Carl Pei hints at a possible Nothing Android smartphone with a Snapdragon chip

• The first Nothing Android smartphone could be coming soon.
  
• Nothing co-founder, Carl Pei, has tweeted a few cryptic tweets, followed by replies from Android and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon accounts on Twitter.
  
• The Nothing Android smartphone could be the company’s second hardware launch after the ear 1 truly wireless earbuds which were launched last year.
  

Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus, has possibly teased the first Nothing Android smartphone, after months of using an iPhone.

In cryptic tweets posted earlier today, Pei said he’s back on Android and praised Android 12. This was followed by tweets from the accounts of Android and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, suggesting that we could actually be looking at an Android and Snapdragon-powered product from Nothing in the coming months.


Pei left OnePlus in 2020 and founded Nothing months later in 2021. Nothing is a London-based company and launched its first product, the Nothing ear 1 truly wireless earbuds in July last year.

Earlier, Nothing India’s vice president Manu Sharma had revealed that the company is working to expand its portfolio of products, with over five new launches in the pipeline. While we still have only one product from Nothing – the ear 1 earbuds – it is likely that the Carl Pei-led company will enter other categories, too.

At the moment, we don’t know much about Nothing’s rumoured Android smartphone. However, if the ear 1 earbuds are anything to go by, we could see a mix of a unique design coupled with a fairly aggressive price tag, especially in markets like India.

Nothing’s collab with Qualcomm is not new, or unexpected

In late 2021, Nothing raised $50 million in fresh funding from private investors and announced a collaboration with Qualcomm, so it should not come as a surprise to see new products powered with Snapdragon technology.

At the time, Nothing said it will use the funds towards research and development in preparation for the brand's entry into new product categories as part of its ecosystem.

"We look forward to working alongside Qualcomm Technologies and our strategic investors to achieve Nothing's next phase of growth," Pei added.

Nothing has the smarts to make a smartphone already, thanks to Essential

Immediately after founding Nothing, Carl Pei acquired Essential, a smartphone company founded by Android’s creator Andy Rubin.

Nothing’s acquisition of Essential gives it the rights to the trademarks, and the Essential brand itself⁠ – most known for being founded by Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android Inc. ⁠– although details about the patents are not known yet.

SEE ALSO:

Nothing ear (1) review – clean sound, transparent design for the win

Nothing raises $50 million, partners with Qualcomm to use Snapdragon technology