Why The Nothing Phone Is Kind Of A Big Deal
One company created a phone that's a pretty big deal. The Nothing phone is unlike any other smartphone on the market, here's why.
This article is more than 2 years old
Ever since the beginning of smartphones, cellular individuality has been left behind for modern, uniform phone aesthetics. Back in the days of the flip phone, multiple cellular brands had styles that were unique to the consumer. In the early 2000s, it was common to see people with numerous flip phone styles, from BlackBerry to Motorola Razr to Sidekick. Though smartphones have mainly become homogenous products, one company is interested in reinventing the technology. A London-based tech company has created a product called the Nothing phone, and it’s unlike any smartphone to date.
Nothing and Android have partnered together to create this truly unique smartphone. The Nothing phone is rectangular like other Androids but has an entirely translucent back, allowing the user to see through its hardware. The back also had numerous light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, that are supposed to replace standard notifications. Its highly inventive design is attracting consumers worldwide who are interested in a new type of smartphone that’s reinventing tech aesthetics.
The Nothing phone was created by Carl Pei, who co-founded the phone company OnePlus and is promising to be one of the industry’s youngest and most influential new innovators. Alongside his mission to make a usable, inventive smartphone, a goal that he exalts above all others is to make tech fun again. He wants consumers to be bewildered and excited by upcoming tech, which led to him creating such a spectacular and impressive Android design. The phone hasn’t been officially released yet, but consumers are already highly invested in Pei’s revolutionary product.
The Nothing phone has already received 200,000 requests for preorders. Though appearing to be highly expensive, the smartphone will cost almost half of an iPhone’s standard price. The starting cost for the Nothing 1 smartphone is around $400, which will be manufactured in China and India. The company hasn’t officially stated when the product will be released, but it’s looking like the smartphone will be available by the end of this year.
Though the Nothing phone has attracted widespread attention, many are skeptical about a new company entering the smartphone market. Apple and Samsung dominated the industry for quite some time, with other popular phone brands of the 2000s going bankrupt or unable to keep up with shifting trends. The reign of only two hefty tech companies has scared many brands into retreating, but Pei’s smartphone may be a refreshing change for the industry. Still, Nothing has much to prove in such a dominated field before the brand is as successful as its competitors like Apple.
The smartphone industry might not be the most lucrative side of the tech industry currently for new companies. In May 2022, Smartphones were down by 17% in general sales since last year, which is a frightening descent for a usually profitable marketplace. But since the pandemic’s tech-purchasing boom in early 2020, most companies that sell electronics have experienced plummeting sales. Pei and his Nothing phone are not only up against an industry with highly competitive brands but are also entering an industry that’s currently dropping in the stock market.
