Update, July 24: Nothing denies the report, but the wording is careful
Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis pushed back on X hours after Digit’s report went out, calling it “fake news” and saying the company is “not shutting down any markets.” He said Nothing is instead “reorganising our teams” into regional hubs and new business units, including an AI-native division, and that the reported layoff numbers are “way overblown” — though he stopped short of giving exact figures, citing “regulatory compliance and ongoing local consultation processes.” He also cited Phone (4b) day-one sales of 29,537 units as evidence the device isn’t struggling.
Worth noting: the denial disputes the “shutting down markets” framing specifically, but doesn’t actually deny that positions are being cut or that some countries could stop getting direct support — “consolidating individual countries into regional hubs” is compatible with a market effectively going dark for buyers even if Nothing never uses the word “exit.” That’s the same shape OnePlus’s initial response took before its own pullback from North America and Europe was confirmed weeks later, so treat this as Nothing’s side of the story rather than a closed case. Digit isn’t backing down either: replying to Evangelidis, the outlet’s Siddharth Chauhan said Nothing was given a full week to respond to its findings, “denied nothing” at the time, and that Digit “stands by its story.”
The original report
Barely a week after OnePlus confirmed it was pulling out of North America and Europe, another buzzy Android brand may be about to shrink its map. According to a report from Indian outlet Digit, Nothing is preparing to stop selling its phones in around 12 global markets as sales of its latest devices fall well short of expectations. Nothing disputes the report, per the update above — treat the details below as Digit’s reporting, not a confirmed outcome.
Which markets Nothing is reportedly exiting
Digit’s report says the retreat spans roughly a dozen markets, including the Middle East, Japan, and parts of Europe. The through-line is the same one that pushed OnePlus out: markets where the brand never built enough volume to justify the cost of staying. India, notably, is not on the list.
The sales numbers behind the reported pullback
The figures cited in the report, all attributed to Digit, are stark. The Nothing Phone (4b) has reportedly shipped only about 20,000 units globally since launch, while the Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro together account for roughly 150,000 units. For context, the report notes Nothing sold around 2 million phones globally in 2025. Rising RAM and storage prices are also said to have forced the company to cancel a sub-$250 successor to the CMF Phone 2 Pro, leaving its budget CMF sub-brand without a hero device.
The report further claims Nothing is cutting deep on staff and R&D — a headcount reduction of as much as 40%, with research and development cut by roughly 50% in China and 30–40% in London. Again, these are figures from Digit’s report; Nothing has not verified them.
India is the exception
The one bright spot is India, where Nothing’s phones and audio products continue to sell well and the brand has been among the fastest-growing in the country. That mirrors OnePlus, which also carved India out of its exit — though a separate Bloomberg report suggested even India isn’t guaranteed long term. For now, Indian buyers have little to worry about.
What it means if you own a Nothing phone in an affected market
A market exit doesn’t switch your phone off, but the OnePlus precedent is worth remembering: once a company winds down a region, software updates, warranty service, and after-sales support get harder to rely on, whatever the initial reassurances. If you’re in one of the reportedly affected markets and were about to buy a Nothing device, it’s worth waiting for the company to say something official before committing.
Source: Digit
