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Nothing has been one of the fan favourite companies aiming to make the tech interesting again. With their Glyph interface, and now with their latest Glyph Matrix they are trying to bring something new in smartphone tech. Recently in a post, Carl Pei hinted that Nothing will launch its first AI-native devices in 2026. The announcement was made after the company revealed a $200 million Series C funding round at a $1.3 billion valuation. So without any further ado, let’s head into the article and discuss what all we know about the Nothing’s AI-Native devices.

Carl Pei, the CEO of Nothing hinted in his post that the new products will not be the traditional smartphones. Whereas they will be designed to provide intelligence “at the moment of need”. And this will make those devices as important as smartphones.

$200 Million Series C Funding, Valued at $1.3 Billion

Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath and Qualcomm Ventures joined existing backers as new investors in this round, joining existing backers who had contributed in previous rounds. Notably, this wasn't the first time high-profile Indians had invested in Nothing; back in 2021 it raised $50 million with contributions from Karan Johar, Yuvraj Singh, and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia all playing key roles.

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What the Funding Will Be Used For

Nothing said the new funds will accelerate product innovation and fuel the company’s long-term ambition of building AI-native products. Unlike smartphones, these will blend hardware and software into a single intelligent system—a shift that Nothing CEO Carl Pei describes as the brand’s “Chapter 2.”

Carl Pei’s Vision for AI-Native Devices

In his statement, Pei emphasized that Nothing is moving from being “the only independent smartphone company to emerge in decades” to building an AI-native platform.

Over the past four years, Nothing has shipped millions of devices, crossed $1 billion in total sales in 2025, and recorded 150% growth in 2024.

“We’re in a position that will be very hard to copy: the ability to launch hardware products within months, global go-to-market operations, and a user community that co-creates with us,” said Pei.

He argued that while AI has seen explosive growth, the smartphone experience has barely evolved beyond photo editing, translation, and clunky assistants. To unlock AI’s full potential, consumer hardware must be reinvented.

Hyper-Personalized Operating Systems

Pei envisions a future where:

- Operating systems are deeply personalized, unique to each user.

- Interfaces adapt dynamically to context and intent.

- AI agents execute tasks on behalf of users, handling the “non-essential.”

Instead of one-size-fits-all software, Pei says we could see “a billion different operating systems for a billion different people.”

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Roadmap: From Phones to Future Tech

Nothing’s upcoming ecosystem will extend beyond smartphones. The company plans to:

- Continue with smartphones, earbuds, and smartwatches

- Expand into smart glasses, humanoid robots, EVs, and more

Interestingly, Pei revealed that the first AI-native devices will launch in 2026. These will be separate from smartphones, designed as “additional devices” that can capture more context and provide deeper AI assistance in situations where phones aren’t always accessible.

Conclusion

With fresh funding and Unicorn status at their backs, Nothing is betting big on an AI-first future. Carl Pei has laid out the vision of AI-native devices becoming as important as smartphones - potentially altering how we interact with technology through hyper-personalized ecosystems and context-aware devices.