Why I believe Nothing Technology is the spark the smartphone industry needs

Abdel El Ayyadi
Sep 17
5 min read

Nothing Technology's $200 million raise isn’t just funding. It’s proof that disruption, design, and respect for customers can still win in tech.

When we think about smartphones with great design, our minds go straight to Apple or Samsung. But with that comes a thousand-euro price tag and, let’s be honest, designs that haven’t really been original for years. That’s why I love what Nothing is doing.

Carl Pei and his team are challenging the status quo. They’re proving that smartphones don’t have to be locked in the same cycle of safe updates, predictable features, and sky-high pricing. And for that, they have my full support.

A milestone that proves disruption is alive

The $200 million Series C raise isn’t just a funding announcement. To me, it’s proof that disruption is still possible in an industry long dominated by two or three giants. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel at heart, and I’ve never been a fan of monopolies — even the ones that come in the form of a duopoly or triopoly.

For years, smartphone design and innovation have felt stagnant. Nothing shows you can break through with bold ideas, fresh design, and fair pricing. And the fact that serious investors are backing that vision with $200 million tells me the world is ready for change.

Still, raising money is only the beginning. Tech history is littered with challengers — Essential, HTC, BlackBerry — that once looked like the future and then disappeared. The real test for Nothing will be how they scale without losing the originality that made them different in the first place.

The universal lesson

If you strip away the smartphone label, the universal lesson from Nothing is simple: respect people and dare to be different. Nothing shows that when you put design, transparency, and community at the center, the market responds.

I’ve seen the same thing in my own career in customer experience. When companies listen and genuinely involve their customers, loyalty and growth follow naturally. Play it safe, and you fade into the background. Take a stand, and people will back you — whether they’re customers or investors.

But here’s the caution: respect and daring aren’t enough if execution falters. Customers will forgive missteps once or twice, but in a market this competitive, consistency matters. Nothing has to show it can keep delivering — not just surprise, but reliability. And that raises a critical question: does Nothing have the right customer strategy to give itself leeway when things inevitably go wrong?

Loyalty by lock-in versus loyalty by respect

Apple’s loyalty is unmatched — I’ve worked there, I’ve seen it up close. They didn’t just build products; they built a lifestyle. But let’s be honest: there’s a financial motivation behind it. Over the last years, the veil has been slipping, and people are starting to notice. I’m not saying Apple is going off a cliff, but the question is: how long can they keep this up?

Apple mastered loyalty by building a closed ecosystem. Once you own an iPhone, you’re nudged toward AirPods, an Apple Watch, iCloud, Apple Music, and so on. Each product is excellent, but the real genius is in how tightly they lock together. Leaving becomes inconvenient — not because you don’t want to, but because the cost of switching feels too high. That’s control.

Nothing’s role is different. It has the chance to build loyalty through openness. If they stay true to fair pricing, clean design, and transparency, they can inspire a different kind of attachment — one built on trust and shared values, not lock-in.

It may never look like Apple’s cult-like following, but it doesn’t have to. Loyalty can also come from respect. The challenge is that trust is harder to monetize than control — and Nothing will need to prove to both customers and investors that openness can scale into a sustainable business. In customer strategy, that’s the difference between loyalty earned and loyalty imposed.

Focus first, then expand

Nothing’s philosophy isn’t limited to phones or earbuds. At its core, it’s about transparency, design that excites again, and building a community around trust. That approach can impact far beyond hardware.

But right now, focus is key. Phones and earbuds are their credibility builders. If they spread too thin, they risk becoming just another brand chasing categories. Once the foundation is solid, I see real potential in expanding — not just into more tech, but into services that carry the same DNA of openness and fairness.

The bigger picture is this: people crave companies that feel human, not corporate. Nothing’s real opportunity is to show that you can build loyalty through respect and originality — not through monopoly. The question is whether they can resist the temptation to scale too fast, too soon.

The feeling that tech can still surprise you

When I pick up a Nothing product, I feel something I haven’t felt in years with a phone: excitement. Apple and Samsung feel routine now — polished, but predictable. With Nothing, there’s a spark. A reminder that tech can still surprise us.

It feels lighter, fresher, like I’m holding proof that someone still dares to break the mold. And as someone who’s built a career in customer experience, I know that matters. Tech isn’t just about function — it’s about how it makes you feel. And Nothing makes me feel like I’m part of a movement, not just another customer in a system.

But early excitement is fragile. In consumer tech, first impressions matter — yet staying power depends on consistency. The c

hallenge for Nothing is to prove it can deliver not just eye-catching design, but also reliability over time.

A spark the industry needs

I’m rooting for all of it: breakthrough designs, a stronger ecosystem, and a wave of challengers. Because design grabs attention, but ecosystems decide if you’ve truly changed the game. Apple and Samsung built empires by locking people in. If Nothing can build an ecosystem people want to join — not feel trapped in — that’s true disruption.

This $200 million raise isn’t just fuel for growth. It’s a spark that could remind the entire industry — and beyond — that disruption is possible when you put people first. But sparks can fade if they’re not fed. The real question is whether Nothing can keep that flame alive long enough to force the industry to follow.

So yes, I love the idea. And I’ll keep supporting Nothing, because the world doesn’t just need new phones. It needs companies bold enough — and disciplined enough — to remind us that tech can still be exciting, transparent, and human.