Nothing Teases Screenless AI-Native Device for December

"It might be a form factor nobody has imagined yet, or three of today's devices collapsing into one," Pei wrote, attaching an image of a pager, a device now obsolete. He said he wants to build the "iPhone of AI" and that the product will tackle productivity first, offering tools people rely on to get "real things done".

A bet against the app model

The teaser fits a wider trend. As AI systems grow more capable, startups and established tech firms are imagining a future beyond the iPhone, where a device spends less time running apps and more time hosting AI agents that understand a user and act on their behalf.

Pei has voiced this view before. At a tech conference in March 2026 he said apps are going to disappear, and that founders whose core value sits in an app will be disrupted "whether you like it or not".

Lessons from Rabbit

The path is not easy. More than two years ago Rabbit launched the Rabbit R1, a handheld AI assistant that used touch, voice commands and web-based AI agents, and it did have a display. It ultimately failed because of poor reviews, limited app functionality, security flaws and other problems.

Nothing has built a recognizable consumer electronics brand with distinctive smartphones and accessories, which gives it a base that earlier AI gadget makers lacked. Whether that is enough to win over buyers will become clearer once the company reveals the hardware itself.