Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on a project to see how far I could push the Phone (2a) by DIY-ing my own “Pro” version. I really wanted that flagship Glyph Matrix look on my 2a, so I decided to just build it myself and integrate it directly into the phone case.
Build
Fitting a microcontroller and screen into a phone case was a massive challenge. To keep it slim enough to be usable, I had to get a bit “jugaad” with the hardware:
Slimming the Hardware: I desoldered the USB port from an ESP32-C3 SuperMini and peeled the 1.3 inch OLED screen off its PCB to save every millimeter.
The Setup: Everything is held in a 3D-printed mount inside the case and powered directly from the phone’s USB port.
Nothing Aesthetic: I used a matte finish transparent case to match the Nothing design. You can see the circuit connections for now, though I might hide them in the next version for a cleaner look.
Features & Software
I’ll be honest, a lot of this was vibe coded. I spent several late nights fine-tuning the BLE stability and animations until they actually felt like Nothing OS.
Glyph Bridge App: A background service that pushes notifications, music info, and calls to the display instantly.
Matrix Widgets: Includes Nothing-style tools like a Compass, Leveler, and Battery monitor, plus a Snake game.
Hardware Controls: I added a touch button (Phone 3 style) for widgets and a tactile shutter switch on the side for the camera.
Remote Viewfinder: The app streams a live camera feed to the back display, perfect for high-quality selfies using the rear sensors.
This was a challenging project, but seeing that matrix light up on the back of the case makes the 2a feel like a completely different beast.
There’s still plenty of polishing left to do on the hardware and software, but I’m stoked with how this alpha version turned out. It’s a solid base to keep building on.
Demo
I’m looking for more ideas for widgets and improvements. Drop your suggestions below!
Thanks!
