Carl Pei, the co-founder and CEO of Nothing, believes we are nearing the end of the app era. Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, Pei argued that the current smartphone experience is a relic of the past, still clinging to a structure established by PDAs and Palm Pilots decades ago.
A Stagnant Mobile Experience
Pei points out that while mobile technology has advanced, our interaction with it has stalled. We still navigate lock screens, home screens, and app stores—a manual process that feels increasingly “old-school.”
To perform a simple task like meeting a friend for coffee, a user currently navigates a digital obstacle course. You might jump between four different apps: messaging to coordinate, a calendar to check availability, maps for the location, and a ride-sharing app like Uber to get there. Pei views this friction as a major barrier that AI agents are poised to dismantle.
From Commands to Intentions
The shift toward an AI-first device isn’t just about voice-activated shortcuts. Pei dismisses basic tasks, such as booking a flight or a hotel, as “super boring” first steps. The real breakthrough lies in long-term intention learning.
Instead of waiting for a specific command, a truly intelligent system would understand your broader goals. For example, if you want to be healthier, the device would proactively offer nudges and suggestions. “When the system knows us so well, it will come up with things that we don’t even know we wanted,” Pei explained.
Building for Agents, Not Humans
Nothing’s vision, which helped the company secure a $200 million Series C funding round, involves a fundamental redesign of the operating system. Pei argues that the future isn’t about an AI agent mimicking a human by “tapping” virtual buttons on a screen.
Instead, the industry must create interfaces designed specifically for agents to communicate with services directly and frictionlessly. While apps won’t vanish overnight—and Nothing still allows users to “vibe code” their own mini-apps—the long-term trajectory is clear. For founders and startups, Pei offers a blunt warning: if your core value is tied solely to a standalone app interface, your business model is at risk of total disruption.
