Monochrome themes aren’t boring. The Nothing Phone 2 convinced me of that.

Colours are lovely. I really like a pop of coloration, be it in my life, my furnishings, my garments, and sure, even my Android telephones. I select a coloured cellphone and case once I can, I usually decide colourful wallpapers, and I persist with the default icons as an alternative of making use of Google’s Materials You unicolored icons (as a result of I simply need to discover the app I’m searching for within the least period of time). So you’ll be able to think about that the Nothing Telephone 2’s black-and-white monochrome theme goes towards each single a type of preferences.

And to be truthful, I used to be satisfied that it wasn’t up my alley in any respect. In each product image and hands-on video I noticed, I disliked the dot-matrix font, the 60s-throwback theme, and the dearth of coloration. I believed it appeared uninteresting and boring. Nicely, that’s till I obtained a Nothing Telephone 2 in my hand and, effectively, I spotted I had judged it too harshly. I used to be incorrect.

From the second I arrange the Nothing Telephone 2 and was introduced with a theme alternative, I spotted I couldn’t decide the default Android look. That simply felt incorrect. As if I used to be desecrating the cellphone and Nothing’s total engineer and designer staff together with it.

The monochrome Nothing theme appears like a continuation of the Telephone 2 — maybe even an integral a part of it. There’s one thing very clear and modern about it. It’s minimalist, easy, and manages to marry fashionable iconography with dot-matrix fonts and widgets in a mixture that shouldn’t work, however by some means does. In the identical approach that the Nothing Telephone 2’s {hardware} marries funky retro-style LED lights with a contemporary smartphone aesthetic in a mixture that sounds gaudy on paper however appears polished in particular person.

And the very small pop of pink that you simply see right here and there may be all it’s good to break the theme’s monotony. I additionally actually recognize the lengths that Nothing has already gone to to make widgets, giant app folders, and folder cowl icons that match with its theme. You possibly can create a number of homescreen layouts earlier than operating out of concepts and widget choices.

After all, not all app icons are themed and third-party widgets are simply… regardless of the builders resolve. When you get within the weeds of native, country-specific banking or procuring apps, for instance, odds are the app gained’t be themed by Nothing and also you’ll discover a coloured icon in the course of your black-and-white app drawer. You don’t even must look that far, to be sincere. A number of of Google’s apps don’t get themed, just like the Pixel Buds app. I assume you’re alleged to be utilizing the Nothing X app along with your Ear 2 buds as an alternative.

Dig past the homescreen, although, and the limitation of Nothing’s affect on Android’s software program design reveals itself. The default font, settings, notification drop-down, fast settings toggles, and plenty of different parts are all nonetheless very a lot within the Materials You camp — and the one which got here with Android 13 at that. There’s no black-and-white theme right here; the closest I might get is a really gentle blueish gray as a spotlight coloration.

However Nothing has already introduced that Nothing OS 2.5 will convey Android 14‘s black-and-white monochrome theme, which can assist mitigate a part of the issue. As soon as that rolls out, I’ll have the ability to match the lock display screen and residential display screen look with the remainder of the cellphone’s software program — apps, notification drop-down, fast settings, and all — for a extra constant expertise. And the Nothing theme ought to really feel proper at dwelling then.

Till then, I’m nonetheless going to maintain Nothing’s app icons and monochrome theme on the Telephone 2. The colour-thirsty a part of me is a bit confused by this determination, however I believe the Telephone 2 modified my notion of monochrome themes. Once they’re performed effectively and in cohesion with the {hardware}, they are often attention-grabbing and, dare I say, lovely. There’s a spot for them and a spot the place they shouldn’t be. As an example, I can’t think about operating the black-and-white theme on my blue Pixel 8 Professional; that might go towards the cellphone’s playful design. However on the Nothing Telephone 2? Proper at dwelling.