Nothing Offers Glimpse Of Scrapped Product That Could’ve Been Something Great
Video screenshot via Nothing
The Nothing brand appears to do everything right, impressing everyone with its pared-back but functional ethos applied across the Nothing Phones and Ear Buds. However, it’s impossible to get things perfect all the time. In an intriguing new video, the company peels back the curtain at its big “secret failure,” the Nothing Power (1).
Video screenshot via Nothing
The product was an all-in-one portable power bank that CEO Carl Pei had hoped would “set us on the map” following the release of the Ear Buds (1).
Video screenshot via Nothing
It could fast-charge devices—including phones and laptops—at up to 65W and fitted both wired and wireless accommodations into one sleek, compact square.
Video screenshot via Nothing
Video screenshot via Nothing
Alas, things weren’t meant to be. With all the things the charging gadget was trying to achieve, the Power (1) faced some major issues like overheating.
Video screenshot via Nothing
“If we use the kind of charging speed that we wanted, it would overheat,” Pei reflects. “And between the wired charging and the wireless charging, the heat kind of just stacks up.”
Apart from the overwhelmed thermals, the brand was also adamant about encasing the power bank in a beautiful transparent plastic shell that spoke so much about the Nothing philosophy, differentiating the product from the less polished-looking power banks in the market.
Unfortunately, as the Power (1) ended up being pretty hefty, dropping it could easily cause that slick exterior to crack.
Video screenshot via Nothing
After multiple tests, the team knew it was necessary to redesign the multipurpose charging product if it wanted to deliver a solution that met its standards. However, having limited funds then, it decided to cut its losses.
“Now, I think it is a really, really beautiful paperweight,” Pei remarks.
Pei recounts that there were only five people in the R&D team then, only one-tenth of the Nothing Phone (2)’s 500 members.
Video screenshot via Nothing
It does seem like it was a matter of right product, wrong time. Who knows? The company may revisit the technology one day.
[via Android Police and Yanko Design, video and screenshots via Nothing]
