Nothing CEO Pei Says Future Smartphones Will Use Single App OS

Carl Pei, CEO of the British smartphone company Nothing, envisions a future where smartphones evolve beyond the current app-centric model into a single-app device dominated by an AI-powered operating system. Pei critiques large companies like Apple for losing creativity as they grow and believes that smaller, agile companies like Nothing have the opportunity to innovate in the smartphone industry. He compares Nothing’s AI strategy to the iPod’s impact on music, emphasizing solving consumer problems with AI rather than making grand claims about revolutionizing technology. Pei foresees the OS acting as a proactive, automated agent that understands the user’s habits and context to anticipate and perform tasks without manual input, thus reducing time spent on routine activities. Although this vision is radical and may take 7-10 years to realize, Nothing has already begun integrating AI features such as the "Essential Space" on the Nothing Phone (3a), targeting creative users with innovative software and design. Despite challenges as a small startup, Nothing leverages its creativity and focus to stand out in a market Pei describes as increasingly boring and dominated by large, less agile players.