Report: Nothing is Working on a Phone, Launch Expected Early Next Year

Carl Pei’s Nothing is reported to be working on a smartphone, taking a big leap after its release of a single pair of earbuds. If this news surprises you, earlier this week, the company announced it raised $50 million in funding, plus a new partnership with Qualcomm to help power its “tech ecosystem.” Keep in mind, Nothing also acquired Andy Rubin’s Essential company and all of its IP, so Nothing has a bit of a head start if it’s looking to make a phone. Still, a challenging process regardless of the resources you have at your disposal, making a smartphone is.

The report comes from 91mobiles, who details that the phone should launch relatively soon, as in early 2022. In fact, we could even start seeing teasers for the device in the next few weeks. This aligns with what we saw from Nothing when it came to their overhyped earbuds.

We would think that Nothing wants to use a phone to be a vehicle to deliver some other type of service. While we’re not opposed to having another phone on the market to play with, we’re at a loss for why Nothing wants to compete in this market so quickly. Companies with billions of dollars struggle to create good products that people buy, so Nothing essentially needs a winner right out of the gate. If it’s a rebranded Essential Phone 2 with upgraded camera system and transparent hardware (like the Nothing earbuds had), then you may have our attention.

It’s reported that Nothing is also working on a battery bank that may launch before the phone.