Nothing teases an unreleased device - a much-rumoured new phone could be imminent

The big tease has started, with Nothing sharing an image from its official Twitter / X account, revealing a small detail about something. The company is remaining tight-lipped about what's to come, but there's plenty of expectation about the rumoured CMF Phone, as there is about the next-gen Nothing Phone (3).

The image shows a screw head on the rear of a matte textured device with a curved corner. It looks like the bottom corner of a smartphone and this could well be the industrial design that we're expecting from the CMF Phone (1). CMF has so far launched headphones, a smartwatch and a 65W charger.

Nothing's only comment on the tweet is "3, 2, 1" suggesting some sort of countdown, perhaps to the launch of the CMF Phone (1). That device is said to be powered by MediaTek 7200, have a 6.67-inch display and a 5000mAh battery, pitched as an entry-level device, but offering great design.

We've also recently seen a leak of what's reported to be the CMF Phone (1) in a case, but said to have a leather back. That texture in Nothing's tease could be that leather finish.

Is this the Nothing Phone (3)?

That's all a possibility, but I think there's something bigger going on. The "3, 2, 1" doesn't, in my mind, doesn't say anything about CMF launching a new phone. Instead, it fits nicely as a direct reference to the Nothing Phone numbering scheme.

I suspect that the "3" in this tease is reference to the Nothing Phone (3). We've not heard much about Nothing Phone (3) because the company has been busy launching Phone (2a) and its new Ear devices, all to rave reviews. That's a great smokescreen and looking through that, we're coming up to the anniversary of the launch of the Nothing Phone (2).

If Nothing is going to follow an annual cadence for its launches, then Nothing Phone (3) would be likely to appear around early July. The Nothing Phone (2) was announced on 11 July 2023, Nothing Phone (1) was announced in March, but went on sale on 23 July 2022 - so the timing could fit with a new flagship phone refresh from Nothing.

Details about the Nothing Phone (3) are scarce. It's expected to be powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, with ChatGPT integration, but beyond that little has leaked. This latest tweet might be a little underwhelming for Phone (3) even, but perhaps we've already seen the front of the phone.

On 21 May, Carl Pei - Nothing founder - shared some images on X calling for UI feedback, but eagle-eyed commentators will have spotted an additional button on the frame and volume controls in a different place on this phone, which otherwise looks like Nothing Phone (2). Is this the Nothing Phone (3) hiding in plain sight?

Nothing is certainly enjoying its viral marketing, reminiscent of the early days of OnePlus. You can be sure that there will be more teasing to come - but this could lead to the launch of one of the best phones of the year.