Free AI in Phones to End Soon? Nothing Said to Charge Phone 3a Users for AI Tools

The era of free artificial intelligence (AI) tools may come to an end soon, with Nothing reportedly preparing to charge its users for Essential Space features. Essential Space is a hub, available by the click of the Essential Key, on the Nothing Phone 3a, offering AI-based tools for content organisation. Some of these AI-powered tools may soon come with a paywall, requiring users to pay as much as $120.

According to Android Authority, the latest version of the Essential Space app carries codes, hinting at the company’s potential plan to monetise the feature. Folks at the publication found terms such as “free trial” and “AI credits” in the code, suggesting a paywall for features after an initial trial for free. Digging the code deeper unearthed the biggest giveaway: a $120 enrolment fee for using Essential Space. It is too high to be a monthly fee, so maybe the reference in the code hints at an annual subscription, per the report.

The report also cites a Nothing spokesperson to say that the company has not decided yet “around potential pricing” and is currently focused on improving the product.

A $120 fee seems bizarre especially when all Essential Space does is provide generic AI-powered tools, such as voice transcriptions, otherwise available at no cost on phones from other brands, including Samsung. It is also in beta currently, which means there is no way Nothing will charge for the app before it comes out in the stable channel. However, the report suggests Nothing could add new features for Essential Space, including Smart Collections, Focused Search, and Flip to Record to make the functionality more appealing and the subscription cost justified.

The Nothing Phone 3a was launched last month alongside its Pro version, bringing specifications such as a 120Hz AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, 50MP rear cameras, Android 15-based software, and a 5000mAh battery with 50W fast charging. It starts at ₹24,999 and comes in Black, White, and Blue colours.