Nothing is reportedly planning to launch a new smartphone in the US that will rival the Apple iPhone. Carl Pei led UK-based startup Nothing launched its first smartphone, Phone (1), globally a few months ago. The Nothing Phone (1) is a mid-range smartphone with decent features, however with its next smartphone, Nothing plans to enter the premium smartphone market. Nothing CEO Carl Pei, in an interview with CNBC, has revealed that the tech firm is in ‘early conversations’ with US cellular carriers for the launch of Apple iPhone rival.
For those who are unaware, the Nothing Phone (1) is available in 40 countries including the UK, India and others, however the company did not launch the smartphone in the US. “"The reason why we didn't launch in the US is because you need a lot of additional technical support, to support all the carriers and their unique customizations that they need to make on top of Android," Pei explained in an interview with CNBC. "We felt that we weren't ready before." Pei said in his interview.
Carl Pei believes that Apple has a very strong lock-in with iMessage, AirDrop and other exclusive features, especially among the Gen Z. This makes it a challenge for Nothing to launch a new Android phone where iOS is becoming more and more dominant. Pei further added that "There might be a time where Apple is like 80% of the overall market and that just does not leave enough space for Android-based manufacturers to keep playing."
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Last week, Pei also shared his opinion about the Apple iPhone 14 Pro in video. The Nothing executive lauded iPhone 14 Pro over his Phone (1) due to its camera and features, however he also called out Apple for its profit margin.
