“All right, what’s new here?” That’s what I thought when I heard Carl Pei, the co-founder of the London-based consumer tech startup Nothing, speak about his business’s future aspirations. Pei’s message was simple: Smartphone innovation is dead, but Nothing, with its open ecosystem and future Nothing phone, would shake things up (1). They also aim to create the “most compelling alternative to Apple,” as Pei put it.
Except that constructing the next Apple isn’t a novel concept. It didn’t make me think, “Wow, that’s a lot of work.” My reply was more along the lines of, ‘Ok if you say so.’ While it’s easy to dismiss this as pessimism or being too harsh, there’s little indication that the Apple model has been effectively reproduced by others.
Google is still trying, despite its financial and engineering might. The Pixel isn’t a direct competitor to the iPhone. There isn’t an Android tablet that can compete with the iPad. While Chromebooks have grown in popularity as a result of the outbreak, Apple’s MacBooks, which are powered by the company’s own M1 series, are well ahead of the competition in terms of features. Not to mention the countless Apple Watch and AirPods knockoffs that have flooded the market at every price range.
Even Google recognises that this ‘integration’ between Android and other devices, which Pei mentioned, is necessary, and it is working to achieve it. However, nothing is known about the entire depth and breadth of how and when this will happen.
None, however, come close to matching Apple’s ease of use. As an Apple customer, I can easily transfer images from my iPhone to my Mac via AirPlay, and owing to iCloud, setting up a new iPhone is a breeze. The new Universal Control feature allows you to drag files from your iPad to your Mac. Even teenagers don’t want to leave Apple’s iMessage system’s blue bubbles.
This isn’t to imply that a closed ecosystem is our sole chance for innovation and ease; rather, it’s to emphasise that dismantling the present structure is difficult. Apple has complete control over the ecosystem, from hardware to software, and an open environment would undoubtedly be preferable. However, the cruel reality is that once customers enter the Apple ecosystem, switching back is tough. It’s easier said than done persuading people to ditch their iPhones in favour of a new Android phone from a new company.
So, where will Nothing Phone (1) impact the storey and how will it do so? That aspect was simply unclear, and it felt like a state secret that Pei didn’t want to divulge. This isn’t to suggest Pei, the man behind OnePlus, didn’t make some strong arguments throughout his presentation. He is correct that smartphone ‘innovation’ is dead, and all we get is new variants every year with a larger display and a different camera arrangement. But it’s unclear how Nothing would alter this bleak storey.
For starters, Nothing’s phone (1) will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon, which sounds like any other phone on the market. What exactly is the novelty here? Yes, it will run the company’s proprietary Nothing OS, which is less on bloatware and has a cleaner look. Groundbreaking? Not at all. The phone might have a one-of-a-kind design, but that’s only a ‘could’ at this moment.
After listening to the presentation, I got the impression that Nothing’s approach to innovation was going to be the same spiel I’d heard from a slew of other tech CEOs. Of course, Nothing might very well live up to the hype cycle they’ve generated, proving sceptics like myself incorrect. However, while phrases like “rethinking the smartphone” may appear to be a hip new trend, I’ll believe it when I see it.
After listening to the presentation, I got the impression that Nothing’s approach to innovation was going to be the same spiel I’d heard from a slew of other tech CEOs. Of course, Nothing might very well live up to the hype cycle they’ve generated, proving sceptics like myself incorrect. However, while phrases like “rethinking the smartphone” may appear to be a hip new trend, I’ll believe it when I see it.
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