. As a result, it shows the internals and is illuminated by nothing's chic Glyph LED lights. Ignore the critics: it's nice, unique, and cool. The phone is 8,3 mm thick, weighs 193 grams and is available in black and white. It's comfortable to use with one hand, isn't too thick or heavy, and fits easily in most pockets and bags.

The transparent back of the Nothing Phone 1 looks great. The wireless charging coil is the only exposed component as the phone's internals are completely hidden. While this may frustrate some people at first, it's actually a great thing. When designing the interior of a phone, aesthetics are usually not taken into account, and the components are often unattractive. The Nothing Phone 1 has a futuristic look thanks to the different shaped panels that cover them under the glass.

Nothing has created a phone that is unlike any other and has a feature that really catches the eye when it is turned on. Considering it's the first phone from a small company, it feels remarkably solid and well-made. Some question the significance of the arrival of the Phone 1 and write it off as advertising, but this is cynical and limited.

Although there have been many attractive smartphones released in the last year, Nothing has created something interesting and unique. The point is lost if the design of the Phone 1 is reduced to just a collection of flashing lights for people who reach for such things, or if it's just an iPhone copy. We see that Nothing, which started with the original Nothing Ear 1 wireless headphones, continues to establish its brand. No matter how you feel about the appearance, it is already visible. It's fascinating to watch, and very few brands have such a clear design vision from the start, much less after just two products. This bodes well for the future of the company's design.

Glyph interface

The light, touch, and sound effects that distinguish Nothing Phone 1 are collectively known as the Glyph interface. They consist of 10 different sets of unique ringtones and notification alerts that flash different lights, vibrate your phone differently, and make different sounds when something happens. They usually turn on when the phone rings or when there is a notification. Otherwise, the LEDs come alive to indicate charging progress and when Google Assistant is active. They can also be used instead of the camera app flash.

Nothing has the right balance of tactile sensations, lighting and sound. You won't mistake them for any other phone thanks to their unique look and the way the phone vibrates and lights up. They give the Nothing Phone 1 personality, albeit a very mechanical one, and remind you in a strange way of the iconic desk lamp used by Pixar at the beginning of their films. Even at 75% brightness, some of the sharper notifications from the Glyph indicators resemble a flash of lightning in a dark room. You can set a Do Not Disturb schedule, which is nice.

You'll love the idea of a glyph interface, and after using the phone for a while, you'll find yourself mostly using the Flip to Glyph feature, which lets you know when you've got a notification by placing the phone face down. It is attractive and practical.

The sounds they go with are a great mix of sweet, nostalgic and weird sounds, and the tactile feel is fantastic (very noticeable and nicely designed). At home, you won't mind the sounds on. But you would turn them off and probably not turn up the volume again if you were in a public place.

Everyone reacts to glyph lighting differently. And some people may even be willing to change their lifestyle to answer the phone. At first, you will believe that the smartphone is wearing out and that you will return to the most practical and proven method of notifying the phone about calls and other notifications (tactile signal and always-on screen). However, Flip to Glyph is seamlessly integrated into the way you use lighting and offers a great and unique experience.

Specifications of Nothing Phone 1

6,55-inch (2400×1080 pixels) FHD+ OLED display 120Hz, touch sampling rate 240Hz, HDR10+, 10-bit color, brightness 500 nits. Peak brightness of 1200 nits, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Octa-core (4 x 2,5 GHz + 4 x 1,8 GHz Kryo 670 processors) Snapdragon 778G+ 6nm mobile platform with Adreno 642L GPU
8 GB LPDDR5 RAM with 128/256 GB UFS 3.1 storage, 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM with 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage
Android 12 with Nothing OS
Two SIMs (nano + nano)
Main camera 50 MP with f/1.88 aperture, Sony IMX766 sensor, OIS. 50MP 114° ultra-wide camera with Samsung JN1 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 4cm macro option, 4K up to 30fps
16 MP front camera with Sony IMX471 sensor with f/2,25 aperture
Built-in optical fingerprint scanner
USB Type-C Audio, stereo speakers
Dimensions: 159,2 x 75,8 x 8,3 mm; Weight: 193,5 g
Splash protection (IP53)
5G SA/NSA (s n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n40, n41, n77,
n78 bands), dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax (2,4 GHz/5 GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC
4500mAh battery with support for 33W PD3.0 wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging with dual charge support, 5W reverse charge

It's difficult to try to distinguish the Nothing Phone 1 from the noise around it. However, many people will already feel exhausted. And may even have some negative biases against it because it was hyped relentlessly in the months leading up to its release. No amount of bright flashing lights can change that.

The Nothing Phone 1 manages to stand out from other smartphones, at least on the outside. Being quirky, unique and fun to use. Inside, everything looks much more comfortable, as the OS shares many visual and interface similarities with the Google Pixel line. It is not expensive, has good features and user-friendly software. And it really stands out from other Android phones on the market in terms of look and feel.

But it is not flawless. Battery life isn't great and the camera needs tweaking. As for the smartphone, it has been confirmed that it will not receive the Android 13 update, possibly until mid-2023, lagging behind the competition in the field. So far, however, the company has done a good job of providing software updates to improve the phone. Nothing Phone 1 is a good buy and a very exciting start to the business.