Nothing is OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's new consumer tech company

Three months after exiting OnePlus, co-founder Carl Pei is back with a new London-based venture called Nothing that will release its first products in the coming months.

Nothing will launch its first products in the first half of 2021

Nothing describes itself as a brand that “seeks to remove barriers between people and technology, to bring back artistry, passion and trust to the field of consumer technology.”

Aside from Carl Pei himself, the company has several notable names on board. Investors include Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, YouTuber Casey Neistat, and iPod inventor Tony Fadell.

The first smart devices from Nothing will be released in the first half of the year. Few details about these products have been provided, although the long-term goal for Nothing is to release an entire ecosystem of devices.

Right now, Nothing will focus on simpler categories, as revealed in an interview with The Verge. Soon after, the team will start moving up towards more advanced devices with the hope of having a lineup of products that connects seamlessly.

There are no plans for software or subscription services just yet, although Carl Pei did admit that long-term a “healthy business” requires both good software and hardware.

Whether or not the final product lineup includes a smartphone remains to be seen. But unlike OnePlus, Nothing is an entirely independent company owned by the founding team and its investors.

Carl Pei says the brand will use “custom made” components from the start, made possible by the in-house R&D department, and won’t simply “relabel somebody else’s products.”