Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Exclusivity?

Siemens NX · 2025-09-19T12:37:52+00:00

It’s been a while since my last post, [How Nothing could bring Essential Space to older phones (if they want to)](https://nothing.community/d/31685-how-nothing-could-bring-essential-space-to-older-phones-if-they-want-to). After that post they launched Phone 3 series with a new Essential feature: Essential Search. I'm back with more rant and update on my last post. # Essential Space: We got an official response regarding Essential Space for older models, it's not coming. I'm not surprised, they already had their excuse. [upl-image-preview uuid=4e6b2206-9ed9-40f0-82cb-eb66285e36ee url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-09-19/1758283699-25210-image.png alt={TEXT?}] [They](https://nothing.community/d/32417-q1-2025-community-board-observer-digest/7) also said: > I understand your point, but Nothing have decided on this to keep the user experience the same on all Nothing devices. I really don't understand how this makes the user experience the same. It is literally the opposite. They are artificially keeping it exclusive. Some other companies (like Carl's ex) released similar features and found ways to release for their older phones without an extra button. # Essential Search: It's been a while since the Phone 3 launch and unlike Essential Space, Essential Search does not require a new button. I thought they would add it for feature parity but I guess I was wrong. First I thought they would add it with Nothing OS 3.1, 3.2 or 3.5. We received some updates (last one was today) including 3.2 but it is still missing. However, we could just sideload the Essential Search app from Phone 3 system dump as a workaround and surprise surprise, it works, until today. Today, they released Essential Search app in Play Store and it is (still) exclusive to Phone 3 users. We can also sideload it but AI functionality doesn't work. Because they also released Nothing Launcher 3.3.14 and blocked non-Phone 3 users accessing Essential Search's AI functionality. # Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Exclusivity? While we are expecting them to release the feature on older models they actually went the opposite way and blocked it from users that found their way. We already know it works, it doesn't require a button, it runs on server, there is nothing that would prevent older phones from getting it. What are we waiting for? How long should we wait until Phone 3 loses it's favorite child status so we can have those features? Keeping features artificially exclusive is not doing any good to older customers. That does not make me want to buy your shiny new Phone 3, it just makes me lose my faith in the company and think about my future purchasing decisions. I started thinking that Nothing OS 4.0 AI features will be exclusive for Phone 3 (and maybe 3a series if they are generous) as well. Hope I will be wrong this time.

Siemens NX

CMF1_hacker Before Nothing Launcher 3.3.14 you could access all the features from Essential Search. Now you can only access on device search features, currency conversion etc. No AI search.

CMF1_hacker

Siemens NX so, you’re saying an update disable ES on certain phones?

Mohd_khalidKhan

Siemens NX i have no such update still it’s not working

Siemens NX

CMF1_hacker yes. Nothing Launcher update disables Essential Search AI search for non-Phone 3 models, even if you have the Essential Search app sideloaded.

Anonymous931

Siemens NX What are we waiting for?

Gemini can do everything that Essential Space can (plus more, it’s also available from other devices), and it’s already on your phone.

Siemens NX

Anonymous931 I’m not asking for an alternative. I know I can use something else. But why should I need that? They can just let us use those features too as a Nothing phone user.

Anonymous931

Siemens NX This is an alternative to Gemini though, Gemini was already on every Android phone - including Nothing phones - when they added the Essential Space after as another way to do the same things (minus chatbot and image generation). I agree with you btw, don’t get me wrong. Just saying that currently you are not missing much (actually you are not missing anything) as Gemini is simply far superior, starting with the fact that your data is not tied to one single device.

CMF1_hacker

Siemens NX I don’t listen to that user as they’re argumentative.

your argument is good. why not simply allow it.

I assume it will simply be rolled out to all users in NOS 4.0.

Siemens NX

CMF1_hacker Hope you’re right. I lost my faith.

Anonymous931 I don’t think you understood my point.

They do similar things but it’s not a direct replacement. Even if it was exactly the same I would still want it. It is about all customers having the same features unless they are hardware related and impossible to implement. They should not keep software features exclusive to their latest phone (at least not for this long) and expect us to find alternatives. I can find alternatives but I will also remember this treatment while purchasing my next phone.

