Nothing debuts first smartphone, the phone (1)

Source: Nothing

The first smartphone of new tech startup Nothing is finally official. We've heard and seen several details about the Nothing Phone (1) thanks to the strategies of Carl Pei. He is the co-founder and former director of OnePlus, and he brings the style of invite-only/limited partner drops and "slow drip-feed of information) to drum up hype for the new device. So, if you feel like you've seen the Phone (1), you probably already have.

Its main talking point is the "Glyph" design, which employs 900 LEDs spread out and overlaid with a diffuser to create lines and curves beneath the Gorilla Glass 5-covered semi-transparent back. The lights flash and pulsate with a brightness enough to warrant a warning for users with epilepsy. You can adjust that brightness and set what the flashing lights mean to you. If you're worried about the lights draining the battery, you shouldn't. The effect should be negligible even at its standard brightness and kept on for 10 minutes.

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Nothing opens pre-order reservations for the phone (1)

Source: Nothing

Nothing is unsurprisingly taking its pre-order strategy from founder Carl Pei's former company, OnePlus. The upcoming phone (1) can be bought first through an invitation system. The company opened pre-order reservations in the countries it's available via an invitation code system. The private community members will go first and have 48 hours to use their code. They then need to place a £20 (around $32) non-refundable deposit to secure that order opportunity on July 12. Those who don't make it can sign up for the waiting list. 

If you push through with your order, Nothing will deduct that deposit from your purchase and give you an extra £20 credit for either a phone (1) accessory or the ear (1) earbuds. We don't know yet how much the phone will cost. But we know it won't be making its way here for general sale.

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Nothing phone (1) won't come to Canada

Source: Nothing

We've already seen previews of Nothing's first smartphone. Unfortunately, the Nothing phone (1) won't get a widespread release here. Instead, Nothing plans to distribute a "limited number" of the devices to community investors in the country as part of a "closed beta." But it hopes to release it in the region in the future. It will be launching in Europe on July 12, with the company auctioning off the first units to interested buyers.

"While we'd love to bring phone (1) to the entire community around the world, we're focusing on home markets, including the UK and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers," the company told PCMag in a statement. "It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from ensuring the handset is supported by the country's cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as we're still a young brand we need to be strategic about it."

First 100 Nothing phone (1) units will be auctioned off

Source: Nothing

The first 100 units of Nothing's phone (1) will be sold at an undetermined price. The startup plans to auction off the Nothing phone (1) before its July 12 release. Each of these units will be serialized, and your bid will determine which number handset you get. So, if you make the highest bid, you'll get the number one phone. The auction will take place through StockX, and you'll need an account to enter your bid. Bidding will open on the corresponding DropX product page, which will go live on June 21 at 9 A.M. ET. It will close 48 hours later, on June 23. It's unclear when you'll hear if your bid won. The auction won't be available to customers in Mexico or South Korea.

The bidding might be earlier than the launch event, but Nothing says it'll take around 35 days to arrive. As Android Police pointed out, it is unusual that Nothing is asking people to bid for a device we've only partly seen. But for those who want to collect new pieces of tech, perhaps that doesn't even really matter. We highly doubt Nothing will share the specs ahead of the launch, but it is rumoured to cost around US$500 or $600. If you bid, though, expect to pay more than that.