Did Carl Pei Just Leak Nothing Phone (3) with an Action Button?

May. 22, 2024

Nothing Phone (2a) launch was a success, thanks to the phone delivering a good value for its price and Carl Pei’sBhai marketing campaign. But now, Nothing fans and Android enthusiasts are eyeing the launch of their next flagship device, theNothing Phone (3). Till now we haven’t seen any leaks of the device but looks like Carl Pei has secretly teased the design and a big feature of the next Nothing Phone.

Carl Pei recently shared an X post revealingaredesigned quick settings panelfor Nothing OS 3. We covered the new quick settings panel in a separate story, however, many users, including me, initially overlooked the phone’s frame. We initially assumed it was the Nothing Phone 2, but closer inspection revealed a brand-new button on the right side of the frame; hinting that this may be our first official tease of the Nothing Phone 3.

What is this New Button on this Nothing Phone?

From the images, we can see that this button islocated right under the power buttonand is smaller in size compared to the other buttons. Its placement is a tad too high, which rules out the possibility of it being a dedicated camera shutter button. So, what could it be then? Let’s discuss!

My mind went straight to acustomizable key similar to the iPhone 15 Action button. This would allow users to set a custom action to the button like turning on the torch, taking a screenshot, or turning on DND. This would sit right with Nothing’s emphasis on offering customizable features throughout their Nothing OS.

It could alsovery well be a dedicated AI button to trigger ChatGPT Voice. We recently saw Nothing introduce a feature tolaunch ChatGPT using their Ear and Ear (a)TWS. Not to forget, they also added widgets and shortcuts to make the AI chatbot more accessible throughout their OS. So, introducing a dedicated button wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

My last theory leads to it beingNothing’s alternative to OnePlus’s alert slider. It was under Carl’s reign that OnePlus introduced the alert slider so he could try to mimic the feature for his own company. What possibly adds weight to this theory is the horizontal slider in the new quick settings panel with the “Vibrate” option in the middle similar to how it would be in a three-step alert slider.

It is also entirely possible that this is some sort of a ploy by Carl Pei to get the fans talking about the Nothing Phone 3 and get the hype training chugging. The phone’s launch is still a few months away so this could be a great way to tease an upcoming feature and kickstart a conversation around their device.

We all know Pei is a marketing genius and knows how to drum up hype around his products. The phone in the picture has a metal frame leading us to believe that it could be the Phone 3, but again, it is all speculation as of now.

What do you think this new button could be? Do you believe it is the Nothing Phone 3? Let us know in the comments down below.

As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.