Nothing Phone 2 has surfaced in a video on YouTube, days ahead of its debut. After weeks of teasing the smartphone’s specifications and design, the UK-based startup has revealed the design of handset via a popular YouTube content creator. The smartphone bears an uncanny resemblance to the first-generation Nothing phone along with some noteworthy upgrades to the Glyph Interface, the company’s unique LED notification system for the handset. Meanwhile, the company is also considering developing features exclusive to Nothing users, according to Pei.
In his latest YouTube video, Marques Brownlee shows off the design of the Nothing Phone 2 and places it besides its predecessor. While the Nothing Phone 1 was available in black and white colour options, the upcoming Nothing Phone 2 is shown in a grey colourway — we can also expect a white option, based on the company’s previous teaser. The new model is also shown to have a curved rear panel, unlike last year’s model.
While the Glyph Interface on the Nothing Phone 2 certainly looks similar to the first-generation smartphone from the UK-based startup, it is shown to offer a few notable upgrades. The LED strip around the wireless charging area is divided into six parts, according to Brownlee. The phone will have 33 LED lighting zones, up from 12 on the company’s first smartphone. These addressable LED zones can be programmed and used by third party apps — the Nothing Phone 1 was launched last year with the ability to show the charging progress on the bottom LED strip.
This year, the Nothing Phone 2 will be able to show other settings and features, such as a volume indicator, or a countdown for a timer. However, the most notable change with the upcoming smartphone is the inclusion of support for other apps, such as Uber and Zomato, which will be able to use the addressable LED lighting zones on the Nothing Phone 2 to give users a visual indicator of how long it will take for a pickup or food delivery. Other apps should also be able to access the Glyph Interface in the future.
Meanwhile, Pei revealed on Twitter that the smartphone maker is thinking of developing features that are exclusive to Nothing smartphones and asked users if they had friends or family using the company’s smartphones. However, he hasn’t revealed any additional details about the purported features such as intended functionality, or whether existing devices would support them when they are released.
