Nothing plans US smartphone launch, but don’t expect a Phone 2 anytime soon
TheNothing Phone 1was among the most interesting phones to launch in 2022. It did not make it to our list of thebest Android smartphones of the year, but the phone’s excellent price and unique design meant that it found its fair share of takers. The Phone 1’s limited availability did not help things either, as itdid not launch in the USdue to the company’s limited resources and strategic reasons. Nothing’s co-founder and CEO Carl Pei is looking to change this.
In an interview withCNBC, Pei confirmed that Nothing is in early talks with US carriers to release a new smartphone in the country. This does not mean the Phone 2 is around the corner. In a tweet, the CEO said the Phone 2 is nowhere close to launching anytime soon. Instead, the company’s first smartphone remains its primary focus, and that it is “cooking something really great” for it in terms of software features.
The Phone 1’sNothing OS Android 13 update’s open betais scheduled to start in about a week from now, and it could be that the company is working on adding some interesting new features to the build.
As for the Phone 1 not launching in the US, Pei said that a lot of technical resource is required “to support all the carriers and their unique customizations that they need to make on top of Android.” Back in July 2022 when Nothing’s first phone launched, the company felt it was not ready.
Despite no major product launches in the US, the young startup has made a name for itself in the country. The market already accounts for a third of the Ear (stick) earbuds sales. This gives Pei hope that when Nothing releases its first smartphone in the US, it should do well. The co-founder wants to challenge the iPhone’s dominance in the US market, though it is unclear how he intends to do that.
Nothing also hopes to become profitable by 2024. Its revenue is expected to jump from $20 million in 2021 to $250 million in 2022. But despite the tenfold increase, its employee count also more than doubled to over 400, so it continues to lose money.
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