In an innovative departure from conventional product development, technology company Nothing has launched the Phone (3a) Community Edition—a smartphone entirely co-created with its community of dedicated fans. This groundbreaking initiative represents a fundamental reimagining of how consumer technology products are conceived and developed.
The nine-month collaborative endeavor generated over 700 submissions across multiple creative categories, culminating in the selection of four emerging creators who worked directly with Nothing’s London-based teams. These winners—Emre Kayganacl (Hardware Design), Ambrogio Tacconi & Louis Aymond (Accessory Design), Jad Zock (Lock Screen Interface), and Sushruta Sarkar (Marketing Campaign)—were chosen based on their exceptional originality, technical craftsmanship, and ability to advance Nothing’s distinctive design philosophy.
This year’s program expanded significantly from previous iterations, incorporating hardware design, custom software elements, accessory creation, and comprehensive marketing campaigns. Nothing enhanced the collaborative process by releasing all creative briefs simultaneously and providing participants extended development timelines alongside dedicated resources. Each category winner received a £1,000 cash prize to support their creative development.
The resulting device showcases remarkable innovation: Kayganacl’s hardware design draws inspiration from late-1990s and early-2000s technology aesthetics, creating a nostalgic yet futuristic visual language. The accessory component features ‘Dice’—a culturally universal gaming element incorporating Nothing’s proprietary Ndot 55 font. Zock’s software contribution includes a minimalist clock face designed to reduce visual clutter while improving information retention, complemented by exclusive wallpapers that bridge the device’s physical and digital aesthetics. Sarkar’s ‘Made Together’ marketing campaign celebrates the collaborative process itself rather than focusing exclusively on the final product.
Beyond product development, Nothing is pioneering a comprehensive community integration model. The company recently opened a $5 million community investment opportunity at its Series C valuation of $1.3 billion, allowing supporters to invest alongside institutional partners. This initiative coincides with Nothing’s strategic pivot toward developing AI-native operating systems, reflecting the company’s conviction that future personal technology should be shaped directly by its users.
The Phone (3a) Community Edition will have extremely limited availability with only 1,000 units produced worldwide. Priced at Dh1,399, the device will be exclusively available through noon retailers, maintaining the 12+256 GB specifications of the standard Phone (3a) model.