Nothing has found itself in controversy after demo units of the Nothing Phone (3) were spotted displaying misleading camera samples in retail stores.
The issue came to light when users noticed that the showcased photos were neither captured by the Phone (3) nor submitted by the community, despite the promotional tagline suggesting otherwise: “Judge for yourself. Here’s what our community has captured with Phone (3).”
It was quickly revealed that the sample photos originated from the stock image marketplace Stills, featuring images such as a spiral staircase, a person by the window, a rounded headlight, and a woman in a scarf. In fact, one of the highlighted shots—the rounded headlight—was traced back to photographer snapsbyfox, who uploaded it to Instagram in 2023 using a Fujifilm X-H2S camera, long before the Phone (3) was even announced.
Addressing the issue, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that these stock photos were intended as temporary placeholders, added about four months before launch. He explained that in normal circumstances, placeholder content on Live Demo Units (LDUs) is replaced with authentic photos, product renders, and videos once mass production begins. However, in this case, some demo units mistakenly retained the stock images.
“We are actively rectifying this and working with our promoters to ensure all LDUs reflect the latest version,” Evangelidis said, adding that the company has launched an internal investigation to prevent similar oversights in the future.
Interestingly, Evangelidis also revealed that Nothing previously used photos taken with older Nothing devices as placeholders. This approach, while not ideal, at least showcased the true capabilities of the company’s cameras. For the Phone (3), however, a new team opted for stock photography, a move he admitted was a mistake.
The incident has sparked discussions online about transparency in smartphone marketing, especially when camera quality is a key selling point. While the issue does not affect the actual performance of the Phone (3), Nothing is now working to restore consumer trust by correcting its in-store demo experience.