In an unprecedented move, Indian smartphone brand Ai+ has announced that its upcoming Nova 2 Neo and Nova 2 Pro handsets will be dispatched to reviewers, journalists, creators, and members of the technology community across India before a single unit goes on sale to the public. The move, described by the company as a first for the Indian smartphone industry, comes with an unusual set of conditions: no embargo, no talking points, no review guidelines, and no sale until the feedback window closes.
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The announcement lands at a fraught moment for the brand, which has spent the better part of the past month navigating the Chinese links controversy.
Ai+ Nova 2 Neo, Nova 2 Pro review units now rolling out
Under the initiative, reviewers will have seven full days to test and publish their findings on the Nova 2 Neo and Nova 2 Pro before sales open. Critically, the brand says it will not place any restrictions on the nature of the feedback - positive, critical, or otherwise.
Indian Smartphone Brand Ai+ Faces Scrutiny After YouTuber Questions Chinese Links & ‘Made In India’ Claims"At a time when product launches are often accompanied by carefully controlled narratives, Ai+ is taking a different approach - putting consumer interest ahead of launch-day marketing. We don't want validation. We want unbiased feedback for user benefits," said Madhav Sheth, CEO of Ai+ smartphone and founder of NxtQuantum Shift Technologies.
All reviews will be made available in real-time on the brand's website, giving prospective buyers direct access to independent assessments before they spend their money. Sheth did not hold back in acknowledging the vulnerabilities of the approach.
"As a young brand, we are still learning, still improving, and still earning consumer trust every day. If there is something we've missed, we'd rather hear it from reviewers before consumers spend their money. That's why Nova 2 Neo and Nova 2 Pro will not go on sale until this feedback window is complete," he added.
'Trust Must Be Earned Every Single Day': Indian Smartphone Brand Ai+ Breaks Silence On Chinese Links ControversyWhat was the controversy that Ai+ was embroiled in?
The announcement cannot be read in isolation. Over the past several weeks, Ai+ smartphone has been at the centre of a bruising public controversy over its core brand promise, that it offers a 'fully sovereign' Indian smartphone experience, free from Chinese software and data risks.
The trouble began when several creators, including Gyan Therapy and TechWiser, claimed their investigations had uncovered Chinese-made apps, software similarities to existing Android skins, and signs that some products were heavily linked to Chinese ODM manufacturers. The situation deteriorated significantly when Ai+ reportedly secured a Delhi High Court injunction against multiple YouTubers, forcing some videos to be removed and restricting further criticism. The inclusion of broad 'John Doe' provisions sparked concerns among creators and legal observers, who argued the move could discourage honest product reviews and investigative reporting.
The controversy reached an international audience when popular tech YouTuber Arun Maini, known as MrWhosetheboss, published an investigation titled 'I Investigated India's Biggest Smartphone Controversy', breaking down several issues based on hands-on testing, app analysis, and insider insights. His investigation found pre-installed apps, including Phone Clone and Clean Assistant, linked to China-based Sprocomm Technologies, with privacy policies explicitly mentioning data collection from user input, automatic usage, and third-party sources. An Android researcher confirmed the apps were built in China with rebranded package names.
Indian Smartphone Brand Ai+ Makes ₹350 Crore Revenue In May, Crosses 3 Lakh Units In Smartphone SalesThe brand's foldable device, the Nova Flip, was also identified as a direct rebrand of the ZTE Nubia Flip 2, filled with internal components and applications carrying clearly labelled ZTE identifiers.
What began as a local controversy over one brand's claims is now being watched as a broader question about editorial freedom on digital platforms, and whether legal action can be used to suppress criticism before the public has had a chance to judge the substance.
Ai+ responded to mounting pressure with a measured but non-specific statement. Archi Gogoi, Head of Brand, Marketing and Growth at Ai+, said, "Building a new technology brand comes with immense responsibility, and we recognise that trust must be earned every single day." The statement stopped short of directly addressing the specific allegations around Chinese-linked software, rebranded ODM hardware, or legal action against Indian YouTubers.
In under a year, Ai+ has gone from a single budget device to a portfolio spanning entry-level Pulse series, flagship Nova 2, Nova 2 Ultra, Nova 2 Pro, compact Nova 2 Neo, and foldable Nova Flip segments.