Nothing might make its own operating system to rival Android

A full OS could be on the horizon

Most mobile phone companies prefer to use Android, with its own unique interface and features. Huawei bucked the trend by developing Harmony OS, but it was a necessity due to geopolitical restrictions. Despite its vast resources, Huawei has faced major challenges in creating an alternative platform to Android.

Other phone operating systems, such as Windows Phone and webOS, have also fallen by the wayside.

The mobile manufacturer Nothing, known for challenging market norms, is now considering creating its own operating system from scratch, Techcrunch reports. During Techcrunch Disrupt 2024, the company’s founder and CEO, Carl Pei, confirmed that Nothing is exploring what a proprietary Nothing OS could mean.

Pei criticised the duopoly that Google and Apple have. “We’re thinking about how we maneuver here… and maybe create something of our own. Some kind of operating system,” he said. The aim would be to both amplify Nothing’s impact on the industry and create a new revenue stream.

Pei noted that a proprietary OS would not only give the company greater control over the user experience but also be more profitable than hardware, with its high costs and risks. It already makes an interesting skin for its Android phones (see above) which is already called ‘Nothing OS’.

He explained that the development of AI technology has made it easier to build operating systems today, and that Nothing can focus on improving the user experience rather than the technical basics like hardware drivers and core components.

Nothing announced the glow-in-the-dark Phone (2a) Plus Community Edition last week.