They say that imitation is the best form of flattery, and by that logic, Nothing clearly should be proud. It managed to create a unique design language thanks to a see-through aesthetic and clever use of LED lighting at the back, and it allowed phones like the Phone 2, Phone 2a, and soon-to-launch Phone 3a and 3a Pro to stand out amidst a sea of similar-looking devices.
Other brands are starting to take note of this, and rolling out their own iterations of the design. Infinix tried to emulate Nothing's distinctive design with the GT 10 Pro, and rugged device maker Doogee is now getting in on the action with the Blade GT Ultra at MWC 2025.
The Blade GT Ultra is touted to be the thinnest rugged phone around, but at 10.5mm and 260g, it is bulkier and considerably heavier the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, S25 Ultra, and just about any other regular phone. Doogee is clearly looking to create a similar aesthetic as Nothing's phones, and that's noticeable in the way the LED lighting is set up at the back of the phone.
You get a ring LED light that encircles the middle portion at the back, and there are lighting zones next to the camera island and underneath it. The lighting is configurable, and it can be triggered to activate with incoming notifications or music playback. In addition to the lighting, Doogee is emulating the see-through design of Nothing phones with visible screws and exposed connectors.
I didn't get to use the Blade GT Ultra as it was behind a glass enclosure, but the Nothing-inspired design clearly allows the device to stand out against the rest of the rugged devices in Doogee's portfolio. The phone is powered by the Dimensity 7300 platform, and it has a 6.72-inch LCD panel with 120Hz refresh, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and a 5500mAh battery with 18W charging.
It runs Android 14 out of the box with no mention of when Android 15 will become available, and it's evident that Doogee is positioning the rugged build quality and "unique" design as the differentiator. The phone is going on sale in select regions starting this month, and it costs $399.
