Bandano
I get where you’re coming from, and I actually agree on the basics: Nothing isn’t Apple or Samsung, and competing solely on price with thin margins is impossible for them as a small player.
But you’re missing the point of my post.
I’m not asking Nothing to be the cheapest. I’m saying, if you’ve built your brand around community trust, transparency, and listening to your users—you need to align your product positioning with that, or at least communicate clearly when you’re shifting away from it.
Carl knows this audience. He knows that Nothing and OnePlus buyers aren’t the average “walk into an Apple store” customers who just care about cameras. We’re the type who care about what’s in the device, longevity, update cycles, and real-life camera performance for the price we pay. We’re the type who supported Nothing because it felt like a company that understood us.
I fully understand the differentiation strategy, and I respect it. But differentiation can’t replace value entirely. At £850, you’re not in a “value flagship killer” spot, and you’re not a luxury design piece like a Vertu. You’re sitting in a weird middle ground where your community is left confused about who this phone is for.
If Nothing had launched the Phone (3) at £650–700, I’d have no complaints, and it would still leave them room for margin. Instead, the price-to-spec positioning feels off, especially when they’ve been open in the past about BOM costs and championed transparency.
It’s not about betrayal, and it’s not about personal attacks on Carl or Nothing. I want Nothing to win. I want to recommend Nothing to people who value design and a clean UI without having to add disclaimers like, “It’s great, but maybe wait for a price drop.”
And sure, we can “vote with our wallets.” That’s exactly what posts like this are—a public, constructive way of saying: “I’m part of your core community, and I want to support you, but this approach makes it hard to justify.”
If Nothing’s strategy is to go upmarket, fine. Just be clear about it. Don’t frame it as if the community is wrong for noticing the gaps between your positioning and what’s being delivered.
You can differentiate and provide clear value. Otherwise, Nothing risks turning into the very thing it was
meant to disrupt.
