Nothing recently unveiled the Nothing Phone (3a) and the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro with improved cameras and a fresh design. The main highlight however is the new Essential Key found below the power button. However, unlike the Action Button or Camera Control button, this has just one specific purpose. If you have been planning to purchase the Nothing Phone (3a) or are simply intrigued by the company’s latest offering, here’s everything you need to know about the new Essential Key.
Essential Key in Nothing Phone (3a) Series Explained
The Nothing Key sits just below the power button on the Nothing Phone (3a) series. While the company initially planned on adding a red dot, it has a glossy finish that is color-matched with the rest of the body of the phone.
But unlike Apple, Nothing’s Essential Key isn’t customizable and only has a single purpose. You can use it to access Essential Space, an AI-powered hub. This is where you can store your notes, voice recordings, screenshots, and photos. It’s like a personal diary but for your phone – you can simply access using the Essential Key.
Here are all the actions that you can perform with the Essential Key:
- Press and hold: Take a screenshot
- Long press: Record voice notes
- Double tap: Open Essential Space
How Does It Work?
Now the way this button works is that you press and hold it to take a screenshot. During this process, you can also record a voice note to record your thoughts or set reminders. For example, if you come across a product on Amazon, you can create a voice note to remind yourself to buy it later.
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Nothing’s AI will generate a transcript as well as a summary of your audio recording. It will also remember the name of the product and set a reminder to buy the product in the future. Similarly, if you take a screenshot with a date, time, or a link, it can extract these details from the screenshots.
The Essential Space is an app on the Nothing Phone (3a) series and it contains all the “memories” that you capture using the dedicated button. The company will also add new features to the Essential Space including Flip to record, smart collections, and focused search.
However, it’s worth noting that the Essential Key can only detect English voice notes and does not work well with other languages. Also, you need an active internet connection and the phone does take time to generate summaries since it is powered by a mid-range processor.
