Latest news with #NothingPhone3a
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says Apple is no longer creative, its products don't inspire him like they used to do
Carl Pei, co-founder and CEO of London-based tech company Nothing, has criticised Apple's current approach to innovation, saying the company that once inspired him no longer holds the same creative spark. In a recent interview with Wired, Pei reflected on what drove him into the tech industry and expressed disappointment at how the iPhone maker has evolved over the years. While praising Apple's early innovations like the iPod and the first iPhone, he believes the brand has now become 'very big and very corporate,' and that today's Apple 'is no longer inspirational for the younger generation.'advertisement'Personally, I was very inspired by Apple when I was younger — the first iPod, the first iPhone — that's the reason I'm in this industry. But now the creative companies of the past have become very big and very corporate, and they're no longer very creative', Pei told specifically criticised Apple's AI strategy, particularly the rollout of Apple Intelligence in 2024. While Apple made bold claims around its potential to redefine the smartphone experience, Pei feels the results have fallen short. 'Last year, they told a very big story about Apple Intelligence. Now, a year later, it's not much more than some generated emojis. So it's made consumers very sceptical,' he said. Although critical of Apple, Pei is optimistic about how AI will influence the future of smartphones. Rather than rushing features to market, he believes the focus should be on solving actual user problems. For him, AI should quietly power better products, not act as a buzzword to impress investors or media. 'We want the product to be the story,' he envisions a major shift in how people will use smartphones in the next decade. Instead of multiple apps, he sees a future where the operating system itself becomes the only app — an intelligent layer that understands the user deeply and takes proactive action. 'The system knows your situation, time, place, and schedule, and it suggests what you should do,' he explained. 'So it will be agentic and automated and proactive.'He admits this vision won't happen overnight. 'At this point, if we said, 'We have eliminated apps from smartphones,' no one would buy it,' Pei said. Instead, he sees this evolution playing out gradually over the next seven to ten years, with user trust and comfort being the key the industry works out how best to bring AI into everyday devices, Pei believes smaller companies like Nothing have an advantage when it comes to taking creative risks. 'We have to be — if we don't have industrial scale, we need creativity to remain competitive in this industry.' The company recently launched the Nothing Phone 3a series and continues to build out its ecosystem through its affordable sub-brand (CMF) and audio products.
WIRED
4 days ago
- Business
- WIRED
Carl Pei Thinks the Phone of the Future Will Only Have One App
Nothing's CEO speaks to WIRED about how he sees the smartphone market playing out in an era of AI, and where he thinks the competition is going wrong. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. In the fiercely competitive Android smartphone market, British startup Nothing is trying to do things a little differently—from its product design to its pricing strategy. 'Remember a time where every new product made you excited?" the company asks on its website. "We're bringing that back.' There's more to Nothing than just smartphones these days, though. It's got a range of earbuds for a variety of budgets and uses, and recently teased that it's developing its first pair of over-ears—not long after announcing a new partnership with British hi-fi brand KEF. It has also developed a line of products under the CMF by Nothing sub-brand, which produces even lower-priced products, including a $69 smartwatch. But how does a brand that's keen to be disruptive remain competitive in an industry that's struggling for innovation? We asked its founder, Carl Pei. WIRED: In March, you released your latest smartphone, the Nothing Phone (3a). What do you think are Nothing's strengths, compared to what's out there already? Carl Pei: First of all, we are the only startup in the industry, so we actually have a lot of disadvantages. We are one of the smallest teams in the industry, so we have a fragile supply chain and low cash flow. However, I think where we're stronger is our creativity. We have to be—if we don't have industrial scale, we need creativity to remain competitive in this industry. Another advantage is the size of the manufacturers we compete with. When you're very big, you have to target all customers—young, old, and everyone in between. We, on the other hand, can focus on a specific group of users. Like creatives. The new 'Essential Space' feature [on Nothing Phone 3a] is aimed at them, for example, to help them store and organize new ideas as they emerge. And then there's also our software. The smartphone market is becoming very boring. We believe we are the only ones who can make it "fun" again. The Nothing Phone (3a) is the latest model of Nothing's smartphone line. