Nothing Phones will Become More Expensive This Year, Confirms Carl Pei

If you were hoping for the Nothing Phone (4a) series to arrive at an affordable price, you're in for a disappointment. Nothing CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the brand's smartphones will see a price increase this year, driven by massive surge in component costs that is reshaping the entire industry.

Nothing Phones Will See a Price Hike in 2026

In a candid post on X, Pei declared that the "era of cheap silicon is over," and that the industry is facing a structural shift where memory prices have skyrocketed by up to three times. And due to this unprecedented inflation in the bill of materials, maintaining the old mid-range formula of more specs for less price is no longer sustainable. Pei explicitly noted an inevitable price increase across the Nothing portfolio.

Carl Pei's post on X regearding increasing memory prices

While the price hike seems like a bitter pill to swallow, Nothing still wants to ensure better hardware for your money. Therefore, Pei revealed that the phones launching in Q1 2026, like the Phone (4a) series, will be upgraded to UFS 3.1 storage speeds. For those unaware, the Nothing Phone (3a) and (2a) series used UFS 2.2, which was often cited as one of the bottlenecks for the series in terms of performance.

While the jump to UFS 3.1 is great news for those waiting for the Phone (4a), Carl's statements paint a stark picture of the whole ongoing RAM crisis. While the post doesn't explicitly mention Phone (4a), we know that the Phone (4a) appeared on certification websites, signalling its imminent launch.

Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro — Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

As per the previous Nothing Phone (4a) series leaks, it will reportedly consist of the Nothing Phone (4a) and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. The smartphones are expected to boast a more recent Snapdragon 7s series chipset, likely the latest Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, and only the Pro is expected to come with eSIM support.

We should hear more about the Phone (4a) series as January 2026 comes to a close. The launch is expected around the same time as the Nothing Phone (3a) series launch, which happened in March 2025, so stay tuned.