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.

Nothing reveals phone (1) design

Source: Nothing

Tech startup Nothing has something to show us once again. The company is teasing its first smartphone, the aptly called phone (1). It has a sort of transparent back with the wireless charging coil kind of visible. There's a dual-camera setup on the top left and a small Nothing logo on the bottom. There are some light-up strips around the charging coil and camera, which should be intriguing to see in person.

Nothing says in what comes off as marketing speak that the phone (1) is "Designed with intention. Full of warmth. And joy." From looking at this phone's back, it seems to have flat sides with the volume rocker on the left and the power button on the other side. Nothing says this device is made with consciously chosen materials. We will learn more about this during its launch on July 12 or possibly in the weeks leading up to it.

Source

Nothing ear (1) adds Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa support

Source: 9to5Google

Nothing backtracks on its initial statements, saying it wouldn't add virtual voice assistant support to its ear (1) earbuds. The company released an update that brings Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri to the earbuds. To call the assistant of your choice, you need to triple tap on the earbuds.

The update comes through firmware version 0.6700.1.86, but 9to5Google reports that the earbuds often miss the third tap. The site recommends deleting and re-installing the ear (1) app to get the feature to work. Or you can choose to unlink and re-pair your earbuds to get rid of any lingering issues.