Nothing recently started rolling out its Android 16–based Nothing OS 4 update to the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro. The release brings a handful of new features, including an AI-powered dashboard, a refreshed Nothing icon pack, and a new “Stretch” camera preset.
But the update also introduces something we haven’t seen on a Nothing device before: Lock Glimpse. It’s a customizable lock-screen feed that rotates through curated wallpapers and quick-view widgets for things like weather, reminders, and more.
However, the decision to include Lock Glimpse isn’t being well-received by users and community members, as many are criticizing it as bloatware.
The feature is quite similar to the Glance lock-screen feed on budget and mid-range phones from Realme, Oppo, and Redmi. And as someone who uses a Realme phone with Glance enabled by default, I can relate. I don’t enjoy having my lock-screen wallpaper constantly swapped out or cluttered with bite-sized content I didn’t ask for.
Here’s what Nothing has to say
Responding to this, Nothing’s co-founder Akis Evangelidis revealed that it’s actually a part of a broader strategy to include third-party apps on Nothing phones.
The official says that the company will begin pre-installing a “carefully considered selection” of third-party partner apps and services on select non-flagship devices.
He cited Instagram as the type of app that will come out of the box. The irony, though, CEO Carl Pei publicly called out Instagram as bloatware in replies to his own X post back in 2022.
As for why Nothing is doing this, Akis says it’s partly to manage the BOM (Bill of Materials) cost, which is higher for Nothing compared to more established smartphone players. Other brands also benefit from software-based revenue streams, while Nothing is dealing with “razor-thin margins.”
So to stay sustainable, the company is exploring new revenue models, which include third-party partnerships. Still, Akis assures that Nothing will keep such apps “minimal and easy to remove,” and will be transparent about what’s being installed and why.
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