Nothing explores the development of its own mobile operating system, says Carl Pei
Nothing is considering developing its own mobile operating system, according to CEO and founder Carl Pei. The British startup’s handsets currently run Google’s Android operating system, with a custom interface on top. Most smartphones today run Android, while Apple’s iPhone models run iOS, the company’s mobile operating system. Developers offering access to popular apps on Android and iOS via the Play Store and App Store respectively, while Huawei’s HarmonyOS is trying to present a third alternative, and Nothing could eventually join the fray.
Nothing considering the development of its own mobile operating system
During a discussion Along with Brian Heater at TechCrunch Disrupt, Pei said the company is exploring developing a new operating system to create a new revenue stream for the company while further establishing the startup in the mobile industry. “We’re thinking about how we maneuver here and maybe create something of our own. Some kind of operating system,” he said.
The co-founder and former CEO of OnePlus also stated that such an operating system would include support for the artificial intelligence (AI) feature, but it would not be the “be all and end all”. Both Google and Apple have invested heavily in features powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence for their latest operating system updates.
If Nothing were to build its own operating system, the company would focus on improving the user experience, taking advantage of all the information available on devices to provide a better experience, Pei said. He said the company could work on the project even if there was no funding, and made no comment when Heater asked if Nothing planned to raise money to create its own operating system.
Pei’s company is not the first to consider developing an operating system to challenge market leaders Google and Apple. Huawei has replaced Android on some of its devices with its own operating system called HarmonyOS, which provides access to popular apps via the Huawei AppGallery.
To successfully compete with Android and iOS, Nothing would have to offer a similar app marketplace and convince developers to offer their apps on that platform. It is widely believed that the lack of access to popular apps is one of the reasons why mobile operating systems such as Windows Phone or Sailfish OS could not compete with Android and iOS.
Nothing has previously announced that upcoming software updates for its smartphones will be based on Android – this includes the Nothing OS 3.0 update, which is based on Android 15. If it develops a new mobile operating system, it will likely be on a new smartphone appear that is optimized to work with the company’s software, suggesting that it could be several months before we see a new device with a new operating system developed by Nothing.
