Lock Screen Ads Are Coming To Some Smartphones

Source: Life Hacker, Michelle Ehrhardt
Photo: Nothing

Nothing, a minimalist smartphone company popular for mid-budget models, is now testing Lock Screen ads, regardless of region.

Right now, if you live in the U.S. and you’re familiar with lock screen ads, it’s probably from your e-reader, your PC, or maybe even your refrigerator. Plenty of devices with screens in them like to subsidize costs by running ads, but American smart phones have been surprisingly good at keeping your lock screen clear. Until now.

“Nothing” experiments with lock screen ads

If you haven’t heard of Nothing, I don’t blame you. The Android phone company made waves back in 2022, largely on the back of its founder, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, but it only recently started making phones on par with flagship devices like the Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy. Mostly, the brand has instead become known for its mid-range accessories and budget phones, which pack in a lot of power for their price points, but otherwise stand out through trendy and minimalistic designs. It’s a smaller market, but a loyal one.

That’s why it’s a bit odd to see the company put both its minimalism and fandom at risk by putting ads on its lock screens, via a new “Lock Glimpse” feature.

https://lifehacker.com/tech/lock-screen-ads-coming-to-smartphones