(Image credit: Nothing)

"We’re not just going to churn out a new flagship every year for the sake of it". That's the message from Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, confirming that there will be no new flagship mobile hardware coming this year.

But while the brand is calling it quits on a new flagship for this year specifically, that doesn't mean it's the end of the line by any means – or that there are no new products at all. Indeed, the YouTube video in which Pei made the above comment is titled 'Nothing CEO talks Phone (4a)'.

The update to the mid-tier Phone (3a) is expected to arrive in the coming months, as we reported. As with the previous release, we're expecting a (4a) and (4a) Pro duo – the latter providing an optical zoom camera that the base mid-range model lacks. Better ingress protection and faster charging are also expected.

But it's that decision to back away from new flagship hardware that's particularly interesting. It'll be due to a number of factors: Pei has already addressed the cost increase in sourcing RAM; but it's also an opportunity to refocus staff and advance upon the current flagship Phone (3)'s features via updates.

(Image credit: Nothing)

Pei does quip that there's a “bold new experimentation of colour," too, so perhaps we will see a move away from the typically monochrome theme – oft punctuated with a blood red, so perhaps a hint at what to expect? – with something fresh and new. Will that be the reserve of the 'a' series only, though?

Phones aside, however, it's the headphone market that Nothing wants an extra slice of for 2026. Pei says the brand will "double down" in the over-ear headphone category, so don't rule out that we're not in line for a follow-up Nothing Headphone release. That was, as per our review, "unlike anything else on the market" – and the right sort of space for Nothing to occupy.

Personally, I'm glad to hear Pei make such statements. The brand began as a lightning bolt upstart that garnered attention for standing apart from the norm. Then it seemed to release a new product what seemed like every five minutes. To refocus so that the brand's next flagship will be something truly captivating is the kind of freshness and innovation we need.