In a nutshell: The Nothing Phone (1) features a unique design that the company hopes will help it stand out from other mid-range phones. The "Glyph interface" on its backside lights up when you receive a notification, shows the battery level while the phone is charging, and can act as a fill light for close-up shots.

Nothing, the company started by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has just announced its first smartphone, the Phone (1). Its standout feature is the design, as it has a transparent glass back, similar to the firm's Ear (1) earbuds launched last year.

Under the glass is some unique-looking light strips that are not just for aesthetics but also serve a purpose. They can act as a sophisticated notification light (you can assign each app or contact a different combination), a battery indicator while the handset is charging, and as a fill light for photos.

The Phone (1) is decidedly a mid-ranger. It comes with a 6.55-inch 1080 x 2400 OLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 240 Hz touch sampling rate. It also features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Powering it all is a 4500 mAh battery with 15W wireless charging and 33W wired charging support, although you'll have to buy the charging brick separately.

On the back is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 primary camera with OIS and a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN1 ultrawide, while the front snapper is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471. Other features include an in-screen optical fingerprint reader, Wi-Fi 6E support, and IP53 dust and water-resistance rating. The handset ships with Android 12. Nothing promises three years of major OS updates and four years of security patches.

The Nothing Phone (1) will go on sale on July 21, starting at €469. It will release in over 40 markets, including China, Japan, India, and most European countries, although the company previously confirmed it wouldn't arrive in the US.