Smartphone cameras are getting better by the day, but somehow smartphone manufacturers still mess up when promoting their devices’ photographic abilities. The latest company to land itself in hot water over using fake camera samples is Nothing.
In-store demo units of the company’s latest flagship in New Zealand were showing a screen with five photos, supposedly taken with the Phone (3), reports Android Authority. The pre-loaded images were put under a note saying “Judge for yourself. Here’s what our community has captured with Phone (3).”
The demo screen on Nothing Phone (3) showing stock photos | Image Source — The Verge
However, the photos turned out not to have been taken with the Phone (3). In fact, they were not taken with a Nothing phone at all. Instead, the images were taken from a stock photo marketplace. You can see the photos of a person by a window, a car headlight, a glass, a woman with a scarf on her head, and a spiral staircase for yourself. All images are available to license through Stills.
The image of the rounded headlight can also be seen on the Instagram account of Roman Fox. He confirmed to Android Authority that Nothing has bought the photo, which he had taken in 2023 with a Fujifilm XH2s camera. The Nothing Phone (3) was released earlier this year.
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Re the Phone (3) live demo units (LDU) in some stores using stock imagery - let me explain. An initial version of the LDU needs to be submitted with placeholders around 4 months before launch, to be implemented and tested as we ramp up towards mass production. Once we enter mass…
Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis published a statement on X, explaining that the stock images featured on the demo units were placeholders that should’ve been replaced. He says that the initial version of the live demo units was submitted with the stock images about four months ago. He described the situation as “an unfortunate oversight,” which Nothing is “actively rectifying.”
Do you usually trust the sample photos used by smartphone brands?
Yes, they’re usually real
2.5%
Yes, but I don’t base my decisions on them
10%
No, because they’re taken in perfect conditions
45%
No, because I think they’re usually fake
42.5%
In a separate tweet, Evangelidis says that previously, Nothing had used photos made with some of its older models as placeholder images. However, that process has changed, which he describes as a mistake.
Even if the process has changed, it’s still baffling that Nothing would license stock photos that it never intended to use publicly. That wouldn’t be the first time a smartphone company has been caught with fake photo examples, but let’s hope it is the last.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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