News

Nothing Phone (1) Is Here, And You Can Afford It

All models of the Phone (1) are available in black or white across more than 40 markets including Saudi Arabia, Israel, and United Arab Emirates.

Published

3 years ago

July 14, 2022

David Morelo

Nothing

A new contender in the smartphone arena is here, and its name is Phone (1). The company behind it, Nothing, was founded in 2020 by Carl Pei, after the Swedish entrepreneur left OnePlus, which he co-founded along with Pete Lau.

The Phone (1) is actually Nothing’s second product. The first was a pair of Teenage Engineering-designed wireless earbuds, called Ear (1).

nothing ear 1 earbuds

Just like the wireless earbuds before it, the Phone (1) attempts to grab the attention of consumers with an unusual design and better features than what its starting price of £399 (around $475 USD) would suggest.

The base model comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. It costs £50 to increase the amount of storage space to 256 GB, and £100 to also upgrade RAM to 12 GB. All models of the Phone (1) are available in black or white across more than 40 markets including Saudi Arabia, Israel, and United Arab Emirates.

The back of the smartphone features unique light strips that visually set it apart from all other devices on the market. But the light strip isn’t just about looks. For example, it indicates how full the battery is, and it can also flash to let you know that you have a new notification.

nothing phone 1 black and white

When looking at the rear side of the Phone (1), you’ll also notice two camera lenses: one standard and one ultrawide. Below both lenses are 50 MP sensors, and the main camera even has optical and electronic image stabilization (OIS and EIS), so you should be able to take sharp pictures even in low-light conditions.

nothing phone 1 camera setup

It’s worth noting that the ultrawide camera doubles as a macro camera because it can focus as close as 4 centimeters from an object.

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The front side of the Phone (1) houses a 6.55-inch 1080p OLED display that can reach up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The display has a small hole-punch cutout for the front-facing 16 MP selfie camera, and it integrates an in-display fingerprint sensor.

nothing os official screenshots

Powering the Phone (1) is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus processor. While not as capable as Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, it should still keep the phone’s Android-based operating system, Nothing OS, running smoothly for a long time.

News

Ripple Gains DFSA License To Offer Crypto Payments In Dubai

The company is now the first blockchain-powered payments provider licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Published

3 days ago

March 13, 2025

Nour Nasir

ripple gains dfsa license to offer crypto payments in dubai

Dubai Media Office

Digital asset infrastructure provider Ripple has secured a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to become the first regulated crypto payment services provider within the Dubai International Finance Center (DIFC).

This milestone marks Ripple’s debut regulatory approval in the Middle East. With the new license, businesses in the UAE can now access Ripple’s enterprise-focused payment solutions, further solidifying the company’s reputation as a reliable partner for financial institutions looking to harness the potential of digital assets for real-world applications.

“We are entering an unprecedented period of growth for the crypto industry, driven by greater regulatory clarity around the world and increasing institutional adoption,” said Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. “Thanks to its early leadership in creating a supportive environment for tech and crypto innovation, the UAE is exceptionally well-placed to benefit”.

Ripple has witnessed growing interest across the Middle East from both crypto-native businesses and traditional financial institutions, all eager to address the challenges of conventional cross-border payments — namely high fees, slow transaction times, and limited transparency.

His Excellency Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, commented, “We are thrilled that Ripple is deepening their commitment to Dubai by securing a DFSA license that makes them the first blockchain-enabled payments provider in DIFC. This milestone not only highlights our commitment to fostering innovation but also opens the door for Ripple to tap into new growth opportunities across the region and beyond”.

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With roughly 20% of Ripple’s global customer base operating in the region, regulatory approval further positions the platform for accelerated growth in a market that’s already highly receptive to crypto adoption. In fact, more than 80% of finance leaders in the MEA region have expressed strong confidence in integrating blockchain technology into their operations.

“Dubai and the broader UAE have established themselves as leaders in fostering a progressive and well-defined regulatory framework for digital assets,” said Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa. “Securing this DFSA license is a major milestone that will enable us to better serve the growing demand for faster, cheaper, and more transparent cross-border transactions in one of the world’s largest cross-border payments hubs”.

Ripple’s DFSA license is the latest addition in a comprehensive list of worldwide regulatory approvals, joining the company’s Major Payments Institution license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), a Trust Charter from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration from the Central Bank of Ireland, and Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs) across multiple U.S. states.