Nothing Telephone 2 to launch in US later this yr
Nothing’s Carl Pei has confirmed the upcoming Telephone 2 will launch within the US later this yr. The CEO and co-founder described the 2023 flagship as “extra premium” than the Nothing Telephone 1, which Engadget noticed as “a powerful debut” in our review.
Pei dropped a number of tidbits in an interview with Inverse. First, he says the Ear 1 earbuds’ US launch was a barometer for US demand. “We’re actually excited in regards to the US market as a result of it’s an enormous nation,” mentioned Pei. “For those who take a look at our earbuds gross sales, about one-third comes from the US. And by not launching our telephone within the US, we’re leaving doubtlessly a 3rd of the quantity on the desk.” Pei describes the Telephone 2’s US launch as Nothing’s high precedence this yr.
Pei suggests declining smartphone sales point out the US market is ripe for innovation. “From a enterprise standpoint, [Apple and Samsung] shouldn’t go very area of interest and check out one thing utterly totally different as a result of they could alienate present customers. That’s the place smaller firms like us can are available and attempt to do one thing totally different. It’s not that we’re smarter or that they will’t, nevertheless it simply doesn’t make sense for them to do it.” Nonetheless, though stagnation might play a component, the most important causes for the nosedive have possible been supply-chain problems, inflation and an unpredictable financial system.
Pei says crimson tape was the primary purpose Nothing didn’t launch the Telephone 1 within the US. American carriers demand Android producers adjust to varied variations and preinstalled apps, which takes important sources. However the firm’s speedy progress and confirmed potential to maneuver quantity has given it leverage. “Once you make a smartphone for the US, you must work with the carriers on certification and adapting a few of their options into your OS,” he mentioned. “We didn’t have the sources for that earlier than, and now we do,” Pei provides that Nothing has grown from 200 workers in 2021 to 400 at this time.
Though Pei doesn’t spill many secrets and techniques in regards to the Telephone 2, he hints at a higher-end design than its predecessor. “We’re creating a smartphone that’s extra premium than the Nothing Telephone 1, and software program can be an enormous focus space for us.” Nonetheless, he stresses that the Telephone 1 was additionally a flagship handset. “Cell chipsets have actually improved over the past seven to 9 years. That’s why I need to keep away from calling the Telephone 2 a flagship as a result of that may imply that the Telephone 1 was not a flagship. Inside our personal portfolio of smartphones, the Telephone 1 was very a lot a flagship by way of the quantity of care we put into the product. That’s why I used the phrase ‘premium’ [to describe the Phone 2] as a substitute, which signifies that it’s a extra premium step up, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a flagship similar to the Telephone 1.”