What you need to know
- Carl Pei doesn't foresee Nothing creating a foldable anytime soon.
- He adds foldables are niche and that they've become far too similar again after the initial splash.
- Nothing launched the Phone (2) on July 11 with a starting price of $599.
Foldables are everywhere, and the trend has only increased this year, but the CEO of Nothing goes against the grain a bit with his take.
IndiaToday interviewed Nothing CEO Carl Pei to discuss the recent launch of the Phone (2) (via Android Authority). During the discussions, the topic of foldable phones came up, and it was inquired if Nothing would ever produce its own clamshell or book-folding device. Pei simply responded with, "Not anytime soon."
The discussion was about innovation in the tech industry and how Pei believes things have stalled. In regard to the tech industry in the past, he notes how things were improving very quickly. However, Pei said in the last five years, the tech industry has gotten "very incremental" by making small tweaks here and there. In addition, he feels foldable phones are a niche product saying.
"If you look at how the foldables are evolving, they're all the same again." He added, "If you don't see the logo, I don't think a consumer can tell them apart."
Meanwhile, Samsung is preparing to launch its Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 at the end of July, which may not be too different from their predecessors aside from a larger cover screen on the Flip. OnePlus is also looking to launch the alleged "Open" during Q3 2023.
Watch the biggest interview of 2023: Carl Pei exclusive #TechToday #ITLivestream @aayush_a6 | @getpeid https://t.co/lHvTqM8x5rJuly 8, 2023
Regarding "innovation," part of the Phone (1)'s appeal is the design. The transparent look was certainly different, and now that the Phone (2) has launched, the company has entered the flagship space. The Phone (2) comes equipped with stronger 50MP cameras and the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 mobile platform.
As far as his aspirations go, Pei talked about his hopes that the Phone (2) would sell as well as the first version did last year. The Phone (1) shipped around 750,000 units, and its differences are what prompted Nothing to launch the Phone (2) globally this time around. For now, we'll have to wait and see how it performs, as preorders for the device are open ahead of its July 17 sale date.
