From bloatware to roots: Carl Pei admits Nothing needs to do better

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei has never been particularly shy about talking directly to the company’s community, and a recent Reddit AMA produced some unusually candid answers. From the Phone 2’s Nothing OS 5.0 situation to bloatware, the Glyph, AI, and Nothing’s broader product strategy, Pei gave fans plenty to discuss. The most interesting part, though, may be how willing he was to acknowledge that some of Nothing’s recent decisions haven’t quite landed as intended.

The Nothing Phone 2 will end its major Android update run with Android 16, and Pei says the reason comes down to its aging software stack and chipset support.

“The kernel is unfortunately too old,” Pei explained, adding that Android 17 won’t be supported by the chipset vendor. He also pointed out that Nothing originally promised three major Android updates for the phone, with security patches running through 2027.

Pei initially said the Phone 2 had received four major updates — Android 13, Android 14, Android 15, and Android 16 — before correcting himself and clarifying that the company had fulfilled its original commitment rather than exceeded it.

One user took issue with semi-forced app installs and games appearing on Nothing phones. Pei’s response was refreshingly direct: he agreed Nothing should dial this back and find a better balance between user value and monetization.

The admission is notable, particularly as Nothing looks for more ways to monetize beyond hardware sales.

The conversation also touched on the company’s broader strategy. Pei said Nothing has sometimes been “strategically lazy” while working hard on tactical matters, and that “less but better” is the desired direction. That thinking could explain why features such as Shared Widgets and Essential Search aren’t currently priorities.