Additional glyphs on Phone 2 - added functionality over Phone 1.

Uday

Hey community!

I have been working on an exciting new Nothing Phone concept for the past couple of weeks. I have an important decision to be made related to glyphs, and I need your help. Particularly from those who’ve had their hands on both Phone 1 and Phone 2. Here’s the question:

What extra functionality do the additional segments of the glyphs provide on Phone 2 over the lesser number of glyphs on Phone 1?

Please try to include the following aspects in your answer:

list of the additional functionalities.
if the utility of these additional functions is quite significant.
if and how the “relatively more fragmented” glyphs of Phone 2 affect its aesthetics in comparison with Phone 1.
difference that these additional segments make in music viz and other existing features.

The final version of the sketch is almost ready, except for this part of it.

I’ll update this post or create a new one showing the finalized sketches. To tease it for a bit, this concept is going to have some cool software-to-glyph integrations including AI and watch stats. Can’t wait to show it to you all.

Achilles

Uday I only own a Phone 1, but hope my experience may help you.

Surely as the Phone 1 being a more primitive version of the Phone 2, I wish there were these new glyph features. But truthfully, it’s not a life changing thing. Glyph are essentially useful, when you are not using your phone, and it’s face down. Like for the essential notifications, when you’re awaiting for an important message.

For the fragmented glyphs, I only found the charging one useful, when you don’t want to turn on your phone only to look at the tiny battery percentage icon.

I would say that the Phone 2’s chronometer glyph, is quite ridiculous, when you are chronometering, you aren’t constantly looking at the chrono, and when you look at it, you want to know the exact time left, and not at an abstract light, that doesn’t help measuring really.

The Phone 2’s volume glyph: again, the only scenario where I find it useful is if you’re listening to music/podcast with your phone facing down, and you wanna know the volume level.

And last: the music visualisation, doesn’t really take advantage of the fragmented glyphs. Saw that some user, made a better and fluid software than the current one, hope it gets implemented officially.

(Other features, as camera timer glyph, I have never used, and call/msgs notification glyph, is useful but have nothing to do with the fragmented thing).

Expecting to see your concept soon.

Uday

Achilles Hey thank you for the reply!

I found the fragmentation in Phone 2 affected the aesthetics of glyphs significantly. I think I found the right balance maintaining aesthetics as well as adding some really cool functionality to the central part of the glyph interface. I have been working on this for the past month or so, taking out some time slots from my busy schedule. This must be 6th iteration. Here’s a picture with the final glyphs confirmed.

The cameras should be a little more seperated, I also have to figure out textures, panels, etc. You might observe I made the central part lit too, but I just left an Easter egg in the picture for you to figure out what it is for 😉

As far as the glyphs are concerned, I am still not sure about one thing, I think I’ll take help creating a different post here. Here’s a short note in my book that describes it:

I also have to extract some renders. I would love to collaborate with someone for that because I am a not too good in 3D to pull out a render like this, but again I am not sure if it will turn out as I wanted it to be. I guess I’ll take my own time (say two months) to do it myself.

Achilles

Uday

Really interesting concept. Now it’s even more intriguing.

“I think I found the right balance maintaining aesthetics as well as adding some really cool functionality”

This is probably the part that intrigues me the most. As I said I wish there were more useful features.

“You might observe I made the central part lit too, but I just left an Easter egg in the picture for you to figure out what it is for 😉”

I wonder, what the easter egg could be… Maybe I am overlooking something, I can’t find it.

Also really cool choice for the camera glyph design. But yes, as you said after this. The original glyphs design was a geniality, the proportions and overall look, is great and appealing for the whole design language. Thus, even changing it a little bit could destroy the equilibrium, and make it look odd, or clumsy.

“I am a not too good in 3D to pull out a render like this, but again I am not sure if it will turn out as I wanted it to be. I guess I’ll take my own time (say two months) to do it myself.”

Totally, I understand you. I’m a beginner in 3D modelling. So the fact that your idealised concept is hard to be manifested, fault of the lack of experience and knowledge (again fault of the lack of free time and a tight schedule), hit too close to home.

Hope you can reach the final form of your concept, with patience and power will, as I’ve learned, don’t rush, take your time.

Uday

Achilles

Achilles even changing it a little bit could destroy the equilibrium, and make it look odd, or clumsy.

True that, I think trying to embed that diagonal element with this three-camera setup is only going to make the whole thing clumsy. But I think it will be okay. For example, many people expressed a touch of weirdness when Pixel 9 leaks were out for the detached visor, unlike the previous generations. But as the product released and people started to see more and more of it, it just grew on them and became the new normal. May be this could be a similar case to that. Now it’s a ⅖, but it might turn into a ⅘ when it becomes the new normal.

Uday I guess I’ll take my own time

It’s going well, actually. Before this iteration, I tried modeling a previous iteration. Compared to that, this is going a lot smoother, but I already ran into some issues. It’s a part of it, I will troubleshoot each of the issues and figure out as I go.

Achilles

Uday Sorry for the late reply.

Hey that’s a great start, I like how smooth the edges look. You’re doing well, hope you overcome those issues.

“[…] when it becomes the new normal.”

That’s exactly what I thought when I made my design, people are sceptical to changes or new designs. But certainly, when it’s a good design people end up liking it.