Five years in, is Nothing moving in the right direction?

When Nothing was launched in 2020 by former OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, the sentiment surrounding the firm was quite positive. OnePlus fans who felt that the previous flagship killer pioneer was losing its way were hopeful that Pei would cultivate some of those original values in the new company. Initially, it all looked rather promising. Five years later, though, I’m unsure if these consumers got what they were hoping for.

There has been plenty of chatter on Android Authority and various forums about Nothing’s current state and whether the young company is heading in the right direction. I want to know what you think about this sentiment.

So, what evidence is there to support Nothing so far? Well, I don’t believe the company has produced an outright bad device in its brief history, which is more than can be said for several fresh start brands. Nothing also has a clear identity, evident in its devices’ minimalist futuristic aesthetics and the introduction of unique design features, like the instantly recognizable Glyph system.

That said, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, especially over the past year.

Despite Nothing branding the Phone 3 as a “true flagship,” many questioned its credentials in that regard. While its price certainly supported this claim, Nothing’s hardware choices suggested otherwise. Granted, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 it launched with is by no means a slouch, but it doesn’t align with the company’s heavy-handed marketing.

Redditor u/Papa_Bear55 summarized the problem rather succinctly:

Terrible design, and way too expensive for the specs. What were they thinking?

Then there’s the revised Glyph system on the new phone. Many users are still annoyed by the switch from the Phone 1’s system to the Glyph Matrix screen on the Phone 3. Nothing argues that the latter is more customizable, but it trades that for the charm, identifiability, and simplicity of the original interface. Arguably, it’s also a regression from a system many phones already offer.

As u/blank2264 explains:

AOD can accomplish everything Glyph Matrix can and is much more useful and customizable. Glyph matrix is a complete gimmick of a feature.

Then there’s the latest talking point: the lukewarm reception of Nothing OS 4.0. The company’s Android 16 rollout, which was also halted recently for an “urgent fix,” didn’t set Nothing users’ hearts aflutter. The update features a lengthy changelog with numerous listed enhancements, but some users remain unconvinced.

Reddit user u/iamsajid_aa notes:

Updated my Nothing Phone 3a to the new 4.0 update and honestly… I can’t find anything that’s actually new. Feels like they pushed this one out just for the name’s sake. Doesn’t seem worth it at all.

So, weighing up the positives and negatives outlined above in addition to your own experience and perception of the brand, do you believe Nothing is moving in the right direction? Let’s have a discussion below.

Here are some more questions:

• What do you think are the biggest challenges that Nothing needs to overcome?
• Was the Nothing Phone 3 a step forward for the company?
• Five years in, has Nothing lived up to its original hype?
• If you could change one thing about Nothing phones, what would it be?
• Where do you stand on the changes to Nothing’s Glyph design from the Phone 1 to the Phone 3?

👇 And if you have a specific comment related to your poll choice, or want to answer any of the questions posed above, be sure to have your say in the comments below.