19 September, 2025

It might seem impossible to take on Apple and Samsung, but London-based Nothing is giving it a go. 

Fresh off a $200 million investment from Tiger Global, the company plans to expand distribution of its challenger proposition: an AI-first mobile device which promises a hyper-personalised experience. While Apple has struggled to weave AI into iOS, Nothing CEO Carl Pei believes smartphones will be the main gateway for consumer AI, and he’s hoping Nothing shows how it can be done. Part of the strategy rests on reaching the next generation of users who may want alternatives to today’s incumbents and are attracted to Nothing’s brand identity: design-led, quirky, and unapologetically different. 

On top of its AI push, Nothing’s new Phone 3 marks a step forward in sustainability. Built with 17.6% recycled materials and assembled using 100% renewable electricity, it carries a carbon footprint of 53 kgCO2e. That compares to 61 kgCO2e for Apple’s iPhone 16 (both 256GB), which uses recycled content but lags Nothing on renewable energy in production. At the same time, AI can bring additional energy demands and will raise questions about the long-term footprint of AI devices.  

$200 million may be small change for Apple and Samsung, and there’s a lot of unknowns with AI developments. But Nothing is carving out a distinct space in the market. With AI at its potential core and sustainability in its design, could its 1% market share be set to grow? We’ll be watching. 

By Bertie Bateman