What you need to know
- Rumors on X claim Nothing is working on its first smartwatch with a starting price “under” $300.
- A tipster suggests the watch could feature Nothing’s typical DNA (likely in design), but it might only launch in “limited markets.”
- Nothing has technically made watches before, but under CMF with the Watch 3 Pro and other predecessors that use RTOS, not WearOS.
Rumors have started on social media about a new Nothing product. The company is allegedly working on its first smartwatch outside of its CMF brand.
Tipster Yogesh Brar on X claims that Nothing is developing its first smartwatch (via GSMArena). There aren’t a ton of details we can sink our teeth into, but Brar claims the watch will rock “typical Nothing DNA.” This is likely referring to its design. The watch is supposedly eyeing a release in “limited markets” at a starting price that’s under $300.
This is a price that would put the watch a bit under others, like the Galaxy Watch 9, which starts at $379. Brar suggests that there’s more to come, with alleged details forthcoming. Rumors end by purporting a September launch for this Nothing Watch (or whatever it’ll be called). Many users are reacting to this rumor on X, much like we are. A major concern that we’ve seen mentioned is the watch’s software.
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Users wonder if the device will sport Google’s WearOS software, or if the watch will settle for a proprietary RTOS.
Is this where we’re headed?
Android Central’s Take
This has me a little concerned. I generally like Nothing’s phones. I think they’re really cool, and their features and UI look so nice. But a watch seems strange to me. I think about its “flagship” phone, which doesn’t feature a true flagship chip. Its phones are nice, but lack true power for gaming. What chip would a Nothing Watch feature? Will it have features that could contend with a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch 9? Perhaps it doesn’t have to, but it needs something.
Smartwatches aren’t technically a “new thing” for Nothing. What’s been alleged now would be new, as Nothing hasn’t released a watch from its main portfolio. Instead, what we’ve gotten are devices from CMF, its sub-brand that generates devices for affordability. CMF launched the Watch 3 Pro last summer, which offered a few noteworthy upgrades. CMF improved its heart sensor and sports modes, rolling out 131 supported activities.
The watch features a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, 120 customizable watch faces, and dual-band GPS. What’s more, CMF states users can get ~13 days out of its battery for “typical use.” That’ll look more like 10 days with “heavy use.” These specs are fine, especially considering the market CMF is in. But what’s always stuck out is its software. CMF’s Watch 3 Pro doesn’t use WearOS; it uses an RTOS. While this hasn’t always sat well with people, the device isn’t that bad.
CMF’s watch lacks depth. Depth that you would receive from a fully connected device running WearOS from Google, Samsung, or Garmin. Considering the rumor, if Nothing is working on a “flagship” watch, there are expectations.