The pill-shaped Essential Key below the power button is a clever way to integrate AI. Press it and you can save what’s on your screen and add a text or voice note. You can also hold the button down to record voice notes if you have a great idea (monkey tennis, anyone?) and don’t want to forget it. Everything is saved in the Essential Space app (double-tap to access), where it’s analyzed by artificial intelligence to generate tasks and store memories. You can have these pop up on your home screen using the Essential Space widget. I found it very handy and more accessible for remembering stuff that I would usually stick in my Notes app.
The Nothing OS 3.5 software sits atop Android 15, and I’m a fan of the retro pixelated style. It feels slick, with some lovely animations, and there’s an interesting assortment of widgets and customization options. Nothing promises three Android version updates and six years of security patches, which is respectable for a budget phone.
Sadly, there are compromises on the software front, too. I was very disappointed to find bloatware creeping onto the phone (especially Facebook), because this is something the company made a point of avoiding in the past. But it gets worse with Lock Glimpse serving up a trashy buffet of wallpapers that link to articles on your lockscreen. I mostly saw interior design and recipe content before I jumped into the settings to toggle it off (at least you can turn it off).
Mixed Bag
Photograph: Simon Hill
Using the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite as my daily driver was a mixed experience. The 6.77-inch OLED screen is pretty good and offers up to a 120-Hz refresh rate. I had no issues with reading, messaging, YouTube videos, and some light gaming. If you want to play demanding games like Genshin Impact, this is not the phone for you. Just watch how you hold it to avoid blocking the tinny bottom-firing mono speaker. I’d suggest earbuds are a better bet.