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu What does creativity mean to you? Creativity is not only about design, fashion, or art, but about solving problems. Humans have a remarkable ability to connect different pieces of information to solve new problems. I think software engineers can be extremely creative. Now, in the age of AI, human creativity is even more important. In the long term, when humanity becomes a civilization that expands into space, it's creativity that's going to make us more competitive in the universe. That is why we want to make technology "fun" again, to help inspire human creativity. Personally, I was very inspired by Apple when I was younger—the first iPod, the first iPhone—that's the reason I'm in this industry. But now the creative companies of the past have become very big and very corporate, and they're no longer very creative. They're no longer inspirational for the younger generation. So we are trying to bring that back. We're also trying to be very transparent and human in our business efforts. For example, if you watch our YouTube videos, you'll see that we try to introduce the Nothing team, like our designers and software developers, so that you can get to know them. This is our way of doing things and our way of thinking. We hope it will encourage more young people to express their creativity. Carl Pei has long emphasized that he wants to make technology 'fun' again. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu Is your strategy working? How's business? Looking back on the last four and a half years, I think it is working. We face a lot of problems on a daily basis, but we cannot survive in this industry if we follow the same strategies as other companies. We have to be different. And the business is growing rapidly. Last year, we grew about 150 percent. However, we still only reached about 0.1% share of the global market, so there is plenty more to do. How do you plan to get there? What's the growth plan? I think the big trend we are all seeing right now is AI, and I think everyone is very stressed wondering what kind of AI functions they should launch. But I think they're looking at it wrong. Before the introduction of the iPod, it was common knowledge in the industry that an MP3 player with a hard drive would be the next big thing. At the time, companies such as South Korea's iriver and Singapore's Creative had also launched MP3 players with hard drives, but iPod became the market leader because it got everything right. Apple had the best design in the iPod, it had the best interface with the scroll wheel. It had the best integration of hardware and software, with iTunes for music management, and it had the best business model. All of a sudden, you could buy one song for $1 instead of having to buy the whole album! So it had the best overall package. I think there's a lot of similarities with AI today. We all know it's the next big thing, and everyone is trying to figure out exactly what's important there. But all we want to do is create the best product for our users. It is not about working quickly to create something and shoving AI into it to tick a box. If you look back, the iPod was not launched as 'an MP3 player with a hard disk drive.' The hard disk drive was merely a means to a better user experience. AI is just a new technology that enables us to create better products for users. So, our strategy is not to make big claims that AI is going to change the world and revolutionize smartphones. For us, it's about using it to solve a consumer problem, not to tell a big story. We want the product to be the story. In that respect, Apple today is very different from the Apple when I was younger. Last year, they told a very big story about Apple Intelligence. Now, a year later, it's not much more than some generated emojis. So it's made consumers very skeptical. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu Do you think more can be done with AI? I think the way we use devices will change in the future. In the short term, I don't think we will see new forms of hardware really taking off. People are trying with different things like smart glasses and the Humane AI Pin, but I don't believe in these form factors right now, because the market is so small. Smart glasses are about 1 million units per year, and devices like the AI Pin are about 5,000 units per year. A smartphone is like 1 billion units per year. It is the largest and most diverse market. We use smartphones for everything, and the key to good AI is data. I don't think any other device will be as important for AI as the smartphone for the foreseeable future. The back of the Nothing smartphone is transparent and features a 'glyph interface' with glowing LEDs. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu And how do you see smartphone use evolving in that time? It will change dramatically. I believe that in the future, the entire phone will only have one app—and that will be the OS. The OS will know its user well and will be optimized for that person. However, we need to pay close attention to user privacy. We need transparency in how data is handled and clarity about whether it resides in the cloud or is stored on the device. Users must also be able to control who has access to their data, and of course, they must be able to delete it. The next step after data-driven personalization, in my opinion, is automation. That is, the system knows you, knows who you are, and knows what you want. For example, the system knows your situation, time, place, and schedule, and it suggests what you should do. Right now, you have to go through a step-by-step process of figuring out for yourself what you want to do, then unlocking your smartphone and going through it step by step. In the