'Premium' Nothing Phone (2) to Launch in the US Later This Year, Says CEO

[MacRumors]

Nothing's Phone (1) did not get an official U.S. release when it launched in July 2022, but that is set to change for the second version of the company's popular transparent Android handset, according to CEO and co-founder Carl Pei.

Speaking to Inverse, Pei said that the U.K.-based company will make the U.S. market its number one priority for the Phone (2), which is set to be released later this year.

"We're developing a smartphone that's more premium than the Nothing Phone (1) and software will be a big focus area for us," said Pei. "When you make a smartphone for the U.S. you need to work with the carriers on certification and adapting some of their features into your OS. We didn't have the resources for that before and now we do."

Nothing has sold over 1 million products globally, with its Ear (1) earbuds selling 600,000 units and the Phone (1) reaching 500,000 shipments. According to Pei, about one-third of its Earbuds (1) sales come from the U.S., and by not launching its next phone in the country, "we're leaving potentially a third of the volume on the table."

A recent IDC report indicated that annual smartphone shipments had their biggest decline year-on-year over the holiday quarter, and while supply chain constraints and inflation played a major part, the Nothing CEO sees a lack of innovation as a contributing factor.

According to Pei, the company's research indicates that "[U.S.] consumers as a whole are quite bored and indifferent [with existing phones]" and "foot traffic into the stores for people checking out new phones hasn't increased."

"From a business point of view, [Apple and Samsung] shouldn't go very niche and try something completely different because they might alienate current users. That's where smaller companies like us can come in and try and do something different. It's not that we're smarter or that they can't, but it just doesn't make sense for them to do it."

Pei believes Nothing's hardware design is the primary reason for iPhone users "switching back to Android via our brand." However, with iOS becoming more and more dominant in the U.S., Pei has acknowledged that it won't be easy for his company to compete with Apple on its own turf.

Nevertheless, Nothing's mobile team has grown in a year from five engineers to close to 100 people, and the CEO now believes the company's software innovations will eventually catch up with its hardware. "It's going to take some time; it's going to be step by step, so we're not going to see the entire vision unfold immediately."

Article Link: 'Premium' Nothing Phone (2) to Launch in the US Later This Year, Says CEO

 

[Marbles1]

This has nothing to do with Apple or iPhones or even their competitors.

And once again I struggle to see the innovation in a generic android phone with some LEDs on the back that can flash in a particular pattern. You can buy a case for any phone which will do the same.

Has anyone bought one of these? Does anyone know someone who has? Are they good?

My guess is it's bought as a 'fashion phone' - it's recognisable to those who follow particular fashion tech websites and the owners are purely targeting company sell-off rather than any long term plans. They need to expand quickly and sell before the fad of buying this goes. Right now I'm sure they have good acceleration on Sales amongst some small demographic (younger people who have spare cash?) but this won't be sticky, and buyers will want something else next season that looks cool.

Who will still want a 'Nothing Phone' with flashy lights in 2024?

 

[SoldOnApple]

They won't sell very many and it won't matter if it's good value for the price or has a novel LED light on the back.

 

[TechRunner]

Depending on the price I might be interested in picking one up as a backup phone/curiosity.

 

[gklka]

This news is just irrelevant here.

 

[MayaUser]

Nobody cares about Nothing

 

[JanoschR]

Sure, copy the iPhone design and talk about customers being bored 🙄

 

[maflynn]

Meh, I see no reason this newsworthy.

I will say that I like the lighting design on the back, but I think the nothing people forgot one important fact. People put cases on their phones and not all people will want a hard transparent plastic case.

Another generic phone being announced by another generic start up that will not offer any sort of competition to the iPhone

 

[Alpha Centauri]

People put cases on their phones and not all people will want a hard transparent plastic case.

They sell a clear case for their see through phone lol

 

[maflynn]

They sell a clear case for their see through phone lol

Yep, because they realized that people would complain about cases hiding that fancy back lighting.

I saw some videos from the CEO of nothing, and he has some cool insights, but at the end of the day, its a start up company that isn't offering anything compelling (and no back lighting is not innovative).

