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Nothing Won't Launch a Flagship Model in 2026; Company to Focus on Nothing Phone 4a and Audio Products, Carl Pei Says

Nothing Won't Launch a Flagship Model in 2026; Company to Focus on Nothing Phone 4a and Audio Products, Carl Pei Says

Nothing's Carl Pei says that the focus will be on maturing the company and scaling products.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 29 January 2026 18:50 IST

Nothing Won't Launch a Flagship Model in 2026; Company to Focus on Nothing Phone 4a and Audio Products, Carl Pei Says

Nothing Phone 3 (pictured), launched in July 2025, will remain the flagship model throughout 2026

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Highlights

Nothing plans major push in over ear headphone category
Nothing may raise smartphone prices amid rising RAM costs
Nothing to open new London HQ and Bengaluru store in 2026

Nothing released a video on Thursday featuring founder and CEO Carl Pei, outlining the company's plans for 2026. The discussion covers product strategy and retail expansion for this year. It also includes confirmation of leadership changes and infrastructure plans. Pei also discusses the pricing pressures of the market in the video. He claimed that Nothing has moved beyond its initial build phase and is now entering phase two. The focus is said to be on maturing the UK-based technology firm, scaling products and operating differently from the wider industry.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei Details 2026 Product and Retail Strategy

In the video, Pei confirmed that Nothing will not launch a new flagship smartphone in 2026, with the Nothing Phone 3 remaining the company's flagship model throughout the year. He said that Nothing will not launch a new flagship every year and wants each upgrade to be meaningful rather than follow industry schedules.

Despite dropping plans for a new flagship, Nothing will update its mid-range lineup with the Nothing Phone 4a, which has recently appeared on some certification sites. Pei said it will be a full upgrade over the Phone 3a series, with improvements to design, materials, display, camera, and performance, along with bolder colour experimentation that stays true to the brand.

Nothing’s First Flagship Store in India Will Open on This Date

Pei also said Nothing will double down on the over-ear headphone category in 2026. He noted that the Nothing Headphone 1 performed better than expected and won multiple awards, making audio a key growth area for the company going forward.

On software, Pei highlighted updates to Nothing OS 4.0 and spoke about the company's work on Essential apps. He said the feature will allow users to create apps and widgets by describing what they want, without traditional coding. Essential apps are currently in alpha, will move to beta soon, and will initially be exclusive to Phone 3, according to the company executive.

Nothing to Raise Smartphone Prices Amidst Ongoing Memory Shortage

Speaking of rising component costs, Pei noted that RAM prices have surged due to AI demand, making costs volatile across smartphones and other electronics. He said brands must either raise prices or cut specifications, and confirmed that Nothing will likely increase smartphone prices, with UFS 3.1 storage cost adding further pressure. He expects high RAM prices to continue through 2026 and beyond.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro's Battery, Durability, Charging Details Revealed

Pei also confirmed the appointment of Charlie Smith as Nothing's new Chief Brand Officer, who previously served as chief marketing officer at Loewe.

Nothing's New London Headquarters, Upcoming Bengaluru Store

In the video, it was also revealed that Nothing is opening a new global headquarters in London, located in a building previously used by Heatherwick Studio. The company expects to move into the space in the first quarter of 2026. Pei said the new headquarters will form the foundation of a campus-style setup in the King's Cross area.

Pei added that Nothing's second physical store will open in Bengaluru, India, on February 14. He said the company plans to expand further with stores in Tokyo and the US. He described retail locations as important physical spaces for expressing the brand and hosting events, not just for selling products.

Reflecting on 2025, Pei said it was a significant year for the company. Nothing crossed one billion dollars in lifetime sales, raised 200 million dollars in funding, achieved unicorn status, and expanded its community investor base to around 11,000 people. He also highlighted the reception of the Phone 3a series and the company's first large-scale product event in London, which included the launch of Phone 3 and Headphone 1. Pei concluded by saying 2026 will be a year of acceleration for Nothing, with more announcements planned in the coming months.

Nothing Phone 3

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Sturdy design
The new Glyph Interface is fun to use
Primary camera is fantastic
Decent everyday performance
IP68 rating
Good battery backup

Bad
Doesn't come cheap
No charger in the box
Periscope and ultra-wide camera performance inconsistent

Read detailed Nothing Phone 3 review

Display 6.67-inch

Front Camera 50-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 12GB, 16GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 5500mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1260x2800 pixels

More Nothing mobiles Nothing mobiles price in India

Nothing Headphone 1 Wireless Headphones

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design / Comfort
Audio Quality
Battery Life
Value For Money

Good
Signature transparent design with fantastic attention to detail
Physical buttons feel intuitive
Balanced sound output
Long battery life
Stellar value proposition

Bad
Some features are limited to Nothing devices
Limited foldability (reduced portability)

Read detailed Nothing Headphone 1 Wireless Headphones review

Headphone Type Over-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity Wireless

Type Headphones

More Nothing Headphones & Headset

Nothing Phone 3a Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Sleek and premium design
Vivid display
Improved camera performance
Clean, bloat-free UI experience
Decent battery life

Bad
Charging speed could be better
The IP rating could be better
Wide-angle could have been better

Read detailed Nothing Phone 3a Pro review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3

Front Camera 50-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 8-megapixel

RAM 8GB, 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1080x2392 pixels

More Nothing mobiles Nothing mobiles price in India

Nothing Phone 3a

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Sharp 120Hz display
Fun and engaging software
Variety of cameras
Good daylight cameras
Good battery life

Bad
Low light video needs work
IP rating could have been better
Does not support HDR10+ video streaming

Read detailed Nothing Phone 3a review

Display 6.77-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 8-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1080x2392 pixels

More Nothing mobiles Nothing mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Nothing CEO Carl Pei, Carl Pei Nothing 2026 Roadmap, Nothing Phone 3, Nothing Phone 4a, Nothing Headphone 1, Nothing Audio, Nothing, Nothing India

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More