future, your phone will suggest what you want to do and then do it automatically for you. So it will be agentic and automated and proactive. The ultimate benefit to the user is that they will spend less time doing boring things and more time on what they care about. But to get there, we need to take it one step at a time. At this point, if we said, 'We have eliminated apps from smartphones,' no one would buy it. So we have to ship a little bit, look at the data, look at the feedback, iterate, and then ship again. Gradually make suggestions over and over again. We could do this quicker, but we need to bring the user with us on the journey. Carl Pei says that in product development, it is important to move slowly and listen to feedback. Photograph: Shintaro Yoshimatsu How long do you think it will take to realize such a vision? I would say seven to 10 years. I think many people would like to see it happen sooner, but in reality I think people love using apps, so I don't think it will happen that fast. What kind of company will Nothing be by then, and what kind of products will it offer? At that point, the OS will be fairly mature and connected to all the important devices. And I think there will be more forms of hardware that are important to users. The market for smart glasses is very small at this point, but seven years from now it will be a big category. There might be other product areas that will catch on, but we are researching which product categories to start planning for. And hopefully, on an emotional level, we can also offer something to the world, because the last few years have not been very positive. All the companies that were once creative are now big corporations, everyone is afraid of AI, the economy is bad. There's war. In the midst of all this, I hope that we can bring some positivity and inspiration to the world.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Time of India
Nothing Phone 3 specifications leaks: Expected to come with 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor, 4,700mAh battery, and more
Nothing Phone 3 leaks: Leaks are beginning to appear as the Nothing Phone 3 wait draws to a close. We now have exciting information on the phone's battery and photography capabilities, which gives us an idea of what this new gadget will be capable of. You should keep an eye out if you appreciate Nothing's creative use of smartphone design and technology. In this post, we'll examine the leaked information on the battery and camera of the Nothing Phone 3 and contrast it with the Phone 2. Find out what enhancements and changes this future gadget will bring by reading on. Nothing Phone 3 expected launch 3⃣ The number "3" has been tweeted on X by Nothing without a caption or other information. The business may be preparing to tease the Nothing Phone (3) on the platform, but given the Q3 launch schedule, the hardware features shouldn't be unveiled for some time. Nothing Phone (2), which made its debut in July 2023, will be replaced by Nothing Phone (3). The new model may debut on the same schedule. Nothing Phone 3 expected specifications According to the story, which cites its sources, the Phone 3 would have a significantly improved camera system compared to earlier models. Three camera sensors are reportedly part of this new configuration, one of which might be a bigger telescopic lens akin to a periscope. Given that the Nothing Phone 3a series and the CMF Phone 2 Pro both have a triple camera arrangement, this should not be shocking. Naturally, a flagship phone will have a better camera than the company's entry-level models. To put things in perspective, the Nothing Phone 2 has one sensor on the front and two cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel Samsung JN1 sensor and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor are included. According to reports, nothing is considered a little increase in battery capacity; the Phone 3 is anticipated to have a battery with a rating of slightly over 5,000mAh. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro and CMF Phone 2 have maximum capacities of 5,000mAh and 4,700mAh, respectively, whereas the Phone 2 has a 4,700mAh battery. The additional capacity might give users more dependable daily performance, even if it isn't a significant increase. Interestingly, even though Android 16 might be out by the time the Phone 3 reaches customers, it is also predicted to come with Android 15 pre-installed. This would suggest that stability and optimization are more important than pursuing the newest operating system version. Also Read: Nothing Phone 3 teased to launch soon: Expected to debut with 6.5-inch OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, AI updates, and more Nothing Phone 3 expected price It should come as no surprise that Nothing Phone 3 will be the company's first real flagship phone, as co-founder Akis Evangelidis disclosed on X. The item will have a very high price tag, as the announcement itself reveals. Pei stated in a video posted by the YouTube channel Android that the Nothing Phone 3 will go on sale for "around EUR 800." After conversion, this is approximately Rs 90,500 in India and $1,063 in the US. Overall, these early reports indicate that the Phone 3 is poised to be a significant advancement in Nothing's smartphone portfolio, even though official specifications have not yet been confirmed. However, wait for the official information. For the latest and more interesting tech news, keep reading Indiatimes Tech.
