When OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei left to establish a new venture in 2020, the tech industry was hyped. After years of success, many felt his previous company no longer stood for its original ethos. Hence, with a fresh start, Nothing did not make any bold claims, but debuted products with outstanding design, modest performance, unique features, and competitive pricing. However, it seems the upcoming Nothing Phone (3) tweaks the formula, but not for the better.
At the start, there was never any mention or hint that Nothing would follow OnePlus’ “Flagship Killer” approach. Instead, their smartphones and wearables stand out courtesy of the distinct aesthetics and exclusive gimmicks. With this in mind, the latest model appears to shed the signature identity of the brand.
Moreover, its direction has shifted to the premium spectrum. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, long-time advocates of Nothing Technology Limited might find this move controversial. First of all, the Glyph Interface was supposedly a functionality every handset ships with.
All of the units so far, save for the CMF sub-brand, sport these LED modules under a see-through rear panel. Moving forward, the Nothing Phone (3) and perhaps all future renditions will now use a “Glyph Matrix.” Previews indicate the new interactive light show has promising potential. Users can likely assign custom animations for all types of notifications.
Secondly, there is talk about the substantial surge in pricing. Pei notes that the Nothing Phone (3) touts “premium materials, major performance upgrades and software that really levels things up.” It remains to be seen if the new price point will deter buyers. Since other Android flagships will also hit the market later this year, the options are staggering.
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