Nothing Phone (1) preview: a radical reinterpretation of mobile tech
There’s much ado about the forthcoming Nothing Phone (1). In our exclusive interview, the minds behind the device tell us what to expect from a design that will ‘bring the inside out’
Nothing admitted it was working on a phone back in March this year, with a mooted launch date at some point during summer 2022. The London-based start-up is predicated on the bold ambition to transform our relationship with tech, or ‘making tech fun again’, rather than the epitome of overbearing corporate omnipotence that it seems to have become in recent years. The company’s first product, the Ear (1) earbuds, was well-reviewed and is exceeding expectations in the marketplace. Building a Nothing phone, however, has exposed the team to the challenges of design, engineering, and supply like never before.
Nothing Phone (1): what to expect
We spoke to CEO Carl Pei and head of design Tom Howard about the forthcoming Nothing Phone (1) and what customers might expect.
For a start, the phone is expected to follow the aesthetic approach established by Ear (1), with a translucent case that reveals the device’s inner workings. ‘When you look inside almost any Android phone, they’re almost all exactly the same,’ Howard notes, ‘Of course, the industry is optimising everything they do, year on year, trying to squeeze the most performance they can out of the smallest space.’
Taking a new approach wasn’t straightforward. ‘From a design perspective, we really wanted to bring the inside out, and that meant working with the engineers to start from first principles,’ Howard continues. ‘There are over 400 components in a smartphone, assembled in layers. We wanted to celebrate the “good ones”, the things we thought were really interesting to emphasise.’
These included elements like the camera and the wireless charging coil, but practically every avenue the design team explored turned into a journey all of its own. ‘From an industry perspective, you’re looking at components that the end user normally never sees, so you almost have to overhaul the entire manufacturing process in order to highlight them,’ he says.
Howard describes the resulting process as a ‘jigsaw puzzle’. To help visualise how they were going to lay bare the innards of the device, his team looked at a classic diagrammatic reference point, the 1972 New York Subway map by Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda. ‘This did a really, really good job of organising a very, very complex system and figuring out how to illustrate that in a beautiful way,’ Howard enthuses. ‘We looked at a lot of other subway maps as well.’
There’s a circularity at play here. The progenitor of all modern transit maps is the 1933 London Underground map created by Harry Beck. Beck was a technical draughtsman and his original map – drawn in his spare time – was partly inspired by the schematic view of electrical circuits, emphasising the importance of connections and clarity above all else.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
So will the Phone (1) redraw our mental perception of what a phone is and how it works? For Nothing, the unifying power of design is a crucial part of its brand.
‘One of the issues we saw with the tech industry was that nobody had a consistent way of designing products,’ says Pei. ‘Apart from Apple – you can see their coherent vision. But if you had a table full of products from another manufacturer, you don’t really see that. From the very start, we wanted to have a very distinct and iconic design language of our own.’
The launch of Nothing was preceded by a period of intense research into visual and creative language, with the design team studying everything from cinema to fashion design. ‘Phone (1) and Ear (1) will clearly be from the same family,’ Pei enthuses, ‘and as we fill in the rest of our product portfolio, we will maintain the same philosophy.’
Howard believes that one key USP of Nothing’s approach is the intrinsic beauty and intricacy of consumer electronics. ‘Our philosophy is that products should be simple at a glance, but the more time you spend with them, the more they give back.’
The Phone (1) will run Android on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile platform, not least because the ecosystem is mature, polished, and familiar to a substantial chunk of the market. ‘We believe Google is already doing a great job,’ Pei admits, ‘but we’re focusing on the underlying connectivity, so your phone becomes a control centre for your digital life.’
That’ll also include bespoke wallpapers, widgets, and sounds, giving ‘Nothing OS’ a distinctive feel that dovetails perfectly with the hardware. ‘Part of our job is to tell the story of how things work,’ says Howard. ‘I think a really strong principle that we have is that design is not just ornament but that there needs to be marriage between form and function.’
On top of everything else, there is the question of not just how we use our devices, but how we dispose of them. Perhaps by lifting the veil on the inner workings of something we’ve learnt to take almost entirely for granted, Phone (1) users might be encouraged to take better care of their device, treasuring it for the myriad complexities within.
Nothing is staying fairly tight-lipped about how it’s approaching this increasingly essential aspect of tech design, save for the fact that the Phone (1)’s frame will be made from recycled aluminium to reduce its initial carbon footprint. Watch this space for more details.
Since this article was first published the new phone has been launched. See our Nothing Phone (1) review here
INFORMATION
Nothing.tech
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
A guide to Frank Gehry's architecture: mesmerising, expressive and sometimes controversial
Canadian-American Frank Gehry has earned his position in the hall of fame of contemporary architects through a wealth of groundbreaking designs; here, we explore why, how, and his key projects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A nature-inspired exhibition takes root at California's Salmon Creek Farm
'Jinen' presents new works by Dan John Anderson, Kazunori Hamana, Yu Kobayashi, and Ido Yoshimoto at Fritz Haeg’s cultural commune and creative hub in California’s redwood forest
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Chanel Comète: the exclusive fragrance creates the scent of stardust on your skin
As Chanel releases Comète, the latest fragrance from Les Exclusifs de Chanel, its creator Olivier Polge speaks with Laura Bailey about his process
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
HMD and Nokia put the candy back in the candybar phone
Colourful new Nokia phones from HMD will keep digital detoxers’ low-tech credentials alive with style
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Five compact DAB radios that combine broadcast content with visual brio
The latest DAB radios – countertop and bedside broadcast companions – for those who like their devices to be standalone and visually simple
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Nothing Ear and Ear (a) earbuds: audio innovation with a retro nod
Nothing’s new Ear and Ear (a) earbuds, drawing inspiration from vintage portable hi-fi and packed with updates, help the company maintain its status as an audio innovator
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternatives
From the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Cutting-edge sound machines celebrate the independent spirit
Synths, effects, and even toys – these sound machines offer up new adventures in music creation, and showcase the idiosyncratic world of low-volume tech production
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Wearable tech that’ll help you hack, track and snack your way to success
The latest in discreet wearable tech, from biowearables to smart glasses, is designed to help you be your best self
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Remote working wonders: what every home office needs
Remote working calls for clever and efficient kit that won't impinge on domestic bliss at day’s end – from a desk that stows your monitor out of sight to a discreet cloud alternative
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New Leica SL3 meets the desires and demands of photographers and filmmakers
The Leica SL3, the latest in the brand’s range of mirrorless full-frame system cameras, is powerful, pocketable and undeniably professional
By Jonathan Bell Published