According to Nothing CEO Carl Pei, “We chose to make the U.S. our No. 1 priority in terms of markets.” The Phone (1), which you can purchase for $300 but is meant as a beta test, is not designed to support bands used by US carriers, so this won’t happen with it. The Nothing Phone (2), scheduled to launch in late 2023, will be the one to focus on the US market.
Nothing sells more TWS buds in the US; in fact, US sales make up 30% of global sales. Pei interprets this as evidence that the Phone (2) will experience a similar level of success in the brand-new market.
The new model will be more expensive than the original; nonetheless, Pei is hesitant to refer to it as a “flagship” because the firm prioritises inventive hardware design over obtaining the best technology at all costs in favour of a refined software experience. Why wasn’t the US market considered when designing the Phone (1)? Nothing simply lacked the means. US carriers dictate specific functions be included in the software and insist that phones go through a certification process.
Pei claims that because the mobile team initially only had 5 engineers, work on Nothing OS had to be outsourced. However, the group has since grown, and there are currently 100 individuals working on the programme. Nothing in the Android 13 beta is entirely house-made.
Since the company’s launch only a few years ago, it has expanded. In 2021, there were 200 employees, and there are now 400. From $24 million in its initial year to $200 million in 2022, its revenue has also increased dramatically. The business is now equipped to enter a new market.
Pei also sees a window of opportunity, citing research that indicates US consumers are beginning to get weary of the Apple/Samsung duopoly. As options, they primarily have Motorola and OnePlus, but Nothing will soon join the competition.
More physical stores will be opened as part of the growth strategy. The company’s first location, in London’s Soho, has been doing alright (the proximity to a Supreme store helps with foot traffic), but the CEO claims that additional merchandise is required to propel the location into profitability.
