- An APK teardown of the latest version of the Essential Space suggests the app may introduce paid features.
- It is unknown what the paid features could include; however, a string of code mentions a possible $120 fee.
- Along with these, the teardown also hints at upcoming features like Smart Collections, Focused Search and Flip to Record.
The release of Nothing’s new Phone (3a) series (review) came with a surprise addition. A new physical key that lets you invoke an AI-powered Essential Space app, which helps to create tasks and reminders using screenshots and voice recordings. While the feature itself is in early release, Nothing might be planning to add a subscription fee to Essential Space soon.
Android Authority did an APK teardown of the latest version of the Essential Space app. They found a string of code that clearly hints at paid features, using terms like “free trial” and “AI credits”.
<string name="claim_free_trial">Continue</string>
<string name="claim_now">Enroll</string>
<string name="claim_price">(USD 120)</string>
They found another string of code mentioning "claim_free_trial" and "claim_price">(USD 120). The latter one is more interesting as it suggests that, whatever the subscription, Nothing is cooking up for the Essential Space, it could cost around $120. Surely this won’t be the monthly cost, but it could add up to a yearly or lifetime plan.
Along with these, they also managed to dig up some upcoming features through the code. These include Smart Collections, Focused Search, and Flip to Record, which Nothing confirmed were in the pipeline after a recent Nothing OS update. The first one likely automatically sorts your screenshots into collections. Focused Search might let you perform an in-depth search, much like Gemini. And Flip to Record could start recording your voice upon flipping the phone.
Having used the Essential Space for a while now, I can say that the feature needs more work before it is anywhere near charging subscriptions. Plus, it is not easy to convince people to pay for what “essentially” is a productive screenshot app. But maybe they know something that we don’t. They could make the app so useful that we can’t imagine a day without it.
These plans can also change later down the line. We heard that Samsung could soon start charging for its Galaxy AI features, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. So who knows what the future holds? That said, are you onboard with paying for the Essential Space? Let us know in the comments below.
