The fear of missing out, colloquially known as FOMO, is the absolute worst. It’s made even more frustrating by the frequent onslaught of top new Android smartphones being released, given the myriad of features and designs to choose from. What could also be described as trepidation of buyer’s remorse can lead to everyday purchasers second-guessing themselves on every single decision, leading to regret rather than rejoicing in a new smartphone.
Now, imagine how much worse your fear of missing out would be if you knew that your favorite devices would release new and interesting colors a few weeks or even months after their initial launch. Well, that’s what’s happening for some Nothing Phone 2a users, with the smartphones getting an exclusive new color more than a month after hitting the market, and it’s inspiring some serious FOMO.
The blue Nothing Phone 2a is the latest causality for early adopters
Those who bought the device at launch are devastated
In March this year, the Nothing Phone 2a launched, representing the first budget phone from the phone manufacturer in its short lifespan. The US launch was admittedly tame, with devices only available through a developer program, but users still seemed excited that the fun-focused company was branching out with a larger device lineup. At the time, the device came in two colors, though, Black and Milk (barf emoji), not exactly living up to its fun ideology.
And then, chaos. In the tail end of April, Nothing announced that the device would be receiving a makeover, a Blue color option for the Phone 2a that frankly brings the device from drab to fab almost immediately. While it’s a nice change of pace for Nothing, those who purchased the phones at launch are understandably distraught, already saddled with the far inferior Black and Milk (seriously, why?) colors for their newest smartphone.
Nothing Phone 2a review: Nothing you’re missing out on
In an about-face from Phone 2, Nothing’s latest is made for Europe and Asia
Granted, it’s not available to most buyers in the US or Europe, as the exclusive color will only be an option for those in India. Still, it’s completely reasonable for smartphone enthusiasts to feel wronged here, particularly if this trend continues for future devices.
First adopters be damned
Can you afford to buy at launch anymore?
The Nothing Phone 2a debacle isn’t the first time this staggered color launch has ripped through the hearts of smartphone users. In fact, in 2019, Samsung made a similar move, announcing the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ would get a vibrant red color option two months after the initial launch. And if you’re looking for something more recent, the mint Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro arrived earlier this year, delivering a fourth color choice to a lineup that had already convinced thousands of smartphone users to upgrade.
Google’s new mint Pixel 8 Pro looks even better in person
Please, phone companies, give us all the colors
Announcing new colors after the fact will deter first adopters from buying on that first day, and even the slightest indication that new colors are coming down the pipeline would help to assuage those suffering from FOMO. We’re not saying don’t surprise us with new colors here and there, but you know, give us a heads-up about it if you can. Here’s hoping that new Pixel 8a doesn’t get a coral version months down the road.
Of course, if you’re really worried about getting the color you want out of your next smartphone, you can always just grab a colorful phone case to make it look how you imagined.
