TIME selected its 200 Best Inventions of the year on November 10th. Nothing’s smartphone Phone(1) was successfully shortlisted by the magazine.
Nothing received a $70 million Series B financing co-led by C Capital and EQT Ventures to expand its product ecosystem and establish a London design center in March this year.
On July 12th, Nothing announced its first smartphone at an event. The phone features black and white transparent elements in its design, with illuminating light strips on the back of the device. Users can easily notify its lens, wireless charging area, and display light. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
TIME said Nothing Phone (1) really stands out with its “glyph interface.” The device’s transparent backside allows 900 LEDs to create light patterns that sync with music, alerts, and vibrations. Glyph flashing patterns can be customized to, say, act as caller ID.
Phone ringtones can be customized by the device with different Glyph light patterns. In addition, the “Flip to Glyph” function allows users to simply flip the phone and turn it back up to enter silent mode, instantly activate light notifications. With customized widgets, fonts, sound effects and desktop, users can enjoy a unique experience by using Phone(1).
Every year for over two decades, TIME editors have highlighted the 100 most impactful new products and ideas. This year, for the first time ever, they selected the year’s 200 Best Inventions, paying special attention to growing fields—such as the electric vehicle industry, green energy, and the metaverse. They then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. TIME said these inventions are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.
