These lights all ring and flash in tandem with the Nothing Phone (1)’s unique library of notification sounds, a set of snickety-snackety pings and whistles that are utterly unlike the gentle digital chimes of more boring phones. Charging is quick however, and Android software should be capable of squeezing more efficiency out of hardware as the phone learns and adapts to your usage patterns.

The phone is also super-lightweight and feels secure in the palm, with clear attention paid to the placement of antenna bands and the machining of buttons and speaker grilles. And as software becomes more demanding, we could notice the Phone (1) slowing down more quickly than a better equipped device. The largest is a ring light surrounding the wireless charging coil, which hovers above an exclamation mark by the charging port. phone, the cameras aren’t here to compete with super high-end flagships, but they’re functional enough thanks to a pair of 50MP sensors. The back of the phone is transparent, revealing not only the phone’s apparent innards, but a configuration of segmented white LEDs that can be illuminated in all sorts of ways and in concert with the notifications appearing on the phone.This gives the Nothing Phone (1) great picture quality in daylight and indoors, and decent enough results in low light conditions.

We tested the Nothing Phone (1) in the weeks leading up to the phone’s launch, as well as using the phone regularly ever since. The quality of the plastic ball was questionable… it had clearly been lying in wait as it was covered in scratches and dust. Proof that affordable needn’t mean boring, it’s perhaps the most exciting cheap phone we’ve ever tested. The glyph interface can be used as a makeshift ring light when shooting in portrait mode, and even features a blinking red recording light when filming, just in case you ever find yourself in the early 1990s tracking down a witch in the woods. With heavy usage throughout the day – gaming, filming, looking at dogs on TikTok – the phone would run out of juice well before we could make it back to the bedside charger.I only bought it as it’s a gag gift and never seen anyone else sell something similar … (wish I’d just bought a balloon instead). That’s a decent enough specification for most users today – apps open quickly, the phone doesn’t heat up and multitasking isn’t an issue – but in a few years this will be old technology. But beyond the pomp and hype of the phone’s big launch, and looking past the novelty glyph interface, the Nothing Phone (1) is a perfectly decent mid-range Android phone with a great design and a premium finish.