Skip to main content

Nothing will not make a ‘flagship’ Phone (3) sequel in 2026

Nothing has confirmed it will continue on its sporadic flagship release schedule with no sequel to last year’s polarizing Phone (3) coming in 2026.

In a video with Nothing CEO Carl Pei, Nothing confirms that it has no plans for a flagship-tier smartphone release in 2026. The company will rather focus efforts on over-ear headphones and the upcoming Nothing Phone (4a) series.

Pei said:

We’re not just going to churn out a new flagship every year for the sake of it, we want every upgrade to feel significant. Just because the rest of the industry does things a certain way it doesn’t mean we will do the same.

Nothing’s first Phone (1) released in 2022, with a sequel Phone (2) launching in 2023. With no budget-focused models at the time, these served as Nothing’s “flagship” releases, with 2024 bringing the first Nothing Phone (2a) which was followed by the Phone (3a) series in early 2025. It wasn’t until mid-2025 that Nothing finally tried its hand at a “flagship” again with the Phone (3), which arrived to mixed reactions.

Advertisement - scroll for more content

It shouldn’t come as a major surprise that Nothing is sticking with its budget models because, after all, those are what has worked best so far. Nothing also says that Phone (4a) will be a “complete evolution” with some “bold” new color experiments.

For the time being, though, Phone (3) remains for sale as the company’s “flagship” phone.

More on Nothing:

Follow Ben: Twitter/XThreads, Bluesky, and Instagram

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.

Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.