India Today
16-05-2025
- India Today
CMF Phone 2 Pro review: The best phone to buy under Rs 20,000 today?
What makes a sub-Rs 20,000 smartphone tick? It could be a mix of a few different things, but generally, people who are buying these phones – much like any other phone across any other price point – want to get the most value and, if given a choice, use them for as long as they possibly can (yes, there is great value in that, too). So, the question is not so much about what these phones can get right, but how much bang for your buck they can deliver to pique the interest of the average buyer. Because let's face it, this is also a segment of intense buzz and activity. There are so many nice and trendy and putting in a few gimmicky features here and there is not enough. Rather, all this is a distraction. The phone must pass the basics. In other words, it must have a slick user interface (the cleaner, the better), a smooth display, and reliable battery life. If you can get a functionally good camera, that would be a bonus. In my experience of using the CMF Phone 2 Pro for two weeks, I found that this new affordable Nothing phone comfortably ticks all these boxes, almost, and that is why I feel it is now the phone to beat in the sub-Rs 20,000 segment. CMF Phone 2 Pro with 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED display advertisementIt's the year of slim phones and CMF Phone 2 Pro got the memoNothing claims that the CMF Phone 2 Pro is its slimmest phone ever. It comes in at 7.8mm (versus CMF Phone 1 which was 8.2mm). Those numbers, however, don't tell the complete story. I held the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone 3a (which is technically a more premium Nothing phone) and the difference was evident. The Phone 2 Pro feels slimmer and lighter. It has a great in-hand feel. And if you prefer over 6-inch-displays phones, you will really enjoy using this one. Unless you have small hands, this phone is an absolute joy to operate with one hand. The edges of the phone have a metallic finish that is soft to touch and very premium to look at. The mint-green variant I have for review looks very nice and fresh even if it is a tad unusual at this price point. The back panel also has a bit of a shimmer, which adds a touch of playfulness to the about design, the CMF Phone 2 Pro continues to feature exposed screws at the back (like the CMF Phone 1) to accentuate its modular aspect. However, the industrial design leans more towards the aesthetic this time. Sure, the little wheel in the bottom-right corner has been retained. You can use it to connect a few accessories, but the stand and the wallet accessories (that have launched alongside the phone) are slapped on magnetically through an optional backplate now. There is no option for changeable back panels any more. But the good thing is, this doesn't come in the way of the phone's experience, which is mostly clean and minimal. Similar to the Phone 3a series, the CMF Phone 2 Pro comes with a dedicated Essential Space button Essential Space: Some AI goodness now, some maybe laterEssential Space, an AI feature that launched with the Nothing Phone 3a series, has been added to the CMF Phone 2 Pro as well. At the most basic level, it is meant to aggregate and sort information in your screenshots automatically, so that you don't have to scramble through them for information when you most need instance, you take a picture of a pamphlet that has information about a play – the day, date, time and the works. You don't have to go back to that picture to look at the details of the play. In a few days, when the time comes, and you need that information, Essential Space will sort it for you in one place, think that is quite useful. However, I also think the feature is still quite limited in functionality at this point. Nothing has promised more helpful features are in the works for a future update. Be that as it may, the dedicated key that invokes the Essential Space, could have been placed better. The CMF Phone 2 Pro supports up to 20x digital zoom Big screen experience that is mostly good newsThe CMF Phone 2 Pro has a 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED display with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 3,000nits peak brightness. In real-life use, the smartphone's display is bright, it has rich colours, and it is super responsive. Even if you are using the phone outside, under direct sunlight, the phone's brightness adjusts well enough for the content to remain legible making the CMF Phone 2 Pro well suited for multimedia bezels on the phone have also been made more even this time (compared to the CMF Phone 1). They are relatively slimmer, too. Nothing has done away with the big chin we saw on Phone 1. But there is room for some more improvement. Maybe the next version will cut down on bezels even performance and outstanding battery lifeThe Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip. It supports up to 120fps in games like BGMI and comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage and 8GB RAM. It runs NothingOS 3.0 based on Android 15, and Nothing promises 3 years of Android updates and 6 years of security patches. Rounding off the package is a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.I have been using the