Nothing founder Carl Pei reveals company is working on new phone for the US
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According to company founder Carl Pei, the Nothing phone brand is aiming to make its U.S. debut but is facing some logistical issues, not to mention competition from major rivals.
In a conversation with CNBC (opens in new tab), Pei says the company is currently in “early talks with U.S. airlines…” but hasn’t mentioned a specific name. Each carrier has a specific suite of software they want to add to smartphones, and there’s “a lot of additional technical support” that needs to be done, according to the founder. All of that contributed to Nothing delaying a US launch. It is also not known if the phone (1), currently Nothing’s only smartphone, will be launched or if it will be something else. But it won’t be the phone (2) because Pei quickly shot down that idea on Twitter (opens in new tab). He states that Phone (1) will be the company’s main focus when building the device’s software, the post said.
Nothing has had success in the United States with the Ear (1) headphones. Pei states that a third of total sales come from the US, so there is at least some interest in the company’s products. It seems the success has given Nothing the confidence to head to the Western Hemisphere.
Speculation and competition
While it’s unknown what will be released, we can look at the phone (1) to get an idea of what’s possible.
The Phone (1) is a pretty decent mid-range device with CNBC comparing it to the iPhone SE in terms of price and specs. Starting at £399 you get a 6.55-inch Full HD OLED display powered by a tuned (but still a bit old) Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset. The glowing Glyph interface on the back gives the smartphone a unique look that can be tailored for notifications and calls. However, the battery life leaves much to be desired. You can buy an unlocked phone (1) in the US for $489, but it only works with certain carriers.
With regard to iPhones, Pei says it wants to include Apple in the mid-range segment, but that’s tough competition. Recent reports (opens in new tab) show that iOS devices have effectively taken over the US as more than half of all smartphones in the country are iPhones. Luring iPhone owners to Nothing’s Android-based platform can be a challenge, as Apple customers are tied not only to their iPhones, but also to the deeply integrated App Store (and hosted apps). Nothing Founder Pei believes will be a problem for future efforts as well. He noted to CNBC that it is “going to create a cap on our growth.”
Nothing has done its job for sure. According to CNBC, the company has faced numerous manufacturing issues, from India’s covid restrictions hampering production to the rejection by Foxconn, “Apple’s largest iPhone supplier,” to make its devices. We didn’t ask if it can tell us what it plans to launch in the US or at least give us a hint. This story will be updated at a later date if we hear anything.
If you’re interested in exploring budget devices, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of cheap phones.