What you need to know
- Nothing walked through its Glyph lighting history on X before teasing what’s coming for the Phone 4a series.
- Instead of a Glyph Matrix, the Phone 4a will feature a Glyph Bar, though Nothing was light on more specific details, other than flashing its supposed design.
- Nothing teased that its major reveals will take place on March 5.
We’re roughly two weeks away from Nothing’s grand reveals, and the company’s stoking the flames with some Phone 4a teasers.
This afternoon (Feb 20), Nothing kicked off a long thread on X talking about its Glyph interface (via 9to5Google). The company highlighted the Phone 3a series, which offered a variation of the Glyph Lighting array. Those models offered three LED strips for order progress, notifications, and the like. However, when it came to the Phone 3, that got even smaller, as Nothing condensed it into a smaller circle with symbols.
For the Phone 4a series, Nothing teases that the Glyph Matrix will become the Glyph Bar. The X post teases that this bar will consist of “9 individually controllable mini-LEDs.”
Nothing adds that while these LEDs are mini, they’re roughly 40% brighter than the Glyph lighting systems provided on past a-series models. Additionally, it states that it’s using “Patented tech for a more natural, neutral, bleed-free glow.” We’re still left mostly in the dark about this; however, Nothing’s GIF suggests a Star Wars-like vibe from these mini-LEDs, as users keenly pointed out.
It’s unclear where these LEDs will sit, as the 3a series had its lights around its circular camera system, while the flagship Phone 3 had them in the top right corner. Nothing makes sure users know that its major reveals are set for March 5.
The next wave
The leaks continue to pile up for the Nothing Phone 4a series, as an overseas report claims the 4a Pro could feature a slightly larger 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED 144Hz display. The base Phone 4a could stick with a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen. Rumors add that the Phone 4a might also sport a triple camera array, as Nothing looks to make good on its “overhaul” promises for the next series.
What grabbed our attention even more was Nothing’s official teasers for its upcoming March 5 event. The chipset for this series is rumored to be the new Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. Elsewhere, it seems that consumers might be in for a small price hike with the Phone 4a and 4 Pro. The devices might jump anywhere from $50 to $100 more than what we saw previously for the 4a and 4a Pro, respectively.
Android Central’s Take
I love a good Star Wars reference. I could honestly end my take there—but I won’t. From a “progress” standpoint, for things such as food orders, deliveries, and things like that, I can see how a Glyph Bar could work. Maybe even for notifications this could be really cool. Perhaps a rolling tide of LED lights for messages or a pulsing light for emails. Nothing’s done a good job of hiding the most interesting part, giving us just enough to keep the brain wheels turning about how it truly works. Maybe we’ll get more before March 5 rolls around.
