No, Nothing is not a Chinese company. It is a British consumer electronics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Even though the founder of Nothing, Carl Pei, is of Chinese origin, the company itself is headquartered and registered in the United Kingdom. Nothing develops smartphones like Nothing Phone 1, Phone 2, Phone 2(a), Phone 2(a) Plus, Phone 3(a) and other models. Apart from smartphones, the company also offers audio products like earphones.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Carl Pei |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| CEO | Carl Pei |
| Sector | Consumer electronics |
Company History
Nothing was founded in the year 2021 by Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, who left the company in October 2020. Carl Pei officially announced the creation of Nothing on 27th January 2021. The company launched its first product, true wireless earbuds named Ear 1, in July 2021.
Nothing acquired the brand assets of Essential Products, an American technology company, in October 2021. In July 2022, Nothing launched its first smartphone, Phone 1. Phone 1 featured NothingOS, Snapdragon 778G+ and a transparent back with Glyph-LED interface. Subsequently, the company entered Europe, India and select markets in Asia. Nothing opened a physical retail store in London’s Soho district in December 2022.
Nothing launched Phone 2 in July 2023. In October, the company launched its sub-brand, CMF by Nothing, focused on affordable, design-led products like Phone 1, Watch Pro and Buds Pro. Nothing launched Phone 2(a) in the mid-range segment in India. In June 2024, CMF Phone 1 became India’s best-selling phone online in the 15,000-20,000 rupees segment.
Current Status
Nothing has less than 1% share in the global smartphone market. However, it is a niche player focused on Europe, United Kingdom, India, Asia, Middle East and Japan. India is the company’s key market where it holds around 2% market share and is growing fast. Nothing sells its products through its own official website and e-commerce stores like Flipkart and Amazon.
Recent product launches include flagship smartphone model Nothing Phone 3, mid-range smartphone models Nothing Phone 3(a)/ 3(a) Pro and budget smartphone model Nothing Phone 3(a) Lite. New product launches by the sub-brand CMF by Nothing include CMF Phone 2 and Buds Pro 2.
Future Outlook
Nothing is looking to expand beyond phones and earbuds to smart glasses, humanoid robots and connected home gadgets. The company is also likely to focus on expanding its current AI tools and built a dedicated AI operating system or AI OS. Nothing plans to increase its penetration in India through localised variants like Phone 3(a) Lite.