CMF Phone 2 Pro as my primary device which means, all my work apps, social media apps, and some gaming apps are all loaded on the device. I was switching between multiple apps, and scrolling through social media for hours, and I did not face any lag while doing all played BGMI on the phone, and as Nothing promises, you can play graphic-intensive games on the device, but I found that if you play in high graphs mode for a long time, the device is not able to sustain peak performance. That said, over the CMF Phone 1, you can see visible improvement in performance here. For everyday use, which is taking calls, surfing through social media, and even multitasking, the CMF Phone 2 Pro will not the performance is a battery that's built to last. I used the phone on 5G with all the usual heavy usage I mentioned earlier, and I was easily able to get a full day's worth on a single charge. On lighter days, the battery has lasted me well over a day. A big reason for this is the optimisation in the CMF Phone 2 Pro's operating system, which is one of my favourite things about the phone. NothingOS is clean, ad-free, and very intuitive. And it's not just me — my mother-in-law used the CMF Phone 1, and she was able to pick up the UI quickly. For someone who isn't very tech-savvy and is over 60, that says a lot about the quality of work Nothing has put into it. The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes with a charger and adapter in the box More camerasThe CMF Phone 2 Pro brings a major step up over its predecessor, especially when it comes to the cameras. It now features a triple rear camera setup, including a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom (and up to 20x ultra zoom), and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens with a wide 119.5-degree field of view. For selfies, there's a 16-megapixel front camera. These upgrades put it in line with Nothing's higher-end offerings, and for the price, you're getting solid hardware on the photography camera performance of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is certainly not perfect. Low-light shots are sometimes noisy, the dynamic range could be better in some shots, and the shutter speed is a bit slow when taking portrait shots, but if you compare it to other phones in this price segment, the CMF Phone 2 Pro does well. In good lighting conditions, the phone's camera captures good details, portrait mode does decent background separation, and the colours are close to the natural tones. To make photography more fun on the CMF Phone 2 Pro, Nothing also sells interchangeable lenses that you can play around CMF Phone 2 Pro is easy to recommendOverall, despite a few minor shortcomings, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an easy phone to recommend. As I mentioned at the start of this review, what really matters is that it gets the essentials right — and it does do that. You get reliable everyday performance, a vibrant display, and a battery that comfortably lasts over a day. With the added promise of six years of security updates, the Phone 2 Pro stands out as a solid option under Rs 20,000, especially if you're looking for a phone that can go the distance.
Digital Trends
14-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Nothing Phone 3 will be a true flagship and that means iPhone money
The Nothing Phone 3 is set to launch this summer. Now, we have some indication of its price, and yes, it will cost you. Android Authority explains that CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the Nothing Phone 3 will be the company's 'first true flagship smartphone.' As such, it will have a flagship price: approximately 800 pounds or nearly $1,000. The Nothing Phone 2 was priced at between $599 and $799, which would be a significant increase. Recommended Videos As Pei explained in a video at Google's Android Show: 'Phone 3 is coming this summer, and we're going all-in — premium materials, major performance upgrades, and software that really levels things up. It's our first true flagship smartphone. And since you're here, a little early clue on the price — it'll land somewhere around £800.' Considering the Nothing Phone 3's role as a 'true flagship,' it is expected to feature the high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. The Nothing Phone 2 and the original Nothing Phone shipped with mid-tier chips to reduce prices. These were the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and Snapdragon 778G Plus, respectively. The Nothing Phone 3 will be the company's fourth smartphone released in 2025, following the Nothing Phone 3a, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and CMF Phone 2 Pro. The Nothing Phone 3a starts at approximately $379, while the Nothing Phone 3a Pro begins at around $459. The CMF Phone 2 Pro starts at $279. These phones are available in the U.S. through Nothing's Beta program and from third-party sellers like Amazon and eBay. Prices may vary, so it's always good to check with specific retailers for the most current pricing. We expect to see the Nothing Phone 3 revealed in the coming weeks with a release date to soon follow. Although specific details about the device are still limited, excitement is growing, and it has been confirmed that the Phone 3 will launch in the U.S. Stay tuned.
