Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Nothing’s co-founder and CEO Carl Pei has confirmed the company won’t launch a flagship this year.
- Instead, it will focus on its Phone 4a series and audio products.
- Pei says the decision is backed by the intensifying competition to acquire smartphone components.
The Nothing Phone 3 can be classified as less than a success. While it excelled in terms of fun, quirky features, the Phone 3 did not thrive in terms of practicality or value. Despite its novelty, the non-flagship chipset and an $800 price tag easily made the phone feel impractical. And Nothing appears to have taken the verdict to the heart, to the effect that it is taking 2026 to mull over flagships instead of releasing one.
In a recent video shared on the official Nothing YouTube channel, co-founder and CEO Carl Pei confirmed the company won’t launch a flagship phone in 2026. This could be a shocker for Nothing fans, as it seemingly was for the staff member speaking with Pei on the talk show. But coming from the outspoken CEO himself, there’s little room for realignment.
Head to the 8:16 mark in the video below to listen to what Pei says:
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Pei’s revelation also echoes his previous thoughts on where the smartphone industry is headed in 2026. Earlier this month, Pei suggested that smartphone companies would feel the pinch of components being diverted to build AI infrastructure, and the pinch would translate to an increase in phone prices across the board — a sentiment multiple smartphone experts resonate with. Pei also addresses these in the video above around 11:30.
Instead of launching a successor to the Nothing Phone 3 this year, the company will double down on efforts to elevate the Phone 4a series. The Phone 3a Pro from last year was already headed in that territory with its periscope telephoto camera — a rather unusual sight on mid-range Android devices.
We’re going to be focused on leveling up our A series with the 4a. It’s our best-selling series, and we’re really excited about taking this even closer to what a flagship experience is going to be across the board, from materials, design to screen, camera, etc.
We’ll wait to see how that pans out for the company. In addition to the phones, Nothing is also planning to expand its lineup of over-the-year headphones, likely a more affordable A series version, and expand users’ access to self-developed AI agents through Nothing OS.
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