Nothing has positioned itself as a competitor to major smartphone makers, particularly Apple, on multiple occasions. Over the past few years, co-founder and CEO Carl Pei has expressed the goal of creating an attractive ecosystem capable of competing with Apple's integrated hardware setup. The executive has once more targeted the Cupertino tech company via a video on the firm's social media, announcing plans to lure iPhone customers.

Nothing Seeks to Attract iPhone Owners

In a recent Instagram video, Carl Pei sent a direct message to the iPhone producer based in California. "My name is Carl. I make phones in London. I'm gonna steal your customers. One bored iPhone user at a time," he stated in the brief 18-second clip.

Although the video's style seems deliberately theatrical, the message matches the ongoing story Pei has promoted since starting Nothing in 2020. The London company's promotional activities and ecosystem branding often highlight differences from Apple's approach.

Pei has often pointed out that progress in smartphones has slowed, especially at big manufacturers. In an earlier discussion with Wired, the Nothing leader noted that Apple's initial devices like the first iPhone and iPod motivated him to join the tech field.

"But now, companies that used to be creative have just become big corporate machines. They're not really exciting for the younger generation anymore," Pei added.

The Nothing CEO has also questioned Apple's AI initiatives. Commenting on the Apple Intelligence platform, Pei suggested that Apple created much excitement but failed to provide groundbreaking features.

Still, this marks another instance of Nothing openly challenging Apple. Back in February, the firm scheduled a launch event right after Apple's. Notably, the promotional material for the event appeared to mimic Apple's simple invitation style but with Nothing's graffiti branding and an updated date.

In earlier talks, Pei has highlighted that Gen Z consumers offer Nothing the main chance to take on big competitors like Apple and Samsung. The firm believes its unique features, including transparent designs, custom software interfaces, and fun marketing, allow it to differentiate in a saturated smartphone space.