Nothing phone (1) reveal has got me excited about Android phones again

As regular readers of T3 will know, I've been following the emergence of the Nothing brand for over a year now, and have previously written about how I considered Nothing phone (1) to be the biggest launch of the year in the smartphone space.

And that's the biggest smartphone launch of the year not just for the Android phone market, but for all phones. I've previously written, too, that the Nothing phone (1) excites me more right now than either iPhone 14 or Samsung Galaxy S23.

Now, finally, we've got our first look at the Nothing phone (1).

Wow! Just wow – that is a different smartphone aesthetic, somehow combining a modern, super-clean look with also a bit of retro feel. That see-through, transparent backplate brings back good memories of Android phones of old like the HTC U12 Plus. It brings back memories of more innovative days in the Android phone space.

I'm a big fan of motorbikes as well as consumer technology like phones and the Nothing phone (1) reminds of a naked bike, a type of bike that eschews any panels and fairings so you can just see its raw frame, engine and components. Naked bikes are some of the coolest looking bikes there are, and I'm getting similar sorts of vibes from the Nothing phone (1).

Maybe it is the Android phone fanboy in me talking, but this very unique look that I can't help but get excited by. I mean, from a deliverance point of view, Nothing has promised to do something different in the smartphone market and, at least from a design point of view, it seems to have followed through with that.

And it seems to have done something different with its Nothing OS, too.

Now, obviously, right now we still don't have anywhere near the full picture with the Nothing phone (1) to make a judgement on if it really is going to be as big a launch as I hope it will be, but this latest reveal has got me more excited than ever.

Honestly, having been a reviewer in the smartphone market for well over half a decade, when you see the procession of me-too, basically identical devices coming down the line, each doing very little new and relying on iterative updates to sell, it's hard not to feel that the phone industry has lost a bit of momentum recently.

So something different is always going to grab my attention – and so far the Nothing phone (1) is doing just that.

I will be tuning in for the phone's official reveal on Tuesday 12 July at 4pm BST to learn more, on that you can be guaranteed.