In 2021, the tech company Nothing acquired Essential Inc., a short-lived smartphone maker founded by Andy Rubin.
For a long time, the reasons for this purchase were unclear. Now, Nothing’s co-founder and CEO, Carl Pei, has explained the real reason behind the acquisition.
Carl Pei revealed that Nothing was close to naming their company “Essential” because they liked the name’s simplicity and elegance.
They bought the Essential trademarks, including the website domain Essential.com and social media handles, to secure the name for future use. However, they did not acquire any patents from Essential.
After a few weeks, the company decided not to use the Essential name. They worried it would confuse the market since Essential was already known in the same product category. Instead, they chose the name Nothing.
Carl also shared that another name considered was “Stone.” He explained that while a brand’s name is important, the quality of the products is more important. He used Apple as an example—a fruit name that became famous because of its great products.
In 2025, Nothing started using the Essential brand for some features in its phones, such as the “Essential Key” on the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro. This key opens a special feature called Essential Space.
This new insight from Carl Pei sheds light on Nothing’s early branding decisions and their connection to Essential.
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