Tech
Nothing’s Phone (1) may try to make notification LEDs cool again
It would take a hype company like Nothing to bring back ambient LED notifications.
Hints about Nothing’s hyped smartphone continue to roll in. Nothing further teased its Phone (1) at an event in Switzerland where its smartphone was actually on display, albeit in a glass box that no one could touch.
Nothing recently revealed a teaser image of the Phone (1)’s backside, but the demo at the Switzerland event showed that there are light-up LEDs on the back of the smartphone as well. Thanks to Swiss YouTuber, Das kann was, we get a decent look at the Phone (1) in action. The LEDs seen in the video lineup with the teaser image that Nothing shared in March, although the video doesn’t show the largest strip lighting up.
It’s too hard to say what’s triggering the lights, but it looks like they could be purposed for notifications. Instead of the typical notification of getting buzzed or hearing a loud ping, you could instead look for a specific light coming off your Phone (1) to see that you have a notification.
Bring back LEDs — There are other phone makers who still use LEDs on smartphones; Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, and even the Oppo Reno 7 Pro. But overall, notification LEDs have not really been present in more modern smartphone design.
If any company were to bring it back though, it would be Nothing. In fact, I could see light-up notifications being a preferred choice for those who don’t want to be constantly distracted by vibrations or sounds, and instead prefer a more ambient design.
Das kann was’s video only shows the Phone (1)’s lights flashing white, so we don’t know if it can be programmed for other colors. With no more than some flickering effects, this is all speculation on what LEDs’ function will actually be.
What we know now — In terms of confirmed specs, the list is pretty shallow since we only know that it will have a recycled aluminum mid-frame, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and support wireless charging. The transparent back, dual rear cameras, and no chin was further confirmed when Nothing revealed the back design of the Phone (1). We also got a pretty good look at Nothing’s future phone launcher.
And that’s about it. We’re going to have to continue to savor the drops of information that Nothing is leaving us. That is, until it actually reveals the Phone (1) on July 12.
