Monochrome issues don’t seem to be uninteresting. The Not anything Telephone 2 satisfied me of that.

Colours are gorgeous. I like a pop of colour, be it in my lifestyles, my furnishings, my garments, and sure, even my Android phones. I make a choice a coloured telephone and case when I will be able to, I incessantly pick out colourful wallpapers, and I stick to the default icons as a substitute of making use of Google’s Subject material You unicolored icons (as a result of I simply wish to to find the app I’m in search of the least bit period of time). So you’ll consider that the Not anything Telephone 2’s black-and-white monochrome theme is going towards each unmarried a type of personal tastes.

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 loss of colour. I assumed it appeared boring and uninteresting. Neatly, this is till I were given a Nothing Phone 2 in my hand and, neatly, I noticed I had judged it too harshly. I used to be flawed.

From the instant I arrange the Not anything Telephone 2 and used to be introduced with a theme selection, I noticed I may no longer pick out the default Android glance. That simply felt flawed. As though I used to be desecrating the telephone and Not anything’s whole engineer and clothier group at the side of it.

The monochrome Not anything theme seems like a continuation of the Telephone 2 — most likely even an integral a part of it. There’s one thing very blank and swish about it. It’s minimalist, easy, and manages to marry trendy iconography with dot-matrix fonts and widgets in a mixture that shouldn’t paintings, however by some means does. In the similar approach that the Not anything Telephone 2’s {hardware} marries funky retro-style LED lighting with a contemporary smartphone aesthetic in a mixture that sounds gaudy on paper however appears to be like polished in individual.

And the very small pop of pink that you simply see right here and there’s all you want to damage the theme’s monotony. I additionally actually admire the lengths that Not anything has already long gone to to make widgets, huge app folders, and folder duvet icons that have compatibility with its theme. You’ll create a number of homescreen layouts prior to operating out of concepts and widget choices.

After all, no longer all app icons are themed and third-party widgets are simply… regardless of the builders come to a decision. When you get within the weeds of native, country-specific banking or buying groceries apps, as an example, odds are the app gained’t be themed by means of Not anything and also you’ll discover a coloured icon in the course of your black-and-white app drawer. You don’t also have to appear that some distance, to be truthful. A number of of Google’s apps don’t get themed, just like the Pixel Buds app. I assume you’re meant to be the use of the Not anything X app along with your Ear 2 buds as a substitute.

Dig past the homescreen, regardless that, and the limitation of Not anything’s affect on Android’s device design finds itself. The default font, settings, notification drop-down, fast settings toggles, and plenty of different components are all nonetheless very a lot within the Subject material You camp — and the one who got here with Android 13 at that. There’s no black-and-white theme right here; the nearest I may get is an overly mild blueish gray as a spotlight colour.

However Not anything has already introduced that Not anything OS 2.5 will carry Android 14‘s black-and-white monochrome theme, which can lend a hand mitigate a part of the issue. As soon as that rolls out, I’ll be capable to fit the lock display screen and residential display screen glance with the remainder of the telephone’s device — apps, notification drop-down, fast settings, and all — for a extra constant enjoy. And the Not anything theme must really feel proper at house then.

Till then, I’m nonetheless going to stay Not anything’s app icons and monochrome theme at the Telephone 2. The colour-thirsty a part of me is a little bit puzzled by means of this choice, however I feel the Telephone 2 modified my belief of monochrome issues. Once they’re completed neatly and in concord with the {hardware}, they may be able to be attention-grabbing and, dare I say, gorgeous. There’s a spot for them and a spot the place they shouldn’t be. As an example, I will be able to’t consider operating the black-and-white theme on my blue Pixel 8 Pro; that might cross towards the telephone’s playful design. However at the Not anything Telephone 2? Proper at house.