Updated | Nothing Phone (1) may not be coming to Canada, Mexico, South Korea or the US
Update:
Nothing has now stated that there will be no US release for the Phone (1). Quoted by PCMag UK, the Phone (1) will have no service on Verizon, no voice-over-4G support on AT&T and 'unpredictable' T-Mobile coverage. The full quote from a Nothing representative is as follows:
While we’d love to bring phone (1) to the entire community around the world, we’re focusing on home markets, including the UK and Europe, where we have strong partnerships with leading local carriers. It takes a lot to launch a smartphone as you know, from ensuring the handset is supported by the country’s cellular technologies to carrier partnerships and local regulation, and as we’re still a young brand we need to be strategic about it... We have big plans to launch a U.S. supported smartphone in the future. For now, a limited number of our private community investors in the U.S. will be able to get their hands on phone (1) through a closed beta program. In the meantime, if readers really want phone (1) to be available in the US as soon as possible, they should call their carrier to let them know about us.
Original article follows
Yesterday, MKBHD shared a hands-on video with the Nothing Phone (1), Carl Pei's much-hyped smartphone. While MKBHD showcased the device's elaborate back panel, neither he nor Nothing has confirmed in which countries the Phone (1) will be available. A disclaimer on the device's StockX listing suggests that North America and South Korea will miss out on the Nothing Phone (1) completely, though.
Apparently, the Nothing Phone (1) is 'not fully supported in North America', although StockX has not explained what functionality will be limited using the device in these countries. However, a list of supported mobile carriers appears to confirm that Nothing has not signed any deals in Canada, Mexico or the US, for example. Potentially, Nothing could sell the Phone (1) directly in North America, but no mobile carrier will carry the smartphone in either country.
For some reason, Nothing will not even allow people living in Mexico or South Korea to purchase a Phone (1) through StockX. Curiously, Nothing lists LG U+, SK Telecom and KT as supported carriers in South Korea, albeit with an unexplained (not support) caveat next to them. Hence, it seems that the Nothing Phone (1) may not be coming to South Korea, either.
Ultimately, it would be a strange move for Nothing to give a Phone (1) to a US-based YouTuber with no intention of releasing the smartphone in that market. Based on rough estimates, deciding against selling the Nothing Phone (1) in Canada, Mexico, South Korea or the US reduces the smartphone's potential reach by over 550 million people. The full list of supported carriers is as follows. For reference, the Nothing Phone (1) will work outside these 41 countries, but features like Wi-Fi calling, among others, may only work on the mobile carriers listed below.
- Australia: Optus / Telstra / Vodaphone
- Austria: A1 / DT / H3G
- Belgium: Base / Orange / Proximus / Telenet
- Bulgaria: vivacom / A1 / Telenor
- Croatia: DT / A1 / Telemach
- Czechia: O2 / DT / Vodafone
- Denmark: 3 / TDC / Telenor / Telia
- Estonia: Elisa / Tele2 / Telia
- Finland: Elisa / DNA / Telia
- France: Bouygues / Free / Orange / SFR
- Germany: DT / O2 / Vodafone
- Greece: Cosmote / Vodafone / Wind
- Hong Kong: HKT/CSL / H3G
- Hungary: DT / Telenor / Vodafone
- India: Airtel / RJIO / VIL / mtnl_bsnl
- Ireland: 3 / Vodafone
- Israel: Celcom / Golan Telecom / Partner / Pelephone
- Italy: TIM / Vodafone / WindTre
- Japan: Softbank / Rakuten Mobile / KDDI / DoCoMo
- Korea: LG U+ / SK Telecom / KT (not support)
- Latvia: LMT / Tele2
- Lithuania: Tele2 / Telia
- Luxembourg: Tango
- Malaysia: U Mobile / Celcom / YTL / P1 / DiGi / Maxis
- Netherlands: KPN / Tele2 / DT / Vodafone
- Norway: ICE / Telenor / Telia
- Philippines: Globe / Smart
- Poland: DT / Orange / Play / PLUS
- Portugal: MEO / NOS / Vodafone
- Romania: DT / Orange / Digi
- Saudi Arabia: Mobily / STC / Zain
- Singapore: MobileOne (M1) / Singtel / StarHub
- Slovakia: O2 / DT / Orange
- Slovenia: DT / A1 / Telemach
- Spain: Movistar / Orange / Vodafone
- Sweden: 3 / Tele2 / Telenor / Telia
- Switzerland: SUNRISE / SWISSCOM
- Taiwan: Taiwan Mobile / FETnet / Chunghwa Telecom / Taiwan Star Telecom
- Thailand: AIS / DTAC / TrueMove-H
- United Arab Emirates: du / Etisalat
- United Kingdom: 3 / EE / O2 (Virgin Mobile) / Vodafone