Anonymous931

AhmetK_k Sometimes I just don’t understand people. This chap is talking about restricting a feature that’s actively used, and another user of the same brand, who’s been wronged, is suggesting he switch to Gemini. I reckon the side you should be defending isn’t Nothing’s.

Not understanding people usually happens when you struggle with reading, yes. I’ll repeat my own words again, to simplify it for you as I see that you are having some major troubles with understanding:

Anonymous931 I agree with you btw, don’t get me wrong.

Then IMMEDIATELY IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE explained why I recommended Gemini:

Anonymous931 Just saying that currently you are not missing much (actually you are not missing anything) as Gemini is simply far superior, starting with the fact that your data is not tied to one single device.

And again:

Anonymous931 Again, I agree with you,

Now, AhmetK_k, do you still don’t understand now, or is it a bit clearer? 🤕

Anonymous931

Again, I agree with you, but this here is exactly why they almost certainly won’t provide it (at least not in its full effectiveness) to older devices…

Siemens NX It is about all customers having the same features unless they are hardware related and impossible to implement.

…because those older devices do not have that dedicated Essential Space key/button so they [Nothing] can play that card as a reason to not allow binding it to a long-press-power-button shortcut like literally every other AI can be assigned to access it. And they could do the same, but nah - let’s rather add a fully separate and fairly useless key 🙃

Siemens NX

Anonymous931 Essential Search does not require a button and they also haven’t added that yet. They not only just not added, they blocked us from sideloading our way into it.

Also, I linked my post about how they could add Essential Space without a button. OnePlus did that with their Mind Plus feature and Plus key (Essential Space and Essential key) for their older models.

That’s what I meant by “artificial exclusivity”.

Anonymous931

Siemens NX I don’t get it, I’m commenting on your own post and your own words:

I said why they won’t add it and said that they could’ve done it like pretty much everyone else, by using this, and now I attached a screenshot too:

Anonymous931 …because those older devices do not have that dedicated Essential Space key/button so they [Nothing] can play that card as a reason to not allow binding it to a long-press-power-button shortcut like literally every other AI can be assigned to access it. And they could do the same, but nah - let’s rather add a fully separate and fairly useless key 🙃

Essential Search doesn’t work on many (3) and (3a) phones either, that’s a bug currently.

Siemens NX

Anonymous931 You don’t even know what Essential Search is, do you? It’s a seperate feature that you access from homescreen/app drawer search bar.

It’s region locked.

CMF1_hacker

Siemens NX

work fine here (UK) on the NP3.

Spark

CMF1_hacker There are two versions of essential search app, it works on my Phone 2 without any hassle… (Sideloaded)

Siemens NX

Spark until Nothing Launcher 3.3.14.

pollenjh

Yeah when I watched the NOS 4.0 announcement I wondered if any of the AI-centric features would even be added to phones pre-Phone (3a)

CMF1_hacker

Siemens NX yes, it’s been squeezed out, which is fine, they’ll roll it out to older phones, even the CMF1 with NOS 4.0, which will also come to the CMF1. Any phone not getting NOS 4.0 will get a loyalty-based discount.

NTL will become a fully intertwined AI-based ecosystem.

AhmetK_k it wasn’t technically “rolled out.” it was side loaded (a loophole) and then blocked (loophole closed), which is different.

*I assume this response was aimed at me.

AhmetK_k

Sometimes I just don’t understand people. This chap is talking about restricting a feature that’s actively used, and another user of the same brand, who’s been wronged, is suggesting he switch to Gemini. I reckon the side you should be defending isn’t Nothing’s.

Are you aware that when the Nothing Phone (4) comes out in two days, Nothing Phone (3) users will be treated like stepchildren?
What’s being said here is that Nothing has adopted the wrong policy, and defending this policy means betraying yourself.

If no other users speak up about this issue, I will consider this situation to be deserved by everyone, and I will not fight for Nothing users again.

D_J

That excuse of not having dedicated button wasn’t expecting when they said, now this.. While oneplus is providing their mind space app through gesture to older models so i wonder which brand is more trust worth for longterm use 👀 let’s see maybe after nos 4.0. Will able to make better decision