Last year, London-based startup Nothing surprised everyone by unveiling something completely unique with their Phone 1. Featuring LEDs on its back that not only provided aesthetic value but also functioned as physical indicators of notifications such as calls and apps as well as charging status indicators, this transparent handset stood out due to its innovative design. Though not the most powerful smartphone available at that time, its unique look certainly stood out among competitors.
Since releasing its Phone 1 back in 2023, Nothing has not altered their design much – likely for good reason. Their new Phone 2, however, almost resembles its predecessor with minor differences to the Glyph Interface and center-aligned hole punch selfie camera cutout. Furthermore, it likely includes a curved glass rear panel and larger 4,700mAh battery and will run the latest version of Nothing OS which was announced back in January 2023.
Though it doesn’t offer major innovations, the new Phone 2 should still provide an enjoyable user experience. Unlike many Android phones, the Phone 2 doesn’t bloat itself with unnecessary features that you might not need or want – instead providing an uncluttered user interface free from ads and 5G bands support as well as meeting European Parliament regulations requiring smartphones be designed with replaceable batteries.
Nothing may also focus on its software with the new Phone 2 to improve its OS, offering enhanced fingerprint support and further features utilizing Glyph Interface such as a Glyph Timer which displays how long your cab or food delivery will be taking and integration with Uber and Zomato to display an ETA via LEDs on the Phone 2.
Infinix hasn’t officially confirmed its plans to develop a smartphone similar to the Nothing Phone 2. However, they posted a teaser tweet suggesting so – with what appears to be LED strips visible on its rear panel.
Carl Pei, Infinix CEO responded to Infinix CEO Jack Ma’s tweet by suggesting it’s “time to get the lawyers ready,” which was followed by an amused smiley. A lawsuit may not be in the cards yet, but it will be interesting to see how close the Infinix phone will come in comparison to Nothing Phone 2. You can listen in on our discussion of Orbital about Nothing Phone 2 on Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts or wherever else you get podcasts – until then catch up here or here on Orbital episodes that may already exist!