Until recently, London-based startup Nothing remained a bit under the radar.
That changed when the company, which was founded in 2020, announced its latest Nothing Phone (1), which quickly caught the attention of tech enthusiasts and was officially launched on Tuesday.
It goes without saying that its smartphone offers 18 hours of use per charge and two days of standby time, and that it can reach 50 percent power in just 30 minutes of charging.
The phone is also said to have a range of remote features, including the ability to unlock the doors of a Tesla car.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest phone, which has been touted as one of the greenest to hit the market.
What makes Nothing Phone (1) so different?
At first glance, the model looks similar in design and features to the iPhone 12 – with flattened edges, side button placement and dual rear cameras.
The phone features a transparent back and is inspired by artists such as Massimo Vignelli, who designed the New York subway map and made a complex system look like art.
“We were inspired by our childhood, the rush to tinker with our first technological products – like the transparent Gameboy or even the old cartridges,” Akis Evangelidis, head of marketing and co-founder of Nothing, told Euronews Next in an interview in June.
He added that modern technology design has “become cold and doesn’t evoke the same sense of excitement that it used to.”
The design team is led by Adam Bates, a former Dyson designer.
What really sets this product apart, however, is Nothing’s commitment to sustainability.
“We cannot deny the importance of sustainability at this stage, especially in the consumer technology industry,” continued Evangelidis. “We really don’t want to be another brand involved in greenwashing.”
The phone is made up of a 100 percent recycled aluminum frame, making it light and strong, while over 50 percent of the phone’s plastic components are made from bio-based or post-consumer recycled materials – an industry-leading percentage.
The packaging for the phone will also be made from bio-based soy ink, recycled fibers (bamboo, trees and sugarcane) and completely free of plastic components.
“We want to support our customers, as well as technology users, in making an informed decision as we continue to find new ways to improve the sustainability of technology,” Evangelidis told Euronews Next.
“For years it felt like all the artists had left the industry. All we’re left with are cold, unexciting and derivative products. It was time for a fresh look,” Karl Pei, CEO and co-founder of Nothing, said in a statement.
“Phone (1) was created instinctively, creating a product for ourselves and more importantly, that we would be proud to share with our loved ones. We can’t wait for people to start experiencing it.”
The Nothing phone will run a custom version of Android powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.
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Pei co-founded smartphone maker OnePlus in 2013 and turned it into a rival to Apple and Samsung by offering premium features at half the price and becoming a top seller in several countries, including India.
After leaving OnePlus in 2020, he founded Nothing last year with the backing of Apple iPod designer Tony Fadell, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman.
The Nothing Phone (1) is only the company’s second product launch, following last year’s Ear (1) wireless headphones, which were priced at $99 (€98.7), a cut below the price of their counterparts, while retaining premium features like active noise cancellation .
How much is Nothing Phone (1)?
The Nothing Phone (1) is priced at £399 (€473), which the company says is cheaper than premium phones with similar specs, and that it has over 200,000 pre-orders.
OnePlus uses an invite-only strategy to sell smartphones, which creates high demand by keeping customers in a state of constant anticipation.
Following a similar strategy, Nothing held an auction in June for the initial 100 of the new phones, receiving bids of more than $3,000, the release said.
The company teamed up with StockX to auction off the first serialized units, with all proceeds going to a community-managed fund.
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