When I first pulled the Nothing Phone 1 from its slender retail box, I just stared at it, flipped it over in my hand and scrutinized the see-through bits and pieces. Nothing’s attention to detail was noticeable everywhere. I’ll admit it outright: I lov…
Nothing Phone 1 hands-on: Not just a pretty face
Nothing, the company from the former co-founder of OnePlus, is finally ready to reveal its first smart device, and it’s an ambitious one. It’s trying to break into the increasingly samey world of phones. And nothing looks quite like the Nothing Phone 1…
The best smartphones you can buy right now
Choosing your next smartphone can be challenging. With so many brands offering similar features at similar prices, it can be hard to understand what device actually has the things you want. If you’ve already determined you only want an iPhone, your dec…
Nothing Phone 1 pre-order reservations start today
You can finally put money toward the Nothing Phone 1 — provided you can join an exclusive club. Nothing has opened pre-order reservations for its first smartphone using an invitation code system. Private community members go first, and will have 48 hours to use their code, place a £20 (roughly $25) non-refundable deposit and secure an order opportunity on July 12th. Everyone else can sign up for a waiting list that will deliver invitations in batches.
If you do go ahead with an order, Nothing will deduct the deposit from the purchase and supply a further £20 credit to use toward either a Phone 1 accessory or Ear 1 earbuds. The company hasn’t yet revealed the price of the phone itself. As Nothing warned earlier, the Phone 1 won’t officially come to North America outside of a closed beta for a handful of private community investors. The device should work, but won’t have full support.
If the pre-order strategy sounds familiar, it should. Nothing founder Carl Pei’s former outfit OnePlus used an invitation system for years. The effect may be similar. Invitation-based orders help manage tight supply (by controlling sales and improving demand estimates) while creating a cachet that might spur demand. It’s not clear when you’ll get to order a Phone 1 on a whim, but don’t be surprised if you end up waiting awhile.
Nothing’s Carl Pei thinks everyone else’s smartphones are boring
Carl Pei thinks there’s something wrong with the smartphone industry. That’s not to say the handsets on sale today are bad. Across the board, modern mobiles are faster, more sophisticated and take better photos than previous generations. But like a gro…
Polestar adds Apple CarPlay support to its EVs
Polestar promised Apple CarPlay support for its EVs two years ago, and it’s finally delivering. As The Vergeexplains, the car brand has released an over-the-air update for the Polestar 2 that makes CarPlay available on the Android Automotive-based sedan. If you’d rather use Apple Maps instead of Google Maps or prefer to talk to Siri in lieu of Google Assistant, you now have that choice as long as you connect your iPhone.
The most fun part about driving a Polestar is driving it, but there’s more to it. Our latest over-the-air update for the Polestar 2 comes with Apple CarPlay, allowing Polestar owners with an iPhone to change music, use apps, and communicate through Siri or the infotainment system pic.twitter.com/mulkjIUR6D
— Polestar (@PolestarCars) June 22, 2022
In 2020, the automaker expected to deliver a CarPlay update in January 2021. It’s not clear what prompted the delay (Polestar cited “various factors” last fall), but the wait isn’t completely surprising. Android Automotive is built around Google’s operating system, and often its services. iPhone support was always going to be a lower priority, particularly when you don’t need an Android phone to use Polestar’s built-in functionality.
You still can’t find CarPlay on numerous other Android Automotive cars, including newer Volvo models as well as Rivian’s R1T. You won’t have to wait long in some cases, though. Volvo expects to add the interface within weeks, and it will eventually support iOS 16’s next-gen CarPlay interface. In that sense, Polestar is just a vanguard for its sibling brand.