Whatever you want to say about it, nothing knows how to tease a teaser. To its credit, the hardware company stated that this morning’s event will be a “roadmap” presentation, implying that another gadget would be added to its roster but providing no details about it. The launch of the business’s second hardware item, the Nothing Phone, has been confirmed by the company (1). Earlier this month, we verified the gadget’s existence, adding that inventor Carl Pei had been meeting with high-ranking executives at Mobile World Congress, where he showed off a version of the device with a transparent design similar to the Ear (1) headphones.
Today, the business added a few more specifics, including the fact that the device would be powered by a Snapdragon CPU — which comes as no surprise considering that Qualcomm is one of Nothing’s supporters. The smartphone, like OnePlus, another Pei-founded startup, will run on Nothing OS, which is “based on an open and seamless environment that will instantly link and integrate Nothing devices and goods from other world-leading companies,” according to the firm. Nothing’s play has always been about the ecosystem, so it’ll be fascinating to watch how that integration plays out. Without a doubt, the business envisions the phone as the system’s core, similar to how Apple, Samsung, and others envisage their separate mobile-centric solar systems.
Nothing indicates that a preview of the operating system will be available next month. The software appears to be comparable to what OnePlus has been working on with OxygenOS – Android improvements without a lot of extra software. It will follow the company’s “analog” design language in terms of aesthetics. The startup is seeking to follow in Apple’s footsteps by building both the OS layer and the hardware (albeit on top of Android). Its headphones will be supported right now, and Pei says the company is working on adding compatibility for third-party goods like AirPods and Tesla automobiles.
Nothing guarantees three years of operating system upgrades and four years of security updates for the phone. As a result, it will follow the pattern set by the Ear (1) and provide additional details about the future phone in the following months. Along with the phone news, the firm also revealed that it is returning to the well with additional crowdfunded stock, only two weeks after raising $70 million in a Series B round. It’s looking for $10 million this time, at the same value as the VC-backed round. Preregistration is already available, and the event will formally begin on April 5.
It’s proven to be a successful approach for the company, which aims to build community engagement by giving supporters a financial interest in the company’s success. For mobile companies, the gadget arrives at a difficult — but promising — moment. 15 years after the original iPhone was released, interest in cellphones has diminished. Prior to the pandemic, sales were leveling off and dropping, but the pandemic worsened these patterns, as did following supply chain restrictions and chip shortages.
LG and HTC, formerly key participants in the sector, have either exited or drastically reduced their presence. Nothing is part of a tiny group of new mobile firms that includes the privacy-focused OSOM, which sprang from the ashes of Essential’s demise. Pei and Nothing, by the way, bought Essential IP, yet the firm has done nothing with the name.
