Hey everyone,
I wanted to share my thoughts as a long-time enthusiast, and essentially a fan of Carl Pei, whose vision has always resonated with me.
My journey with phones started (following advice from my brother and friends) with the OnePlus brand—in fact, I still use a OnePlus 11 as my secondary device. I got involved with Nothing with the launch of the Nothing Phone (2) in 2023. Unfortunately, that model failed on me twice. Luckily, in Poland, there’s a possibility to get a full refund for a faulty device, which resulted in me receiving nearly €800 back after two years.
I decided to use those funds to buy the Nothing Phone (3), topping it up with just about €70. Many advised me to switch to a Google Pixel for that money, but I was firm: “Why bother, when Nothing offers a clean operating system like the Pixel, but with those additional, aesthetically pleasing software touches in the OS?”
My trust was so high that when I received a loyalty voucher (as a Phone (2) owner), I bought the Nothing Phone (3A) Pro for my mother, with a minimal top-up of only €200.
And this is where the problem begins…
Looking at the current direction Nothing is taking—I’m referring to the progressive implementation of bloatware—I’m seriously questioning my continued commitment to the brand.
This feels exactly like the moment the ONEPLUS brand lost its original identity, transitioning to a “colorful, childish, boring” software experience. That’s why my OnePlus is now just a secondary phone. The Nothing Phone (3) is still my main device, but today I am seriously considering selling it and buying something else.
It’s clear that some miscalculated decisions have been made, and it will be difficult to reverse course gracefully. On the other hand, I genuinely regret that something that was supposed to be a fresh, clean alternative in the market is slowly becoming indistinguishable from the very competitors it sought to distance itself from—brands like Redmi, Realme, and others.
Of course, the device’s hardware design is important, but is it the most important factor if the core software philosophy is being compromised?
What are your thoughts on this? Am I overreacting, or is Nothing heading down a dangerous path?
