Nothing was steadily chugging along on its hype train in the last few weeks. First, we got an early look at the entire back of the Phone (1), then we saw a display model that showed off some interesting LED design during an event in Switzerland. More recently, tech influencer MKBHD released a hands-on video of the Phone (1), showing off bits of it software and a breakdown of how notification LEDs work.
Unfortunately, the hype train for the Phone (1) has officially been derailed after Nothing confirmed to PCMag that its upcoming smartphone wouldn’t be launching in North American markets, instead focusing on “home” markets in the U.K. and Europe.
There’s still some hope here because Nothing also told PCMag that it’s planning to have a smartphone that works for U.S. markets in the future. As disappointing as the news is, at least we’ll have a good idea of how the Phone (1) performs before it eventually makes it way to the U.S.
A serious bummer —
Nothing explained that it would be focusing on bringing the Phone (1) to home markets first, since they already have relationships with local carriers.
“While we’d love to bring Phone (1) to the entire community around the world, we’re focusing on home markets, including the U.K. and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers,” Nothing told PCMag in a statement. “It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from ensuring the handset is supported by the country’s cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as we’re still a young brand we need to be strategic about it.”
You could try to use the device in the U.S., but you’d essentially be rolling the dice to see if it even works. According to Nothing, you’d get "unpredictable" coverage on T-Mobile, no support for voice over LTE on AT&T, and have no service at all on Verizon.
The wait continues —
Weirdly enough, Nothing is also auctioning off the first 100 Phone (1)s on StockX, which will be serialized. This news should likely make American customers question if they want to even bid on this collector’s version of the Phone (1) since it won’t work well in the U.S.
The StockX listing was also the first clue that the smartphone wouldn’t work in the U.S. with its disclaimer. The listing’s disclaimer said that Nothing’s Phone (1) wasn’t fully supported in North America and referred to a page of compatible carriers, which did not have U.S. or Canadian options. Looks like we’ll just practice some patience while our friends across the Atlantic get to enjoy the Nothing Phone (1) when it releases on July 12.
