Have we been lied to by Nothing again?

JAYGG

I was genuinely excited when Nothing first launched. The company had an innovative spirit and seemed truly committed to changing the tech landscape — listening to customers and co-developing unique, meaningful products. That energy felt fresh and authentic.

Back then, I pre-ordered the Nothing Phone (2) blind, simply because I trusted the vision. The design was striking — modern, bold, and refreshingly different. But the hardware told another story. The phone shipped with an outdated processor, and many of the promised features — better camera updates, expanded Glyph functionality, and significant OS improvements — never fully materialized.

Instead, those improvements felt rushed or half-hearted. It seemed the focus quickly shifted to launching four new devices instead of refining and supporting the ones already released. That’s where the trust started to fade.

With the Nothing Phone (3), the disappointment deepened. Promises were broken across the board. Glyph — once a standout feature — was effectively abandoned. The design lacks the originality the brand was once known for. While there are some improvements, they feel superficial. At best, it’s a mid-range phone dressed up to look like a flagship.

I understand that business decisions require balancing innovation and profitability. But there are smarter, more sustainable ways to build a loyal customer base than sacrificing long-term quality for short-term expansion.

KamiKaze

JAYGG Any brand loyalty or goodwill I had towards this brand went straight in the trash because of that atrocious joke of a phone.

megatomic

KamiKaze I mean why are you still here then?

Bandano

Dude, it’s a consumer tech company, it’s really not that deep. Just buy what you like, the world won’t change whether or not Nothing exists.

JAYGG

Bandano

That’s exactly what Nothing didn’t want to be.

https://intl.nothing.tech/pages/about

CMF1_hacker

JAYGG I think the Glyph Matrix is fun. I remember when the NP1 and NP2 came out and I loved them especially with the Glyphs!

They stole the show. I feel that NOTHING did the same with the rear of the NP3.

It’s going to be a showstopper.

These comments were the same back them, it’s a gimmick, blah, blah, blah, gimme some more gimmicks is what I say.

Bandano

JAYGG That’s a company statement, every company has one of these. You as a person, don’t reduce yourself to just a consumer to the point of identify with a freaking brand lol, like I said, it’s just a consumer tech company, don’t take it so seriously

Prabhu_

I agree with your assessment. It seems Carl Pei misinterprets fan loyalty as a guarantee of sales, regardless of design or price. Beyond the Glyph interface, design and black icons, is there anything truly unique about Nothing OS? Unfortunately, it seems not. First they must implement and improve their software experience with comparation to the other Premium brands.

megatomic

Prabhu_ the software is premium as it is, you want bloatware.

georgios1

Prabhu_ Their software performs the best alongside OP in the Android world. Especially if one compares mid range phones, like Nothing Phone 3(a) Pro, against their competitors. Extremely smooth software, minimalistic, unique, innovative, focused on the actual needs, bloatware-free, designed for great power consumption. No lags, no restarts, no connection issues for me. Would you mind listing a few issues you face using Nothing OS daily?

JAYGG

CMF1_hacker

I’m not even concerned with the Glyph Matrix. The biggest problem is the phone, price and quality they have delivered.

theblackflame

It’s a phone from a phone company. How can that even hurt your feelings ?

megatomic

JAYGG what do you know about the quality of NP3 that the rest of us do not? As to price if it costs too much for you buy a cheaper phone. There are so many crummy, inexpensive phones for you to choose from

CMF1_hacker

JAYGG The biggest problem is the phone, price and quality they have delivered.

I’m not sure what you mean

megatomic

georgios1 What he (and others) think is wrong with NothingOS is that Nothing hasn’t made a bunch of duplicate, Nothing-themed applications - think OneUi.

PedroLOPES

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Nothing Phone (3) Starter Pack six days ago, and I have to say — I’m genuinely impressed. The phone runs incredibly smoothly — I even handed it to a hardcore iPhone user, and he was pleasantly surprised by how responsive it was. The design is bold and instantly recognizable, and the in-hand feel is excellent.

The camera delivers good photos — nothing groundbreaking, but solid. And to be fair, I’ve also tested the Pixel 9 Pro, and while it’s better, it’s not mind-blowing either. As for the processor: no, it’s not the most powerful chip out there — but raw specs aren’t everything. Remember the OnePlus X? It used a processor that was already a year old, yet it outperformed the OnePlus 2, which ended up being a flop. What really matters is software optimization — and that’s something Nothing does very well.

People also talk about screen durability. Honestly, no matter what kind of glass is used, if you don’t put a protector on it, it’s going to break eventually. That’s just common sense.

I could go on and on. Don’t like the new Glyph Matrix? Prefer the older version? Want something cheaper but still powerful? Then the Phone (3a) Pro is a fantastic option for you.
But for me, the Phone (3) already delivers a beautifully balanced experience.

So to the question Have we been lied to? In my opinion — absolutely not.
The Phone (3) isn’t just another incremental upgrade — it’s a new kind of experience. Yes, it’s more expensive, but it’s also more ambitious. And honestly, it completely won me over.
If you’re looking for something closer to the original Nothing vibe at a more affordable price, the Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro are fantastic choices.
But the Phone (3), especially when paired with the Headphone (1), delivers a smooth, coherent, and genuinely unique experience. I feel like Nothing is still trying to do things differently, to innovate, even if that means taking a few risks.