The current focus of the company is on Europe
Nothing has confirmed that their first smartphone, the Phone 1, will not be widely launched in the U.S. or Canada, according to PCMag.
Therefore, as part of a “closed beta,” a “limited number” of the devices will be released to community investors in the region.
To say that the “Nothing” Phone 1 has been overhyped would be an understatement. However, with the full launch only a few weeks away, it appears that a major market will miss out on all the hype.
Initial reports that the Phone 1 would not receive a full US release first surfaced after a limited number of the smartphones were made available for presale before the July 12 official launch of the product, StockX.
StockX opened bids this week for the first 100 units of the Nothing phone 1. However, there is one major caveat: the Nothing Phone 1 will not be available in the United States:
“Nothing Phone 1” is not completely backed in North America. Depending on your carrier, coverage, speed, and/or reliability, functionality may be impacted, or it may not function at all. Customers in Mexico and South Korea are unable to purchase. “
In a statement to PCMag, Nothing explained its reasoning:
“While we’d love to bring phone 1 to the entire global community, we’re focusing on home markets, such as the United Kingdom and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers.”
“As you know, it takes a lot to launch a smartphone, from ensuring the handset is compatible with the country’s cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as a young brand, we need to be strategic about it.”
According to PCMag, anyone attempting to use Nothing’s phone in the US will likely have “unpredictable” coverage on T-Mobile, no support for voice-over LTE on AT & T, and no service at all on Verizon.
The US is an admittedly difficult market to break into, and Android OEMs must navigate a lot of red tape and deal with carriers if they want to have a chance.
Companies that make some of the best Android phones, such as OPPO, Huawei, and Xiaomi, have little to no retail presence in the US. It is likely to be much more difficult for smaller companies like Nothing.
However, there is still hope for a “Nothing” phone to arrive in the United States, though it may not be the phone 1.
According to PCMag, the company has “big plans to launch the US-supported smartphone in the future.” The company also encourages fans to “call their carrier to let them know about us.”
