Carl Pei, the CEO of Nothing, doesn't believe in foldable phones. At least not yet. Judging by what Carl Pei has revealed in a recent interview, Samsung and other foldable phone manufacturers need not worry about entering a rivalry with the two-year-old phone maker.
The Nothing CEO said in a recent interview with IndiaToday (via Android Police) that despite rumors about Nothing building a foldable phone, the company has no plans to release such a device anytime soon. Carl Pei said “I don't think consumers walk around saying, hey, I wish my phone could fold. I think it's an innovation that the manufacturers are pushing onto the consumer.”
It's worth noting that although most people probably don't walk around saying “Hey, I wish my phone's back panel could have LED light strips behind a transparent panel” either, the Nothing Phone series stands out precisely through that design cue.
All foldable phones look alike, according to Nothing CEO
Uniqueness is not something foldable phones do well, says Mr. Pei. According to him, “It's good that some people are building it, but if you look at how the foldables are evolving, they are all the same again. If you don't see the logo anymore, you hide the logo on the foldables, I don't think a consumer can really tell them apart.”
We'd say you're probably in trouble if you can't tell apart the Galaxy Z Fold 4 from the Google Pixel Fold or other models from Chinese OEMs. Or it could mean that phone designs might be the least of your worries, in which case, more power to you.
But even if it were true and foldable designs are way too similar, wouldn't that be an opportunity for Nothing to bring its LED light strip and transparent back panel design to another market niche and try to win over customers that are bored by the old foldable phone design? We may never find out, as a Nothing foldable phone won't happen “anytime soon,” despite what the rumors are saying.
