Nothing is preparing for a possible price rise across its future smartphone range. A company executive has indicated that this move reflects wider industry trends, as growing memory component costs are putting pressure on profit margins. This is expected to push retail prices higher for consumers. The brand is also planning memory upgrades for some of its mid range models, which could further add to the increase.
Nothing co founder and chief executive officer Carl Pei recently shared that 2026 will be an “unprecedented” year for consumer electronics, especially smartphones. He pointed to rising NAND and DRAM prices, which are being driven by increased demand from data centres supporting artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Pei confirmed that Nothing will launch several models in the first quarter of 2026. As memory costs continue to rise, smartphone brands will face a choice. They can either raise prices by 30 percent or more or lower specifications to keep prices stable. He said Nothing will choose the first option, making a price increase “inevitable” for its upcoming phones.
One key change expected in future Nothing devices is a move to UFS 3.1 storage. This upgrade is likely to appear in upcoming mid range models. Current phones such as the Nothing Phone 3a and CMF Phone 2 Pro use UFS 2.2 storage. The shift to UFS 3.1 should bring faster read and write speeds and smoother overall performance.
Pei also said that Nothing focuses more on user experience than on chasing the highest specifications. According to him, 2026 will be the year when the “specs race” comes to an end.
Other smartphone makers have also signalled possible price hikes. At the Consumer Electronics Show 2026, a senior Samsung executive reportedly said that the memory chip shortage is getting worse and may force the company to adjust its pricing soon.
In a recent conversation with a technology publication, a Realme India executive said that smartphones launching in 2026 will cost more than similar models released in 2025. “This trend is unstoppable and will continue till H2 2027,” he added.
More details are expected as Nothing gets ready to make official announcements later this year.
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