At least they got the name right nothing

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Just for laughs had a look at the HW specs. So it Nothing1 at least appeared to be oriented toward the size/ market of the ProMax in terms of screen size, battery capacity. They went all out on ram choice 8 or 12GB but storage only up to 256GB. There's a substantial weight difference vs the ProMax but that's no big surprise given materials used.

I agree that it's a transient fashion accessory that people will get bored with. Once that happens they can vary the LED design as much as they like and further innovation could always be limited by trying to keep the internals looking pretty.

 

[Fried_Gold]

Speaking to Inverse, Pei said that the U.K.-based company will make the U.S. market its number one priority for the Phone (2), which is set to be released later this year.

So no-one in the UK wanted it. 😂

 

[SHEESH]

I have their earbuds, the sound and noise cancellation isn't bad but the connectivity is awful. Just the headache of trying to keep them working would make me stay away from their phone.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

An IKEA phone…

 

[Lioness~]

This has nothing to do with Apple or iPhones or even their competitors.

You have a point, but MR cover a lot of rumors today. Maybe they should start up a department called TechRumors?
For the sake of the Nothing company, they should name the next phone to Everything.

 

[DFZD]

Whatever interest people had initially in this gimmicky phone, died down within weeks. It now sells for $100 off the launch price.
That's primarily because there's a mediocre mid-ranger under that bright shell.

 

[unclemax]

Much Ado About Nothing

 

[rgeneral]

It’s Nothing!

 

[supremedesigner]

The problem with this product is it shows everything on the back of the phone. I don’t see the front or the picture of the OS running. Not even on their official site. That tells you that they know the OS is crap.

 

[JeffPerrin]

They lost me at "Android". 🤮

 

[jonnysods]

I think the only way I'd be interested in a different phone is if there was another option besides Android. I just can't do it I don't like the idea of a data mining phone (I know a lot of iOS apps are doing the same thing, but at least I get to pick whether I install those or not).

 

[xmarcuswildx]

You aren’t selling this to apple fans without iMessage in the US. You’re just not.

 

[maflynn]

You aren’t selling this to apple fans without iMessage in the US. You’re just not.

iMessage has little to do with swaying apple fans. The amount of malware and lack of macOS integration and the ability to quickly and easily upgrade are all reasons why the iPhone is superior.

I know its a slow period in tech news, but one has to scratch their head at seeing why the editors decided that a fairly new startup making a very generic phone is news worthy on an apple fan sight ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Shanghaichica]

This means nothing to me.

 

[GraXXoR]

Some Americans (or to be pedantic, some US citizens) won't give a flying fk about a phone that allows the user to freely take it apart, put it back together and replace broken bits without having to send it back to the manufacturer.

All they will see are the generic parts and completely fail to recognise that this is the entire raison d'être.

US peeps (who say "over here" since they don't feel the need to say "in the US," it is just assumed everyone will know what country they're talking about,) are seemingly incapable of seeing how this phone is fundamentally different to Samsung and Apple products, whose makers are intent on suing any company that attempts to sell parts to their devices to aid with the Right To Repair movement which they are intent on destroying before it takes hold and forces them to reduce their margins to less than 50% BOM.

Before saying "it's generic bullsh!t, therefore has nothing to offer," please watch a video about why this phone is actually fundamentally different to anything that the "west" has made in a recent years.

This is the hardware version of Linux... The Framework Laptop of smartphones.

The reason it's sold at all and is shown on this site is because of the threat it could actually pose to people's precious penis measuresticks. The Right to Repair movement is needed to break free from the ridiculously draconian models that these companies hold over consumers and offers a true alternative to closed source, locked down.

Pei is a genuinely forthcoming guy who seems intent with creating something that certain segments of the populace are craving without padding his coffers to the absolutely disgusting extent that Tim Apple, Musk Pillock and Asbezos do.

I hope that despite the fanbois on here, this phone takes hold over there and saves some low income households from being bent over and lubelessly rogered by these megacorps.

As such, anyone invested in Apple might want to keep half an eye open and watch this upstart that dares to "THINK DIFFERENT"