Nothing CEO Carl Pei shared that some of the brand’s upcoming devices will experience a price increase, and the Nothing Phone (4a) series might be one of them.
The news isn’t entirely new in the smartphone industry, as other brands like Realme and Xiaomi have already confirmed that hike is inevitable. As shared in the past, the AI boom has led smartphone makers to compete against AI data centers for memory, resulting in an increase in the component’s cost. Pei echoed the same sentiment that other executives have shared in the past.
“Brands now face a simple choice: raise prices, by 30% or more in some cases, or downgrade specs,” Pei wrote. “The ‘more specs for less money’ model that many value brands were built on is no longer sustainable in 2026. As a result, some markets, particularly entry and mid-tier segments, are likely to shrink by 20% or more, and brands that have historically dominated these segments will struggle.”
To this end, the CEO disclosed that some of the company’s products launching in the first quarter will be more expensive. While he didn’t mention the devices, it could be the Nothing Phone (4a) series, as the Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro were introduced in the same timeline last year.
According to Pei, the devices will now utilize UFS 3.1 (as opposed to UFS 2.2 in their predecessors). Yet, as the executive underscored, prices will now be higher. To recall, the vanilla Nothing Phone (3a) starts at €330 for its 8GB/128GB configuration. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, on the other hand, costs €460 for a 12GB/256GB configuration.
