Tech roundup: Nothing’s new phone and headphones, Acer Swift 16 AI

There are some flashy new gadgets on the market, with a flashy smartphone emerging as a major player.

July has been an eventful month in the tech world as a major new player arrives on the smartphone scene, but it’s their new headphones that have people talking.

UK-based tech start-up Nothing is trying to break the duopoly of Samsung and Apple — now claiming 0.2 per cent of the global market.

Its first flagship phone, the Phone (3), has landed in Australia.

Here’s what I think after using it for a couple of weeks.

Nothing Phone (3)

Nothing’s CEO Carl Pei has long rallied against the “boring” new releases each year from the tech giants and has sought to do something unique.

The Phone (3) is certainly visually striking. On the rear it has a Glyph Matrix display — like a tiny LED display — which opens up a whole world of possibilities.

There are a handful of Glyph “Toys,” as Nothing calls them, like the Spin the Bottle game, rock, paper, scissors, and the Magic 8 Ball, which was created via Nothing’s community — where phone users can suggest and create new features for the Glyph interface in the future.

It may sound gimmicky, but I find myself using it a lot. It actually stops you looking at your phone all the time, as you can just tap a little button on the back and you can bring up the time, your battery life and stopwatch easily, without having to burn your eyes out on the screen.

Nothing’s phone 3.

Another feature called Essential Space which is an AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations.

Nothing describes it as being like a “second brain” — as the phone uses AI to gather and organise this information into one space for you and to set reminders.

Phone 3 also has something called Essential Search that allows users to quickly find contacts, content, and information, as well as get real-time answers.

Everything else on the phone is solid. It has a strong battery that lasts me two days without charging and a powerful camera, with a really cool macro setting.

There’s only one downside. Nothing’s previous phones have retailed at around $600 — which made them really attractive compared to the major brands. This phone however retails between $1,509 –$1,743 — which puts it on par with new iPhones and Galaxies.

Verdict: I really like this phone. It’s powerful and stylish in a way that’s practical rather than flashy for the sake of it. I only wish it was a little bit on the cheaper side. If you’re on a budget and like the sound of Nothing, you can pick up the previous Phone (3a) for around $600.

Phone (3) is available now. It retails between $1,509 –$1,743 and is available from JB Hi-fi.

Nothing Headphone (1)

It’s hard to stand out in the headphone world, but Nothing’s Headphone (1) — released alongside the Phone 3 — manages to do it.

Its stripped back design has the tech world talking. Its exposed metal and plastic aesthetic looks like something from the 1980s and it has something missing from most modern headphones, buttons.

There’s a roller which you can use to scroll the volume up and down. There’s a little paddle to skip a song or go back which you can hold down to rewind or fast-forward old school style. Speaking of old school, it comes with a jack input and cable so you connect it to anything, and a hard case to carry it around in.

Nothing also launched its first over ear headphones.

Another major feature is something Nothing calls “The Button.” It’s a customisable button that works in conjunction with Nothing’s X smartphone app.

It can activate “Channel Hop” which is a quick switch feature that can cycle between recent audio apps and favourite functions without having to look at your screen.

You can also use the button jump between music, podcasts and voice notes when you’re busy.

Personally, I found the sound a bit flat using the headphones straight out of the box. But once you connect them, there are some really cool features to boost the bass or play with the EQ to get the right sound. There’s a range of presets you can use, or if you’re feeling nerdy you use an eight-track mixing board to get the perfect sound.

Verdict: The Headphone (1) has a groundbreaking yet retro design that will have people talking and some nice features that feel fun and practical. I like that Nothing are trying to do something a bit different. The sound is decent for the price. You just might have to tinker with it a bit.

Headphone (1) is available now. It retails at $549 and is available from JB Hi-fi.

Acer Swift 16 AI

Next out of the blocks we have a slim but powerful new laptop with an impressive battery life — the Acer Swift 16 AI that retails for around $2000.

It’s a nifty little thing with a lightweight and minimalistic aluminium chassis that makes it look way smarter than its mid-range price point would suggest.

But the main two standout features are its battery life and vibrant OLED display that shows loads of contrast.

I worked a full eight-hour day on this laptop without having to plug it in once. Despite putting it through its paces, its performance was seamless.

The 16-inch screen is a great size for those busy work days and watching videos too.

The laptop boasts a great 16-inch display.

The display is also great, with the OLED making the colours literally pop out of the screen.

One of the only drawbacks is I found the sound from the speakers to be pretty thin and tinny. I listened to some Black Sabbath (RIP Ozzy) and cracked it up pretty loud. There was not really a lot of bass in the mix, and the equaliser and presets included didn’t really help.

The “AI” in the laptop’s name doesn’t really mean much either. The branding comes from its Core Ultra 256V processor, which offers fast memory and a better neural processing unit (NPU).

However, when it comes to everyday use, the AI features aren’t overly impressive.

The laptop is part of Acer’s Copilot+ PCs are a line of devices that incorporate AI-driven features that enhance user experience through smarter, more adaptive performance.

The standout features on this computer are things like blur effects and picture adjustments in the Acer Purified View webcam app.

It boasts something called the Acer LiveArt app that allows you to apply stylised filters, remove backgrounds, or add artistic effects like brushstrokes to photos.

Verdict: This is a really good work laptop. I love the big and vibrant screen, the slim and metallic design and the long battery life. I didn’t really care much for the AI features.

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Originally published as Tech roundup: Nothing’s new phone and headphones, Acer Swift 16 AI