A foldable Nothing smartphone is unrealistic for now, here’s why

Since its inception, the startup smartphone brand Nothing has got some fans, and they are clamoring for a foldable smartphone. Despite these cries for a foldable device, Nothing’s CEO might have other plans for his brand. In the meantime, these plans have ‘nothing’ to do with developing or launching a foldable smartphone.

This point of view is not one that Carl Pei recently nurtured, as it has been his standpoint for quite a while. His view of the foldable smartphone industry and the actual nature of his company are major factors hindering the launching of a foldable smartphone. After the launch of the Nothing Phone 2, Carl Pei called foldable smartphones a “forced innovation.” 

According to him, smartphone manufacturers are forcing these devices on consumers worldwide. This claim is off-putting because Nothing’s smartphones come with a feature that not everybody might want. Carl Pei later clarified his standpoint, and it now sounds more understandable.

A clearer understanding of the Nothing CEO’s take on foldable smartphones

In a recent interview with The Verge, Carl Pei gave netizens a clearer understanding of his stance regarding foldable smartphones. From his explanation, the reason his company won’t develop a foldable device anytime soon is profitability. For them, the big question on their mind will be if they have a niche the device will cater to.

At the moment, Nothing is still working hard to establish its presence in the smartphone industry. Despite having two solid Android devices to their name, they still need to build a strong community of users. The launch of the Nothing Phone 2 brought the brand into America for the first time since its inception.

This goes to show that at the moment Nothing doesn’t have a community that might need foldable devices. So launching a foldable anytime soon might result in a waste of resources for the company. Foldable smartphones are not what the brand requires at this point to firmly establish their presence in the smartphone industry.

By sticking to the device form factor they have now and perfecting it, They will be able to achieve their dream. Once this is done, and they have secured a firm consumer base, the brand can then turn its attention to launching a foldable Nothing smartphone. Brands like Samsung, OPPO, Vivo, Huawei, and Honor just to mention a few, already have a strong consumer base and can afford to launch foldable devices.