In June we covered the impending announcement of the Nothing Phone (1) from Carl Pei’s newly formed company.

At the time it was unclear whether the company’s first smartphone would be made available in South Africa, but that changes today as Cellucity is the first retailer to launch pre-orders for the device.

Spotted by Megan Ellis in Cellucity’s newsletter, the Nothing Phone (1) garnered quite a bit of attention prior to be unveiled globally in July, but in the months since, has received mixed reviews. The majority of first encounters with the device note a smartphone that looks intriguing, but lacking in any truly standout features.

We are yet to get hands on with the device ourselves, so will reserve judgement for now, the main element that people talk about on this phone is the back cover.

Called the Glyph interface and part from looking like something out of Tron, the 900 LED-sporting system also serves the function of notifying users of an incoming call, charging status and a handful of other notifications.

As for key specifications on the device, 6.5″ FullHD+ (2400×1080) display is present with 120Hz refresh rate support. Added to this is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and a 4 500mAh battery. There’s also a pair of 50MP lenses on the rear and 16MP option up front, with 5G connectivity thrown in for good measure.

The Nothing Phone (1) is aimed squarely at the local premium mid-range market, with a recommended price tag of R15 499 floating around. That could change at any time though, as a launch date is yet to be disclosed by Cellucity.

Either way, there is now something new for local Android fans to get excited about as another phone maker is entering the country. Whether they will stay for the long haul is unclear for now, but with Vodacom launching Nothing Ear (1) buds too recently, there could be scope for more products from Pei and co.

[h/t – Megg Writes]