It would’ve been easy for Nothing to include the same bog-standard cloud-powered AI features we’ve seen from other affordable phones. But Nothing, being the plucky startup that it is, decided on something entirely different – and arguably, entirely more useful – than what we’ve seen until now.
Don’t get me wrong; Nothing’s Essential Space, in its current form, won’t be able to take on the likes of Apple Intelligence and Galaxy AI.
The competing AI features from Apple and Samsung, respectively, are far-reaching, with everything from advanced image editing to the ability to rewrite messages, summarise notifications, and more.
Nothing’s Essential Space on the Phone 3a is more limited in scope in comparison, but it does something new, exciting, and arguably just as useful for a whole lot less than Apple and Samsung’s flagship smartphones.
So, with that being said, what is the Nothing Essential Space and how does it work?
A Nothing spin on conventional smartphone AI
According to Nothing itself, it’s ‘a universal space and smart organiser for all your thoughts, ideas and memories’ – though that is a bit nebulous.
What it actually is, is an app, or ‘space’, activated by a dedicated button on the side of the Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro that processes images, audio and text that you save using AI. The AI then analyses and categorises this data automatically, pulling the most important information from whatever you’ve saved for easy perusal at a later date, all in one place.
I, for example, took a screenshot of a home screen layout and added a note that I really liked the layout. The Essential Space then analysed the screenshot for elements that I might’ve particularly enjoyed – like Nothing-designed widgets, quick access to Do Not Disturb and a Dark Theme – and listed these beneath the image.
It was interesting to see just how smart the AI was, but I’ve found other uses for the screenshot functionality.
I’ve screenshotted articles I’ve read about online to do further research, and I’ve also screenshotted the Google listing for a cafe I want to try. The Essential Space summarises the information on the phone in the former and provides details about opening times and locations for the latter. It’s all very handy stuff.
What’s more, you can add voice notes without an associated screenshot. This allows you to speak your mind, brainstorm and even note important information for later use, with the Essential Space transcribing, summarising and extracting key information from the clip to action.
For example, I recorded a quick voice note – by holding the Essential Key – about needing to get cat food on my way home from work. The Essential Space then took this information and automatically converted it into a to-do list, complete with a reminder time set for 5pm that day and more details about where I could buy the cat food on my journey from the office.
This isn’t something new – we’ve seen similar AI-powered features from plenty of phones – but the presentation of all the information, including reminders and even curated collections of various screenshots, notes and other information, in a dedicated Essential Space is an effective idea.
Budget smartphone AI has its limitations…
Just as important is that this functionality is available on a smartphone that costs just £329. In a world where the most capable AI features and functionality are exclusively available on flagships that can cost north of £800/$800, it’s a fantastic alternative that focuses on the core uses of AI.
The catch here is that, without a flagship-level chipset to power an on-device AI experience, Nothing relies mainly on cloud-based AI processing.
This could have implications for privacy depending on what you’re sharing in the Essential Space, but for the average Joe who isn’t guarding state secrets or exclusive IP, it shouldn’t be too much of a worry.
… But Essential Space should continue to improve
What’s most exciting is that there’s still more to come where the Essential Space is concerned.
While it’ll undoubtedly return on the flagship Nothing Phone 3 rumoured to be released later this year, the company has confirmed that several key features are headed to the Essential Space on the Nothing Phone 3a collection in the meantime.
Those features include the ability to automatically categorise your data, making it easier to find information you’re looking for at a glance.
There’s also an upgrade to transcription tech that’ll recognise different speakers during meetings, providing more accurate meeting summaries and more personalised, relevant to-dos.
So, yes, even with impressive hardware, including a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 50W fast charging tech alongside Nothing’s unique approach to hardware and UI design, the standout feature of the £329 Nothing Phone 3a is undoubtedly the Essential Space, and it’ll only get more capable from here on out.
