Over the past year, there has been a noticeable shift in Nothing’s software strategy compared to what was originally promised.
It began with the announcement of Nothing OS 3.0, where several new features were showcased. However, many of these — such as the updated Gallery experience and widget-sharing — still remain partially delivered or entirely missing. This has led to growing concern among users who expected timely feature rollouts.
With the launch of the Phone 3a series, Nothing introduced the Essential Key and Essential Space. While these are positioned as major software additions, older devices were left behind under the justification that they lack the required “key hardware,” despite the fact that the existing hardware appears to be technically capable. This has created a clear software divide between newer and older devices.
Another disappointment for early adopters is the reduced focus on Glyph features. From launch until now, there have been no major functional upgrades to the Glyph lights, and with the introduction of the Phone 3, the original Glyph experience seems to have been quietly deprioritized.
Nothing also promised multiple years of major updates for all their devices. But in practice, most of the significant development is centered around Essential Space and the latest models. As a result, older devices receive only minor enhancements and refinements, rather than meaningful new capabilities.
Finally, in the latest beta for the 3a series, Nothing announced the addition of pre-installed apps and ads in the software — a move that directly contradicts their earlier philosophy of clean, minimal, bloat-free software. Many users initially chose Nothing precisely because of this promise, especially considering that the hardware, while unique, isn’t always able to match competitors in raw specs.
When the software experience also begins to stagnate or degrade, it raises a serious question:
Is Nothing still committed to the vision that attracted its user base in the first place?
But These Remain The Big Questions
- Why have some announced features (e.g., Gallery enhancements, widget sharing) not yet arrived or only partially rolled out?
- Why are older devices seemingly getting less feature attention?
- Why is the brand now introducing ads and bloat when earlier it strongly differentiated by avoiding these?
- What is the long-term strategy for features like Glyph lighting — is it still a priority?
- For users invested in earlier models expecting equal feature support, how will Nothing address the perception of “premium vs affordable” device OS treatment?
