Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition is not contrary to common sense

There’s nothing that pushes the boundaries of what a technology company can do by launching its first “co-developed smartphone.” A limited edition version of the acclaimed Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, just 1,000 units of the Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition, will be available from the Nothing website. The project began with an open call to the Nothing community, which proposes and shapes every aspect of a mobile phone, from the OS to the packaging.

Interestingly, the Community Edition emphasizes something that Nothing often overlooked: the unboxing process. The one-time event has been a hot topic in some tech circles, with the ceremony being shared on social media. Until now, the Nothing device has come in minimal cardboard packaging with a pull tab to break the seal, like a wedge of processed cheese. Community Edition adds another step to this process and adds a new glow-in-the-dark finish.

To experience this, the phone comes in a larger, sturdier cardboard box with a magnetic clasp and all-important UV torch. The company issued careful instructions to those looking to get an independent view of the process, including the suggestion that “content will be filmed in a dark room.” If this interests you, we’d like to direct you to Nothing’s social channels.

The public competition to shape the phone received over 900 entries. The winners were Astrid Vanhuys, Kenta Akasaki, Andres Mateos, Ian Henry Symonds and Sonya Palma, all of whom were invited to join Nothing’s design studio and creative team in London. A UV-sensitive, green-tinted phosphorescent paint developed by Vanhuyse and Akasaki and refined in collaboration with Nothing’s design director Adam Bates and CMF designer Lucy Birley. Mateos was responsible for a suite of six new wallpapers. These are built on the signature inside-out Nothing aesthetic.

The packaging graphics were guided by Simmons and were able to incorporate glow-in-the-dark elements found on the phones themselves. Finally, there was the source that brought it all together: marketing. “Capture your light” The “Capture your light” tag campaign was conceived and directed by Sonya Palma.

The Phone (2a) Plus is a powerful mid-range smartphone that sets itself apart from traditional Apple/Android hegemony with a novel custom operating system and hardware design. Don’t worry if you miss it. More community projects are coming soon.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition, £399, strictly limited edition available from Nothing. Soho Nothing Store in London (4 Peter Street, London W1F 0AD) Nothing., @there is nothing