Nothing celebrates its 4th anniversary: ​​”we want to rethink the way we use a smartphone” (Interview)

© Nothing/Lemon squeezer

In 2020, who would have imagined that a new brand could emerge in the ultra-competitive tech market ? Most observers would have probably predicted certain (and quick) death for the enlightened ones who would have attempted this crazy bet. However, in 2024, Nothing Tech seems to have found its audience.

Launched four years ago by OnePlus veterans (including the big boss Carl Pei), Nothing Tech has managed to establish itself as a player to be reckoned with, even if its impact on the market as a whole remains timid, for the moment. Akis Evangelidis, co-founder of the company, himself admits: “the beginnings were difficult but today Nothing is doing well”.

With 5 million products sold, the young company, which has set up shop in London, stands out on two fronts: design and user experience. Its headphones and smartphones stand out among thousands thanks to their transparent design (and lighting effects on the back) as well as their software that is as refined as it is intuitive. The critical reception of the first products also pushes the brand to come and rub shoulders with the biggest names.

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To start, Nothing offered headphones. The Ear(1) , launched in 2020, sold 500,000 copies. “A good proof case” explains Akis Evangelidis. But also a way to make oneself known while getting around the problems inherent to a new brand.

“À l&#8217 At the time, it was difficult to find suppliers willing to customize the appearance of components, explains the co-founder. So we started with headphones, which contain only 400 components compared to 4,500 for a smartphone.

If the Ear(1) have their effect, it takes more to make a name for yourself. And in tech, to exist, you have to offer a smartphone. To put the means to achieve its ambitions, Nothing raises 80 million dollars, after a pre-raising of 16 million dollars for the Ear(1) including 1.6 million in crowdfunding (raised in just one minute).

These fundraisings allow Nothing to supply itself with components. “That's the crux of the matter” explains Akis Evangelidis. “In the beginning, you have to pay your suppliers in advance, he continues, some asked to be paid 60 days before the components were sent. At the same time, we had to develop the company, recruit, and run the production lines, manage logistics, etc. .

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With some difficulty, Nothing managed to launch its first smartphone, eagerly awaited by Carl Pei's admirers but also by numerous investors (notably the famous YouTuber Casey Neistat), observers and tech enthusiasts. The critical reception was rather good but the smartphone only sold 700,000 copies. The main criticisms made of the Phone (1) concern its software, despite the expertise of Carl Pei.

“We were highly anticipated and we didn't have the time or the means to develop our own software” explains Akis Evangelidis. So we outsourced this part, but even we weren't satisfied, it was too close to stock Android and not enough of what we wanted to do.

Nothing then recruits the best OnePlus engineers based in Taiwan. Carl Pei's former colleagues work hard to develop software that lives up to the brand's ambitions.`

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For its 2022-2023 season, Nothing has decided to move upmarket, without however coming to compete with the market leaders. “The Phone (2) is what the Phone (1) should have been” admits Akis Evangelidis.

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Here again, the critical reception is excellent. The media give it excellent marks and praise the work done on the interface. Nothing's identity continues to make it a brand apart, bold and differentiating. MKBHD, the largest tech channel in the world, elects the Phone (2) “Most Improved Smartphone of the Year” (smartphone with the most improvements). A title that has inevitably given visibility to the brand.

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But the Phone (2) was sold more expensively. This reception once again translates into rather stable sales. Enough to make investors and partners impatient.

the Nothing Phone 2a seen from the back © Presse-citron.net

In addition to its Phone (2), Nothing is launching on two segments&nbsp ;: good value for money and low price. For the first, it is based on the Phone (2a), a model that takes up everything that makes the brand special: hardware very correct with software offering a user experience that is top notch. “It works right away. We release 100,000 units in 24 hours” rejoices Akis Evangelidis.

At the same time, Nothing is developing CMF, a brand that allows the group to “get good value for money without the constraints of transparency, the good product that can be found on Amazon for less than 200 euros”. The CMF Phone (1) is coming out in 2024 and is creating a buzz thanks to its modular format. The design teams have indeed sought to be original by allowing you to change the case or attach accessories using a small DIY-style manipulation. All with flashy colors that have their effect. “It’is really the perfect smartphone for a first smartphone” analyzes Akis Evangelidis.

This more comprehensive proposition, which is being developed in parallel with the ever-successful headphones, allows Nothing to extend its reach and reassure investors. While India is its largest market (thanks in particular to CMF), followed by Japan, Nothing is also doing well in Europe, particularly in Germany and Great Britain.

In 2024, the company recorded global growth of 693% on smartphones and 769% on audio.

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© Nothing

Motivated by these good results, the company is now aiming for the very top of the range. In 2025, Nothing will launch its Phone (3), “the first product that will compete with the big names, such as the& ;#8217;iPhone or Pixel” assures Akis Evangelidis. The goal is to succeed in getting it adopted by operators who can more easily sell ultra-premium smartphones because they generate more margins.

The Phone ( 3) will mark Nothing's entry into the AI ​​era. & #8220;We're not just going to add a few features, we're really going to rethink the way we use a smartphone, promises the co-founder of Nothing. We will make a first announcement at MWC but we are really looking to enter the post-app era as Bill Gates describes it in a recently published article. And to add:

The idea is to reestablish a healthy relationship with the smartphone by lowering the connection but making it more qualitative.

A reflection almost as philosophical as defining what “nothing” is.

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