Nothing’s Community-Designed $400 Smartphone Glows in the Dark

Nothing has earned cult status as a niche smartphone maker thanks to its unusual style and compelling features. Last year’s Nothing Phone 2 doubled down on the distinct appearance, while this year’s Nothing Phone 2A and 2A Plus aim to deliver a high-performance phone at a budget price. There’s now a new glow-in-the-dark version of the Nothing Phone 2A Plus built in partnership with the company’s relatively small but passionate community.

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus Community Edition sports a customized glow-in-the-dark design and unique packaging and was designed following Nothing’s Community Edition Project competition. The company asked its fans to make a smartphone of their imagination, including input on how the phone looks, how it is marketed, and even some of its hardware.

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus Community Edition’s design was created by Astrid Vanhuyse and Kenta Akasaki, who worked alongside members of the Nothing Team. The smartphone’s core hasn’t changed much; it still has the glyph-inspired aesthetic and light bars around the rear camera module, which serve dual duty as a camera flash and notification indicator. However, the materials are different, as the special edition phone features a green phosphorescent material that glows in the dark. Like the glow in the dark stars many kids stuck to their walls and ceilings, the glowing effect only requires light to “charge” and doesn’t require electricity.

The phone’s packaging also glows in the dark, making it more like a piece of art than something that people will immediately discard. The device also ships with matching new wallpapers to go with its glowing green design.

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus is more than a pretty face. The device has a 6.7-inch OLED screen, a large 5,000mAh battery, and a MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G processor co-engineered between Nothing and MediaTek.

As for the phone’s photo chops, the Android 14-powered device has dual rear cameras. The main camera has a 24mm-equivalent f/1.9 lens paired with a 50-megapixel image sensor (Type 1/1.57). The phone also has a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. The ultrawide module offers a 114-degree field of view, an f/2.2 max aperture, and uses a Type 1/2.76 image sensor. The front-facing camera uses the same image sensor, albeit with a narrower field of view. All three cameras record 4K HDR video at up to 30p.

Pricing and Availability

The Nothing Phone 2A Plus really separates from the mass-market smartphone pack through its price. The budget-oriented device doesn’t skimp much on features or performance but costs just $399.

Unlike the standard version, though, the Nothing Phone 2A Plus Community Edition is very limited — there will be just 1,000 up for grabs on November 12. Interested buyers can learn more on the company’s website.

Image credits: Nothing