What to Know About nothing teases brand-new product after slamming exit rumours
Nothing has batted away rumours of its demise by teasing a brand-new product category under its CMF sub-brand. But what could it be?
The CMF by Nothing X account has published a context-free image of a Pokémon, as is the company’s wont. So far, so WTF.
Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis then replied to the mysterious post with the phrase “New product category” (see below).
In other words, the new product being teased is not going to be a phone, a watch, or a set of headphones. So what are we looking at here?
Clip round the ear
The biggest clue sits with the identity of the Pokémon itself. This, we’re reliably informed, is an Igglybuff – the Pokémon that eventually evolves into Jigglypuff.
Jigglypuff, of course, is famous for breaking into song at any given opportunity. So, a Bluetooth speaker, maybe?
It’s certainly a possibility. However, it’s worth throwing in that established tipster Yogesh Brar has responded to the post with the simple phrase: “Ear Clip…”.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
An ear clip is a form of earphones that fits around or on the ear rather than sitting within it. They tend to be designed for comfort and stability, making them great for runners and those who don’t want to be completely blocked off from the world.
The question is, does Brar know something about Nothing’s new announcement, or is he just taking a punt? A recent certification in Singapore explicitly mentions ‘CMF Clip Pro’, so he could be onto something.
Whatever the case, it’s a handy distraction for the company following a spate of negative press.
Staff cuts and market exits
Late last week, CityAM reported that more than 100 of the London-based brand’s 800-strong workforce would lose their jobs as the company restructures amid difficult market conditions.
Elsewhere, Indian website Digit.in has reported that the company is planning to exit 12 markets, with the Middle East, Japan and “parts” of Europe supposedly affected.
However, Evangelidis has taken to X to call the latter report “FAKE NEWS”, claiming that its latest phone, the Nothing Phone (4b), secured record-breaking sales on its first day. He stated that the company would not be exiting any markets.
He did, however, concede that his company was “reorganising our teams to prepare for our next phase of growth”. This would include adding an “AI-native business unit” as well as “consolidating individual countries into regional hubs” on efficiency grounds.
Back in January, Nothing co-founder and CEO Carl Pei warned of rising prices and challenging times for the industry, as the AI surge hiked memory costs. It’s thought to be the main reason why we don’t have a CMF Phone 3 Pro this year.
Nothing smartwatch tipped
We’ve already alluded to the fact that the CMF brand already has a smartwatch, but somewhat curiously, Nothing itself doesn’t. That could be all set to change according to a separate rumour that’s doing the rounds.
Yogesh Brar has been at it again, this time claiming that Nothing will launch its first smartwatch in September. Apparently, its design will carry the brand’s DNA – which we’re taking to mean that it will have some kind of flashy semi-transparent element – and will cost less than $300 (about £225).
It’ll only be released into limited markets, apparently, so fingers crossed that yours makes the cut.
