Nothing is in deep trouble

[Le_Chiffre]

I just came across this disturbing news:

• Nothing sold approximately 2 million units globally in 2025, but will not be able to sell more than 300,000 in 2026

• Nothing is shutting down in 12 or more global markets over the next few weeks

• This includes Middle East, parts of Europe and Japan

• They're planning to reduce workforce by 50% in China & 40% globally

• Nothing Phone 4b has sold only 20,000 units globally till now

• Nothing phone 4a and 4a pro together have sold only 150,000 units globally

• Nothing is unlikely to launch any new phones in 2026


First Asus, then one plus, and now nothing. The smartphone market is contracting and consolidating.

 

[maflynn]

Was it them that had a very successful phone, and opted to make a more expensive premium phone that then didn't sell as well?

 

[Le_Chiffre]

Perhaps, but I honestly have no idea.

 

[Sosab123]

Most of those android companies are being scammed by their customer base. They keep getting put on the pedestal just to suffer the fall like the others, a good example is One Plus. The customers keep feigning loyalty just for a new shiny device that will be outdated just as quickly it was found and loved.

 

[winxmac]

So it will be:

• U.S. - Apple
• U.S. - Google
• China - Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei [I genuinely forgot about the biggest Chinese brand if not for the U.S. ban]
• South Korea - Samsung
• Japan - Sony

and other android brands

Essential did not last long but was transformed into Nothing and now will be going the way of OnePlus?

 

[Le_Chiffre]

So it will be:

• U.S. - Apple
• U.S. - Google
• China - Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi
• South Korea - Samsung
• Japan - Sony

and other android brands

Essential did not last long but was transformed into Nothing and now will be going the way of OnePlus?

Not exactly. Oppo, vivo, and xiaomi are all doing double digit declines in China

Sony is rumored to be shuttering their mobile phone business within the year.

Samsung mobile is going to report their first quarterly loss for q2 2026.

Google is rumored to price their new 11 series phones $200-$300 more than the iPhone 17 series.

Budget and midrange Android phone sector is going to be hit the hardest due to the increase in memory and storage prices. Oems will either have to absorb the loss or increase prices. Most are electing to do neither as nothing is proving and just cancel upcoming budget and midrange phones.

Followed by Android Flagship phones, which are also being hit hard. Xiaomi has canceled their 18 ultra phone and other Chinese Android oems are rumored to follow suit. Due to a lack of demand and once again increase in memory and storage prices.

Currently only Apple and Huawei are profitable in 2026, and neither feature an Android operating system.

 

[GMShadow]

Was it them that had a very successful phone, and opted to make a more expensive premium phone that then didn't sell as well?

It sounds like I'm being snarky but this pretty much applies to all the 'independent' phone brands. The low prices are an attempt to build a customer base, but the people buying those only care about the low price and have no brand loyalty, so they just move to the next one once the brand tries to go 'premium' (aka so they can be profitable).

I think Motorola's low end rebadged stuff is popular with the budget at all costs crowd at the moment.

 

[Sosab123]

Not exactly. Oppo, vivo, and xiaomi are all doing double digit declines in China

Sony is rumored to be shuttering their mobile phone business within the year.

Samsung mobile is going to report their first quarterly loss for q2 2026.

Google is rumored to price their new 11 series phones $200-$300 more than the iPhone 17 series.

Budget and midrange Android phone sector is going to be hit the hardest due to the increase in memory and storage prices. Oems will either have to absorb the loss or increase prices. Most are electing to do neither as nothing is proving and just cancel upcoming budget and midrange phones.

Followed by Android Flagship phones, which are also being hit hard. Xiaomi has canceled their 18 ultra phone and other Chinese Android oems are rumored to follow suit. Due to a lack of demand and once again increase in memory and storage prices.

Currently only Apple and Huawei are profitable in 2026, and neither feature an Android operating system.

As I said in another thread, a device company has truly matured when it stops trying to connect you to the product and starts connecting you to the community that already owns it.

For far too long, it's been relatively easy to design a sleek chassis, wrap it in premium materials, fill it with cutting edge silicon, and win people over with impressive specs and flashy marketing. But that's the easy part.

