Was it just a mistake? Nothing speaks out on the Phone 3's stock photo controversy

Nothing has found itself in the middle of some piping hot controversy after users spotted the company passing off stock photos as those captured on the latest Nothing Phone 3. The company offered a statement that raised more questions than it answered. Now, Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis explains exactly what happened with the stock photos found on the Phone 3.

Akis mentions that companies have to submit demo units with placeholder content about four months before the phone’s launch so that they can be tested and “implemented” before mass production. Once the phone enters mass production, companies usually swap out placeholder content (including stock images) with proper product renders and actual photo samples.

Akis says that in this case, the placeholder content used in the Nothing Phone 3 demo units was not updated with photo samples from the phone.

Nothing is said to be “actively rectifying” the issue. The company is working with promoters to ensure that all demo units reflect the “latest version” (of photo samples). The company is also investigating internally to ensure that such an issue doesn’t happen again. Akis emphasizes that there was no ill intent at play here but merely some unfortunate oversight.

Comments on Akis’ post advise the company to use photos shot on older Nothing phones as placeholders on demo units. This way, even if the placeholder content is left behind, it will still be from a Nothing Phone. Akis mentions that they used to do exactly this.

Unfortunately, there’s no further explanation for why the company stopped this logical practice and opted for licensed stock photos for demo use.

This follow-up explanation from Nothing makes more sense than the company’s initial statement. However, it’s also fair for the community to feel cheated by this oversight, no matter its intent, as it’s not the first time a phone company has faked photo samples to oversell the camera capabilities of its latest phone. Hopefully, the community can look past this incident, for the Nothing Phone 3’s camera is pretty decent and doesn’t need stock photos to sell itself.