Nothing recently launched the Nothing Phone (1) in multiple markets across the world. The smartphone’s unique proposition is its design and the glyph interface at the back. The company also promises a bloatware-free clean experience to the users which would definitely attract some consumers who want a stock Android experience.
Here’s the thing though, the smartphone is largely untested. Sure, there are multiple unboxing videos and first impressions out in the market, but the stability of the device and its OS is yet to be tested. The smartphone isn’t out for the regular public yet, but the orders will begin soon. Public feedback will be very crucial for the smartphone’s success.
Nothing is a UK-based company, and Europe is not an easy market to crack because of the complexities. Especially at a time such as this when the economy of the UK is not doing very good because of the tensions in Europe.
Nothing as a Brand is Still Largely Unkown
It is not a surprise that consumers across the world aren’t very aware of Nothing’s brand. Carl Pie is absolutely a legend and a popular person, but in the tech world and is not a regular household name.
Jan Stryjak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research said that ear (1) TWS earbuds did ok in terms of performance (have just sold under a million units so far globally). Compared to this, Apple sold 17 million units of AirPods, that too in Q1 2022.
This is largely because consumers aren’t aware of Nothing as a brand. One thing that Nothing has proved itself to be good at is creating hype. Be it for the ear (1) or the Phone (1), Nothing managed to get the tech enthusiasts super charged up for its products.
Nothing to Get Strong Competition
The competition in the European market is not small. Brands such as Samsung and Apple hold the majority of the market with companies such as Xiaomi, Oppo and other brands including Realme, Honor, Google and more behind.
As per the data from Counterpoint Research Market Pulse, Samsung had 41% of the sales share in the Western Europe smartphone market in May 2022. Samsung was followed by Apple with 27% share and Xiaomi with 11% share. Oppo had a 10% share during the same month while other brands such as Motorola (3%), Realme (2%) and more had negligible shares.
Nothing will have to carve out a pie for itself in a tough market such as this. It would only happen once the company launches in other markets of Europe as well.
Nothing’s Strategy
Stryjak said that partnering with the UK operators gives Nothing an edge. The company has forged partnerships with O2 in the UK and Deutsche Telekom in Germany which will give the company some growth prospects.
As per Stryjak, Nothing is going to follow a similar trajectory as OnePlus in its early days with the ‘invite-only’ model. But with this, the sales will also be limited. However, it would help in creating a very loyal customer base.
Europe is not exactly having a ball right now. There are economic challenges with record inflation levels which is impacting consumer spending. Thus, however affordable the Nothing Phone (1) is, consumers will be careful about spending their money. This could affect the sales that the company had expected it would see.
