Ryan Haines / Android AuthorityTL;DR Nothing co-founder Carl Pei has joined others in warning that phones will be more expensive in 2026.Pei claimed that the specs race will end this year and that the era of “cheap silicon” was over.He added that the user experience will be the only way phones can stand out.
RAM prices have shot through the roof, and this crisis affects smartphones, too.In fact, companies like Xiaomi and Samsung have warned of higher phone prices in 2026.Now, Nothing co-founder Carl Pei has echoed these warnings, while giving us a hint of what to expect from Nothing phones later this year.In a post on LinkedIn and Twitter titled “Why your next smartphone will cost more,” Pei called 2026 an unprecedented year for electronics: Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.The Nothing co-founder also hinted at what to expect from the company’s products later this year: In other words, it sounds like people who were disappointed by Nothing phone specs in 2025 might be more disappointed in 2026.Nevertheless, Nothing has indeed emphasized factors like design and software over specs since its inception.
So this situation doesn’t necessarily represent a major strategic change for the firm.Do you agree with Nothing's Carl Pei that the specs race ends in 2026?84 votesYes, I do25%No, I don't44%The specs race ended before 202631% In saying so, rival manufacturers have been around longer and tend to have more feature-rich software.Therefore, Nothing will really need to build on its visually distinct Android skin if it hopes to offer a more feature-filled experience.Higher component prices could also hit Nothing harder than other manufacturers, as the company can’t leverage economies of scale to the same extent as rivals.
So an Apple, Samsung, or Xiaomi could achieve lower prices by ordering parts in large volumes.However, Nothing doesn’t ship nearly as many phones as these companies, which means it might not be able to use high-volume orders to secure better prices.In any event, Pei’s statement clearly suggests that the company might offer phones with minimal hardware upgrades (or even some downgrades) in 2026.But you only need to look at Samsung and OnePlus to realize Nothing won’t be alone this year.
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