Lately, a lot of people have been talking about the Nothing Phone, and it’s not surprising. This phone has made waves online with its unique design. However, it doesn’t appeal to me at all—for several reasons.
A “Gimmick” No One Asked For
Introducing something new to the market always comes with a risk. Sure, the Nothing Phone’s back panel is something fresh—we haven’t seen anything quite like it before. Five LED strips on the back flash in different sequences to notify users about messages, incoming calls, or battery charging status.
But is this really something people want because it’s more convenient and enjoyable to use? Or is it just a flashy gimmick?
I can’t deny that this feature grabs attention, but I’d question whether it’s actually more practical than a traditional Always-on Display (AoD) that shows notifications directly on the screen. Why?
Mainly because you have to place the phone face down. That means that when the LEDs notify you of something, you have to pick up or flip the phone to actually read the message. I find that distracting and, in the long run, annoying.
Then there’s the issue of phone stands—an essential part of my current desk setup at work. They let me easily check notifications or Google Assistant responses without taking my hands off the keyboard. In this scenario, the Nothing Phone’s LED feature is completely useless because either the back panel is hidden, or I’d have to flip the phone over, bringing us back to the same problem.
Quality-to-Price Ratio
When I spend 2,400 PLN (~$600) on a phone, I expect good build quality and at least 2–3 years of reliable use. At first glance, the Nothing Phone shouldn’t have issues meeting those expectations. After all, as the product description on X-Kom states, it was “designed with the best quality-to-price ratio in mind.”
But it turns out that’s just wishful thinking. Users have already reported problems—mainly with the display. The Nothing Phone has several major issues:
Green Tint on the Display
Many smartphone manufacturers have struggled with green tint issues on OLED displays. The Nothing Phone is neither the first nor the last case of this. One user encountered this problem with a unit purchased from Flipkart. He returned it, hoping for a replacement. However, the new unit soon suffered from the exact same issue.
Here are two more examples from Twitter:
Peeling LED Strips
I don’t even know how to comment on this. The phone’s main selling point is also its biggest flaw—it can literally peel off.
Dead Pixels Around the Front Camera
This issue appears as frequently as the green tint. Pixels around the camera cutout can die at an alarming rate—even within just 30 seconds of use.
And another example:
But That’s Not All
Other problems with the Nothing Phone include:
- Dust accumulating under the back glass
- Condensation forming under the glass or camera lenses
- Misaligned internal components (visible through the transparent back)
- Faulty vibration motors
- Poor quality control, with uncleaned units being shipped after factory tests
- Over-sharpened images from the camera with artificially boosted contrast
So, does the Nothing Phone truly offer good value for money? I’d classify that as a rhetorical question—one that doesn’t require an answer.
A Pretty Average Design
Phones with transparent backs have been around for a while. None of them ever gained much traction. The Nothing Phone may not expose a circuit board, but I still don’t think it looks particularly good. Let’s be honest—it looks like it rolled off the production line before reaching the stop where they install the back cover.
I believe the phone would look much better if the back panel was made of black or white glass (depending on the variant) or aluminum with LED cutouts. That would make it look cleaner and more “complete.”
“Security”
According to the manufacturer’s website, the phone offers fingerprint and face unlock. But wait… Let’s look at the front of the Nothing Phone again. Do you see a 3D face scanner like on an iPhone? No? Exactly!
The Nothing Phone’s face unlock is just basic 2D image recognition, which almost every phone has. Marketing it as “face recognition” is misleading—it might trick some buyers into thinking they’re getting something like Apple’s Face ID, only to be disappointed later.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Nothing Phone is just another attempt to sell a phone based on a flashy gimmick that will get old in a few months. Display and build quality issues don’t spell a bright future for the brand. However, I am curious to see if they’ll release something better—something that feels truly complete and high-quality.
For now, it doesn’t seem likely, and this project will probably fade into obscurity as quickly as it appeared—just like many other failed attempts to revolutionize the smartphone market.
And considering the price, you’d be better off buying a Mi 11 Lite 5G NE, which is cheaper yet offers almost the same processor, the same GPU, the same 8GB RAM, and the same storage capacity—while also delivering a better display and build quality.
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