TLDR: Was a big fan of Nothing, but have sold/given away mostly everything from them. I had the Nothing Phone 2 (12 RAM 256 GB), CMF Watch Pro, and CMF Buds Pro. Below you can read everything that was a deal breaker for me with them. If I ever get another device from them it will be sure after a lot of software updates and reviews.
Last year (2023), I needed a new phone. My Pixel 4a was just dying and people could not reach me when needed. (even after a software re-flash) Personally, I didn’t care much that it lagged, etc, but when my loved ones could not reach me that was the stepping stone that made me start searching for a new device. I had the luck that the price wasn’t really a factor in the picking so I checked all kinds of devices. (even iPhones) 2 months later, tested nearly 10 devices I couldn’t find a good device to change my old daily driver. On July 11, 2023, there was a Pre-Sale of the NP2 and the design was cool. The specs were great on paper and the price wasn’t that bad. I was thinking why not, I prefer to place my money where my mouth is and wanted to see this “industry killer/changer”. The device was bigger than I preferred but It didn’t stop me from getting it. The device was really good-looking. Software updates (really important for me) were flowing at the start and everything was great. The camera had some hiccups but a few software updates would fix it, right? (wrong …)
Ok, let’s record my toughs monthly-ish and see how I like the device:
1 month in: The difference between my Pixel 4A and Nothing Phone 2 is a big one, but the hardware is nearly 2-3 times better. There are a few bugs here but let’s wait a bit more. The greyscale icons and launcher are a great addition.
3 months in: The software support is really slow, and small critical features aren’t implemented fast enough even tho, they are really simple to add. But we have time NFT’s … Enshittification at its finest.
6 months in: Another larger update but the camera is still bad, and the phone battery doesn’t last as long as it should. Performance isn’t as good as everyone expected for a nearly stock Android with such specs …
7-8-9 months in: Nothing Apparel …? What …? – Why would you start a few new things but you still haven’t made one good version of your “best” phone? – Software support for the NP1 is mostly identical.
10-11-12 months in: Nothing Phone 2a …? – What …? Didn’t you say you would not be that brand …? The one that puts out phones as much as it can just so you sell more …? OK I understand you need money but you will not forget the older models right? WRONG. The A series had Nothing OS with a 2-3-4 version ahead of both Nothing Phone 1 and 2. Duck me right? Weren’t you going to be the iPhone of Android …
Nearly 12 months in I had enough. After a quick talk with my future spouse, I just searched which device was Google’s latest one. In my case was the Pixel 8a. I really didn’t like the design of it (and that the only 12 GB RAM model was the PRO) but I didn’t want to test devices again. A week later, my Pixel 8 was at my office and I moved everything I had on it. The software was snappy, the camera was great even on zoom-ins. Ducking thank you, was it so much to ask …?
In the mix between the months there was the CMF brand and everything with them, but I it is more of the same. The Watch is just bad, the software has a few features, and watch faces are nearly 20-ish. All of them are just bad. The headphones are good, but the touch controls are terrible and you CAN’T just stop them. (yes I wrote a ticket for this feature at least 2 months ago)
I was a huge fan of Nothing. I followed their Twitter and Discord “religiously” and checked every “hack” there was to make my device better but it wasn’t enough. I REALLY wanted this brand to be the iPhone of Android. All Android users need it … But it will not be Nothing, or at least how they are led now.
P.S. – Nothing personal to the company Nothing or Carl Pei.