You can now register to have the opportunity, or should I say it, of the utmost honor, to book the Nothing Phone (1) in China, Europe and the UK. It’s the first smartphone from Carl Pei’s startup that is definitely a brand for those who want to believe the hype.
TL; DR
- You can join the waiting list to (perhaps) book the Nothing Phone (1), only in Europe, China and the UK.
- You will have to pay a small deposit (discounted from the final price of the smartphone in the box).
- Obviously, the numbers are limited and the number of participants exceeds 50,000 people.
- Nothing’s Phone 1 will not arrive in North America.
A few months ago I wanted to write a great article about the “sneakerization” of the smartphone market. Today, to buy a pair of Nike, Adidas or New Balance shoes, you have to sign up for the sweepstakes — such an awkward term — and pray for the Holy Spirits of the brand’s biased algorithms to pick you up and make you a winner.
If this miracle happens to you, you will have the privilege of giving them the money you earned with it to buy your sneakers that way, thus avoiding having to buy them from retailers at inflated prices.
Waiting list and a small deposit to book the Nothing Phone (1)
Ugh, I’m catching my breath after this 4 line sentence! But basically, what is being done in the sneakers market is slowly moving into the smartphone market. And Nothing, THE technology brand of the moment, seems to want to be the pioneer in this field.
Therefore, in order to have the opportunity to book a Nothing Phone (1) smartphone, you must sign up for a waiting list through the official Nothing website. As I write this, I’m number 33,557 – ah, no! Number 33,558 in the Grail race. You can increase your chances by asking your friends and family to sign up using your referral link to try to get on the list.
But that’s not all, if you receive confirmation of your participation in the pre-order phase, you have 48 hours to click on the link that Nothing will send you. You will then have to pay a deposit of € 20 (or £ 20 if you are based in the UK) to reserve your Nothing Phone (1). This amount will be refunded and you will also get an additional € 20 / £ 20 credit on Nothing accessories, such as Nothing (1) headphones, perhaps?
Please note that if you are in North America, it does not apply to you to join the waiting list. In a statement sent to PCMag, the company reported that the Nothing (1) phone will not arrive in the United States or Canada:
While we would like to bring the phone (1) to the entire community around the world, we focus on the domestic markets, including the UK and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local operators. It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from making sure the phone is compatible with the country’s cellular technologies to collaborations with operators and local regulation, and as we are still a young brand, we need to be strategic about it.
Finally, on July 12, 2022, when Nothing Phone (1) will be officially launched, you will receive one last email to request your model. I won’t complain anymore about this business model, which I find aggressive at the very least. But see you around, nothing!
What do you think of this waiting list system? Will you try your luck?