Carl Pei (36) is the head of Nothing, a start-up that challenges established companies like Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market. He has a secret weapon: Gen Z.
What kind of company is this? Carl Pei is the CEO of Nothing, an English tech company that produces smartphones and headphones and has already attracted well-known investors like the inventor of the iPod and a co-founder of Twitch.
In a conversation with the Access podcast on YouTube, Pei revealed how he plans to succeed in a smartphone market dominated by Apple and Samsung.
Back when Apple was still cool
What does the CEO say? Pei explains that as a newcomer in the industry, it’s impossible to please everyone. You have to choose a specific path – and it seems his company has succeeded: The users of Nothing, according to the CEO, are very young, averaging only 26 years old and thus precisely in Gen Z (1997–2012).
This is in stark contrast to Samsung, whose users, according to Pei, have an average age of 45.
The 36-year-old believes that the success of his phones among younger people stems from a desire to be different. They want to develop their own identity and not use the same products as their parents.
Pei explains that he himself was very inspired by Apple. In his youth, they were a cool company, but for younger people who didn’t grow up with it, Apple today is just another company.
You can watch the entire podcast here:
Is this worth it? While the smartphone market is still dominated by Apple and Samsung, Nothing is managing to carve out its own niche. The smartphones from Nothing cost between 300 and 800 euros, making them significantly more budget-friendly than the current iPhones, which start at 700 euros.
In addition to their affordable price, the Nothing phones impress with their extravagant design and solid features. Marinus Martin from GameStar has even named the Nothing Phone 3a as one of the best phones under 400 euros.
Despite everything, Pei has no illusions that Nothing could surpass Apple in the foreseeable future. Instead, they are thinking about how the companies can coexist.
The focus on Gen Z is also evident in the selection of products that Nothing releases. Foldable phones are currently not on the agenda: they only account for a small share of smartphone purchases and are more targeted at businessmen.
If Apple were to release its own foldable next year, it could, according to Pei, also open the market for younger users.
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