A London consumer technology company, founded in 2020 by Carl Pei, that makes phones, earbuds and headphones with distinctive transparent, light-up designs.
Nothing is a consumer technology company based in London. It designs and sells smartphones, wireless earbuds and over-ear headphones, and it is best known for its see-through hardware and the Glyph, a pattern of lights on the back of its phones that signals calls and notifications without you needing to look at the screen. Its first product, the ear (1) earbuds, arrived in 2021, its first phone, the Phone (1), followed in 2022, and it has since added the Phone (2), Phone (3), a Headphone (1) and a cheaper design-led sub-brand called CMF. It also makes its own software, Nothing OS, a customised version of Android, and a feature called Essential Space that collects screenshots, voice notes and photos in one place.
The company was founded in October 2020 by Carl Pei, who had previously co-founded OnePlus, and he is its chief executive. Its profile on a job-site describes its mission as "to remove barriers between people and technology" and talks about bringing artistry, passion and trust back to tech. Speaking at a conference in 2023, Pei said the aim was to make technology more fun, and he described the Glyph as a form of calm technology that helps people put their phones down during dinner with friends while still seeing what matters. He also said Nothing wants to ignite change and inspire others to join it.
Nothing is headquartered in London. Its job-site profile gives the address as Bedford House, John Street, Holborn. It opened its first physical shop in Soho in December 2022 and, according to a technology news report, set up a London design hub led by Adam Bates, who spent over 14 years at Dyson. Pei has said that the wider business is spread out, with hardware and supply chain work in Shenzhen, software in Taipei, manufacturing in India and small offices in the Middle East, so UK roles sit alongside colleagues around the world. Reference sources put the headcount at about 450 in 2023 and over 1,000 on the job-site profile; these figures come from third parties.
Nothing describes a design-led culture. Teenage Engineering, the Swedish design firm, was a founding partner, and Pei has called his own role closer to an editor's, stepping in only occasionally. The job-site profile lists perks including private medical cover, a learning and hobby budget, a gym and wellness allowance, free breakfast on weekdays and lunch on Thursdays, a cycle-to-work scheme and birthday leave. These are the company's own descriptions.
A company like this employs industrial and product designers, hardware and software engineers, camera and audio specialists, supply chain and operations teams, marketing and community managers, retail staff, and people in finance, legal and talent. London roles listed on the job-site include marketing, communications, design operations and talent acquisition. Because the products depend on both beautiful design and reliable engineering, people with creative and technical interests are both valued.
Website: nothing.tech
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