Nothing Phone (2A) Exclusive: iPhone Challenger Breaks Record on First Day

Nothing, the London-based tech company, has just released its third cellphone, the Nothing Phone (2a). It went on sale on Tuesday, March 12, and in just a matter of hours it has hit its first landmark, 100,000 sales.

Since the brand is eager to be taken seriously as a challenger to iPhone, this is a moment the company will savor. It’s just over a week since the phone was announced, in a keynote event in Delhi on Tuesday, March 5.

Nothing has a lively and supportive community, and a special event called The 100 Drop took place in the company’s Soho, London store last Saturday when fans lined up around the block to be the first people in the world to get the phone in their hands. It also showed the community had been inspired to create T-shirts which riffed on the look of the Phone (2a) with its two rear cameras that resemble eyes peeping out at you.
It became available to purchase in the U.K. and Ireland on Tuesday, through its website, nothing.tech, in its classy London store and selected retail partners. Those who pre-ordered their phones started receiving them from that day, the company said.

Carl Pei, CEO and Co-Founder of Nothing, speaking exclusively to me, said, “Phone (2a) is redefining a category often overlooked, delivering Nothing's unique innovations to millions of new users around the world. Selling a record-breaking 100,000 units in just 24 hours is proof of that. A big thanks to our community, partners, and team for believing in us!”

Of course, Nothing still has to go on to prove that pre-sales and the first day’s sales aren’t a flash in the pan, but it’s certainly a remarkably strong start. I reviewed the phone here, and what most impressed me was how much Nothing had crammed in for the money.Not only does it have those two peeping 50-megapixel cameras, one of which has image stabilization built in, but it also includes a 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and great brightness. There’s also a decent processor, good battery life and a stylish look to the operating software.

Prices start at £319 in the U.K., which is the equivalent of $408, or 349€ in Ireland, for instance. This is a high-mid-range phone at a budget price, so no wonder it’s flying off the shelves.