The real test is longevity. Who is still around 10, 15, or 20 years later? Which companies have built ecosystems and communities that people genuinely want to stay a part of, rather than products people simply replace?

 

[Le_Chiffre]

As I said in another thread, a device company has truly matured when it stops trying to connect you to the product and starts connecting you to the community that already owns it.

For far too long, it's been relatively easy to design a sleek chassis, wrap it in premium materials, fill it with cutting edge silicon, and win people over with impressive specs and flashy marketing. But that's the easy part.

The real test is longevity. Who is still around 10, 15, or 20 years later? Which companies have built ecosystems and communities that people genuinely want to stay a part of, rather than products people simply replace?

Perhaps but that will never happen to brands that simply copy Apple and the iPhone and offer these clones at a cheaper price.

Once the cheaper price erodes the brand is pretty much dead.

 

[HouseLannister]

So it will be:

• U.S. - Apple
• U.S. - Google
• China - Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi
• South Korea - Samsung
• Japan - Sony

Dont forget Motorola (owned by Chinese company Lenovo). They have about the same marketshare as Google in the US and a bit more worldwide.

The rest of the also-rans would be mostly subsidiaries of other Chinese brands (Realme, Poco, etc.) and other smaller Chinese brands like ZTE/Nubia/RedMagic, Unihertz, and TCL. You also have Blu, an American company that rebadges Chinese phones.

 

[HouseLannister]

• Nothing Phone 4b has sold only 20,000 units globally till now

Apparently it sold 29,537 on day 1.

Also they claim they are reorganizing and not exiting any markets. But there are layoffs as part of that.

Nothing confirms layoffs, but calls market exit rumors ‘fake news’

Cofounder Akis Evangelidis says Nothing is “reorganizing.”

www.theverge.com

 

[Le_Chiffre]

Dont forget Motorola (owned by Chinese company Lenovo). They have about the same marketshare as Google in the US and a bit more worldwide.

The rest of the also-rans would be mostly subsidiaries of other Chinese brands (Realme, Poco, etc.) and other smaller Chinese brands like ZTE/Nubia/RedMagic, Unihertz, and TCL. You also have Blu, an American company that rebadges Chinese phones.

That’s true. In China, lenevo and zte hold a marketshare of 0.3%. Oppo announced realme will be ceasing operations in China.

No idea what may happen with Motorola if Lenovo decides to exit the smartphone maket.

 

[Le_Chiffre]

Apparently it sold 29,537 on day 1.

Also they claim they are reorganizing and not exiting any markets. But there are layoffs as part of that.

Nothing confirms layoffs, but calls market exit rumors ‘fake news’

Cofounder Akis Evangelidis says Nothing is “reorganizing.”

www.theverge.com

That’s what they are saying, it’s just a bit bizarre that they don’t mention the 4b selling more than about 20,000-30,000, so most likely that is a sell in figure not sell through. I don’t know why they would want to highlight that number, it’s absolutly minuscule and humiliating.

I think nothing was caught with their pants down and are trying to minimize the reporting as to not have sales completly fall off a cliff until they get through their current inventory.

Is that what they are calling mass layoffs, reorganization 😂.

They did confirm the were exiting markets but stated that they are calling the withdrawal a reorganization to regional hubs. Whatever that means.

One of the founders is currently freaking out on x over it. But he can’t really dispute what was being reported.

Epic fail for damage control, just like what happened to one plus earlier in the year and everybody witnessed how that turned out.

 

[winxmac]

I updated my post earlier since I forgot the biggest Chinese brand if not for the U.S. ban.

Dont forget Motorola (owned by Chinese company Lenovo).

Ever since Motorola got sold to Lenovo, I no longer consider it a major brand name. It's just like Nokia which is just a brand under HMD, Motorola under Lenovo.

The peak of OnePlus was OnePlus 7 Pro and went downward after. Nothing seems promising at first but then the choices they made get weirder and weirder. They created a sub-brand CMF which might no longer release a new smartphone.

The only thing I can see that is good from Nothing is the android skin which is a distant third, One UI is second while Pixel is the first.