Carl Pei says Nothing's first AI-native product will ship in December

What happened

Nothing, the smartphone startup known for the Nothing Phone, will ship its first AI-native product in December, chief executive Carl Pei said in a post on X, TechCrunch reported. Pei did not specify what the product is, and no firm release date has been announced beyond the month.

In his post, Pei characterized the device as a tool, and more specifically as a productivity tool, that carries the personality and attention to detail he associates with the Nothing brand. He said it does not introduce a new screen and argued that it could not have taken the form of an app, which leaves its exact category open to speculation.

Pei also appeared to distance the product from AI wearables. He wrote that the industry is searching for a breakthrough device comparable to the iPhone, citing pendants, pins, glasses and companions as examples. He said he admires that ambition but interprets the current moment differently.

Context

Pei has been teasing an AI-first device for some time. Beyond this product, Nothing has said it intends to release a pair of smart glasses linked to AI and earbuds with AI integrations, which makes his apparent downplaying of a wearables connection notable. Across the industry, companies have pursued pendants, pins, glasses and companion devices to bring AI to consumers.