Nothing, the company behind the light-up Nothing Phone (1), is still nothing in the U.S., and its CEO wants that to change. Speaking to Inverse, Nothing CEO Carl Pei expressed a renewed focus on competing in the U.S. market with its upcoming second-generation Phone (2).
“We decided to make the U.S. our No. 1 priority in terms of markets,” Pei said, citing the reason that last year’s Phone (1) didn’t make a splash stateside is that “hands were tied.” Instead, the company focused on building a team and establishing the product lineup. Pei insists that now the company is on “more solid footing,” so it can move on to its next phase of business.
Pei confirmed the existence of the Nothing Phone (2) during the interview, and that it would launch later this year. But that’s about all that’s currently circulating. Pei does mention in the interview that the Phone (2) will be “more premium” than the first-generation Phone (1). But Pei won’t call it a flagship, as that would suggest it has the specifications to position it against industry heavyweights like Samsung and Apple. However, the Phone (2) will supposedly be premium compared to a mid-range phone meant for developing markets.
Pei lauded Nothing’s growth in overseas markets, claiming that it managed “almost 10x” the revenue in 2022 that it did in 2021—which makes sense, considering Nothing only had a pair of economical earbuds on the market in 2021. It wasn’t until summer of last year that it debuted its Android device.
Nothing has certainly tried something in the Android world with its transparent Phone (1). After launching globally, the mid-range phone finally became available in the U.S. six months after release... kinda. The company even cut the price to $300 for those willing to wield the device. But there’s a significant caveat: buying the Phone (1) in the States effectively enters you into a beta. Anyone seriously buying the smartphone is only doing so because they already know of the brand or are a fan of the legacy of its CEO. Carl Pei is a former co-founder of OnePlus, another Android player that’s found relative success under the wings of overseas device maker, Oppo.
It’ll be a while before we learn more about what’s next on the horizon for Nothing. It’ll be interesting to see if the company continues with its Glyph interface and if it opens it up to tinkerers. By the time the Phone (2) arrives, we may also be able to tell whether there’s a place for a phone as niche as Nothing when everyone else has slowed down spending.