As for scarcity, Nothing draws directly from the art playbook, which is why the company hosted an exclusive (and dodging) event at Art Basel. The Nothing (1) phone will initially be available as a 100-piece series at StockX, a marketplace where sellers can “launch” limited editions of products that are otherwise marketed as sneakers, electronic consoles, or business cards. Prices are likely to rise, increasing interest in a phone that in terms of both hardware and software will not be too far from a well-developed high-end Android phone. Pei and his team are trying to sell us not only the phone itself, but all the “socially agreed” value of the brand they are building around. Critics may dismiss it as pretentious, false, or even out of touch with the current state of a global economy heading toward a recession.
However, even if the phone (1) turns out to be just another Android phone with good custom software, Nothing tries to market it following a path that no company before had really experienced, bringing together marketing strategies directly. of more valuable business domains that have nothing to do (sorry pun intended) with the smartphone market. Whether the phone (1) is a resounding success or a failure, it will be worth the trip.