The Glyph lights on Nothing Phones have always stood out as one of the most unique features in the smartphone space. The main idea was simple: reduce screen time by giving users a new way to interact with their phone without constantly looking at the display. But Nothing didn’t stopped there. With the Nothing Phone 3, they’ve taken it a step further by introducing the all-new Glyph Matrix. Though it may not be what some expected, it still brings a bunch of tricks. Here are 13 ways to use it but will you really use it? Probably not!
The Nothing Phone 3 is finally here and has replaced its signature Glyph lights with a new Glyph Matrix. Nothing says this change brings more functionality and usefulness. Unlike traditional LED strips, the Glyph Matrix is a dot matrix display. Think of it like the classic Tetris screen. If it feels familiar, that’s because you’ve probably seen similar tech on ASUS ROG Phones before.
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However, things didn’t quite turn out the way as expected. First off, the Glyph Matrix is small and oddly placed in the corner of the phone, which limits its visibility. Secondly, while it shows caller ID, it is not as smart as you’d hope. You must press the Glyph button to see the caller’s name or number. And honestly, if you have to press a button, you might as well look at your phone screen instead and decide whether to pick up or not.
13 Things the Nothing Phone (3) Glyph Matrix Can Do
Putting aside the disappointments, the Glyph Matrix on the Nothing Phone 3 does come with a bunch of features. Here’s everything it can do:
- Clock: Quickly check the time with a glance.
- Stopwatch: Start a stopwatch by pressing and holding the Glyph button.
- Camera Countdown: Shows a visual countdown when using the timer in the camera app.
- Glyph Torch: Can be used as a flashlight, but it’s not as bright as the original Glyph lights.
- Volume Indicator: Displays a visual bar when adjusting the volume.
- NFC Animation: An animation appears when NFC is triggered.
- Caller ID: Long-press the Glyph button to display the caller’s name or number.
- Glyph Mirror: Use it to frame selfies, though image quality is very low.
- Mini Games: Play simple games like Spin the Bottle, Magic 8 Ball, or Rock Paper Scissors. Only one can be active at a time via press-and-hold.
- Battery Indicator: Displays charge level when plugged in.
- Solar Clock: Shows the visual journey of the sun based on time.
- Assign Profile Pictures: Add specific icons to contacts or messages, but again, you’ll still need to flip the phone to read messages.
- Leveller: A community tool to help align your phone perfectly on surfaces.
Sure, the Glyph Matrix offers more features than the previous Glyph lights, but most of them are just gimmicks. It doesn’t add any groundbreaking functionality. And in most cases, you still have to unlock or flip the phone, which defeats the purpose of having a smart rear display in the first place.
Not to mention smartphones like ROG offer bigger and more immersive glyph matrices on the back, which are much more fun and intuitive to use.
