One Phone Brand Thinks It Can Out-Design Meta

Carl Pei’s hardware startup has quietly shifted gears. According to a Bloomberg report, Nothing is developing a pair of AI-powered smart glasses with a planned release window in the first half of 2027. The glasses would include cameras, microphones, and speakers, all tethered to a smartphone and cloud processing rather than running independently. It’s the company’s first step beyond phones and earbuds, and it lands in a wearable category that’s already attracting serious attention from nearly every major tech player.

None of this is confirmed by Nothing, and the company declined to comment on the Bloomberg report. These are still rumors and speculation at this stage, but that’s exactly what makes them fun to unpack. Sometimes the most interesting part of a product story is the anticipation before anything is official.

Nothing built its name on making mid-range tech feel intentional. The Phone (1) turned heads not because of raw power but because of its transparent back panel and LED Glyph interface, details that felt purposeful in a sea of identical glass slabs. That design identity is what makes this rumor feel less random than it might from another brand. You can already picture what a Nothing pair of frames might look like, and that’s a rare advantage before a product even exists.

The reported feature set sounds familiar: camera, mic, speaker, phone dependency. On paper, it mirrors what Meta already sells with its Ray-Ban lineup. The real question isn’t what the glasses do. It’s what they look and feel like when you actually put them on.

What Bloomberg’s report actually says

Bloomberg’s sources say Pei was initially resistant to the idea of entering the smart glasses market. That skepticism apparently faded as the company’s broader ambitions grew. He’s since told employees that Nothing plans to pursue a multi-device strategy, pushing beyond the Phone and Ear product lines that built its reputation. The company is also working on AI-powered earbuds expected sometime in 2026. Last year, Pei told TechCrunch the company was planning its first AI device for 2026, though he didn’t specify the form factor. The glasses represent the next phase of that roadmap. Nothing declined to comment.

What’s worth noting is the capital behind this move. Nothing raised $200 million in its Series C round in 2025, reaching a $1.3 billion valuation with Tiger Global leading. That kind of funding signals ambitions well beyond mid-range smartphones. If you’re sitting on that much venture capital, standing still isn’t really an option. The company also shipped an AI tool in 2025 that lets users create small apps through prompts. It didn’t generate massive buzz, but it pointed toward a future where Nothing’s devices are tied together through software and AI, not just design language.

A crowded category with established competition

If the timeline holds, Nothing’s glasses arrive into a market that looks very different from where it stood two years ago. Meta has iterated through multiple generations of its Ray-Ban smart glasses and continues to dominate the category. Samsung and Google are rumored to launch collaborative smart glasses this year. Apple is also rumored to be targeting 2027. Chinese manufacturers like Rokid continue pushing their own entries, while Even Realities competes at the higher end of the market.

Counterpoint Research reported 139% year-over-year growth in the smart glasses segment during H2 2025, making it one of the fastest-expanding wearable categories globally. That growth is pulling everyone in, and the window for differentiation narrows with each new entrant.

By the time Nothing ships, it won’t be entering new territory. It’ll be walking into contested ground where the biggest names in consumer tech have already planted flags. That’s a tough entrance for any company, but especially for one that’s never built a wearable you put on your face.

Where Nothing could find its edge

The spec sheet, as described, sounds standard. That’s the same formula Meta uses. Nothing’s strongest card has always been design. Its transparent aesthetic, exposed circuitry, and Glyph lighting interface have carved out a visual identity no other tech brand currently replicates. Translating that sensibility to eyewear could produce something genuinely distinct in a market where most smart glasses still look like slightly bulky sunglasses. Most competitors prioritize hiding their tech inside conventional frames. Nothing has built an entire brand around showing it off, and that contrast could work strongly in its favor.

There’s also the audio angle. Nothing started as a headphones company before it ever built a phone. If that audio expertise carries into the speaker systems inside a pair of glasses, it’s a meaningful edge over competitors where sound quality still feels like an afterthought.

Pricing could matter even more than features here. Nothing has consistently positioned its products below flagship prices while targeting buyers who care about design and build quality. If the company applies that same approach to smart glasses, undercutting Meta while delivering a comparable core experience, it could lower the barrier for people who are curious about the category but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. A well-priced option with solid audio and a working AI assistant would change the math for a lot of potential buyers.

The risk is that design and price aren’t enough on their own. Meta has years of software refinement behind its glasses, from the AI integration to the companion app to the social sharing features. Nothing would need to ship with software that feels finished, not a beta stapled to interesting hardware. If the AI layer doesn’t do something useful that your phone can’t already handle better, the product risks feeling like a beautiful design exercise with limited staying power.

The bigger picture for Nothing

This rumor fits a clear pattern. Nothing raised a billion-dollar valuation and started talking publicly about AI and new form factors. Smart glasses are the logical next step for a company that’s proven it can make hardware people want to look at and hold. Pei’s shift from skepticism to full commitment is worth tracking. He didn’t jump on the smart glasses trend early. He waited, watched the category mature, and apparently decided the timing was right once Nothing had the resources to execute properly. That kind of patience is unusual in consumer tech, where the pressure to ship fast almost always outweighs the pressure to ship well.

Whether the execution matches the ambition is something 2027 will answer. For now, the signal is clear: Nothing wants to be more than a phone company, and it’s willing to enter one of the most competitive hardware races in tech to prove it.