Carl Pei, CEO of British smartphone startup Nothing, has bluntly criticized Apple, claiming the tech giant has lost its creative spark. In a recent interview with WIRED, Pei said Apple, once an industry trailblazer, has become too large and corporate to inspire today’s younger generation.
“Apple today is very different from the Apple when I was younger,” Pei said, noting that the company’s much-hyped Apple Intelligence has amounted to little more than “generated emojis.” For Pei, this exemplifies a broader stagnation in creativity at the tech giant, which he believes no longer leads the industry in innovation.
A Vision Beyond Apps
Pei believes the smartphone industry is on the verge of a major shift, driven by artificial intelligence. He predicts that in seven to ten years, the traditional app-based interface will disappear. In its place, he envisions a single, intelligent operating system that understands users deeply, automates tasks, and acts proactively.
He emphasizes that this future OS will not just personalize experiences but also anticipate needs. For example, rather than users manually navigating tasks, the device will suggest and carry them out automatically, based on time, location, and user behavior.
Pei acknowledges this vision isn’t viable today. Consumers are still attached to apps, and any drastic departure would likely fail. Instead, Nothing plans to move incrementally—shipping updates, studying user feedback, and adjusting course gradually.
Creativity Over Scale
While Nothing faces challenges as a small player in a market dominated by giants, Pei sees its size as a strength. Unlike major brands that must appeal to all demographics, Nothing can focus on specific audiences, particularly creatives.
He believes creativity is not just about aesthetics but solving problems in unique ways. And that mindset, he argues, is missing from today’s largest tech companies. “We want to make technology fun again,” Pei said, criticizing the industry’s lack of excitement and innovation.
As reported by WIRED, Nothing has seen rapid growth, with its business expanding by 150% last year. But with just 0.1% of the global market, Pei knows the road ahead is long. He hopes that by prioritizing thoughtful innovation over flashy marketing, Nothing can deliver products that genuinely improve how people live and work.
