Focus on the mid-range: Nothing Phone (4) not coming in 2026
The London-based startup Nothing will not be launching a successor to its top model Phone (3) in 2026. The focus is on the mid-range and new headphones.
Nothing co-founder Carl Pei: "No Phone (4) this year."
(Image: Nothing)
Nothing co-founder and CEO Carl Pei spoke about the company's plans for 2026 in a video. In doing so, he ruled out the Phone (4) for this year: "The Phone (3) is the flagship for 2026," Pei said.
Nothing doesn't care about annual "top models"
"We won't just release a new flagship every year for the sake of releasing it. We want every upgrade to represent a significant advancement. Just because the rest of the industry does certain things in a certain way doesn't mean we have to," Pei explained the decision.
The Phone (3) was the first smartphone the manufacturer described as a "flagship"; moreover, two years passed between its predecessor, the Phone (2), and its successor. The Phone (2) was released in July 2023, and the Phone (3) only in July 2025. So, it's not really a big surprise that Nothing is taking its time again with the Phone (4).
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externes YouTube-Video (Google Ireland Limited) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (Google Ireland Limited) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
According to Pei, the Phone (3) will receive larger software updates first – primarily in the area of AI with the Essential Apps introduced in 2025. The AI function is to be released from the alpha phase into the beta phase soon. Later, however, some functions are to be available for the A-series as well.
Videos by heise
Focus on the mid-range
Pei also said that mid-range models are more important to Nothing anyway and that they will receive a substantial update this year with the Phone (4a). The next A-series is said to feel more like a flagship in many areas, according to Pei – from materials to design and display to camera. According to Pei, they are also experimenting with the colors and the "look-and-feel" of the series, which he describes as "quite interesting."
According to an entry in the EPREL database, the Phone (4a) could also receive IP65 protection, although this should be taken with a grain of salt, as it has often been observed that the information there is sometimes incorrect. For comparison: the Phone (3a) had IP64, which corresponds to splash protection. IP65 means that devices are completely dustproof and protected against water jets from any angle.
Higher prices
The Nothing CEO added that smartphone prices will rise this year due to the memory crisis. He already said this once in mid-January. At the time, he said that the AI boom had fundamentally changed demand. This is because the same memory used in smartphones is now also used in AI data centers. This means that for the first time, "smartphones are in direct competition with AI infrastructure, leading to a sharp increase in memory prices."
In addition to the A-series models, which could possibly consist of a base and a pro model again, Nothing is also preparing new headphones. However, nothing more is known about this; it is rumored that it could be an over-ear model to complement the mid-range smartphones. The products are expected to be unveiled in the course of the first quarter, i.e., by the end of March 2026.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(afl)
