UK-based tech startup Nothing is considering the development of its own mobile operating system, as revealed by CEO and founder Carl Pei during a recent discussion at TechCrunch Disrupt. Currently, the company’s smartphones operate on Google’s Android system, enhanced by a custom interface. In a market predominantly led by Android and Apple’s iOS, with Huawei’s HarmonyOS emerging as a third alternative, Nothing’s potential entry could shake up the mobile landscape.
Pei stated that the company is examining this move as a strategy to establish itself more firmly in the mobile industry and create a new revenue stream. “We’re thinking about how we maneuver here, and maybe create something of our own. Some kind of operating system,” he expressed. This ambitious initiative aligns with trends where major players like Google and Apple have heavily invested in machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance their offerings.
Should Nothing proceed with developing its OS, Pei emphasized that it would prioritize user experience, leveraging the vast amount of data from devices to improve functionality. He mentioned that the company could continue this project without external funding but refrained from commenting on whether they plan to seek financial support for the initiative.
Notably, Nothing isn’t the first company to venture into creating an operating system aimed at competing with giants like Google and Apple. Huawei has successfully introduced its HarmonyOS, which replaces Android on select devices, providing access to a suite of popular applications via the Huawei AppGallery.
For Nothing to gain a foothold in this competitive space, it would need to establish a robust app marketplace and persuade developers to bring their applications to its platform. A critical challenge faced by past mobile operating systems, such as Windows Phone and Sailfish OS, has been their inability to offer access to a comprehensive range of popular apps, leading to their decline.
While Nothing has announced that its upcoming software updates will continue to be based on Android, including the forthcoming Nothing OS 3.0, which will run on Android 15, the development of its own operating system could signal a significant shift. If the company successfully creates a new OS, it is likely to debut on a smartphone tailored to its software, suggesting a possible wait of several months before the market sees a device powered by Nothing’s proprietary operating system.
