Nothing teases Phone 4b, its new ultra-budget phone
Nothing has teased a new ultra-affordable phone called the Phone 4b, dropping hints via a cryptic social post and a short sketch video. The move comes after the company cancelled its CMF Phone 3 Pro and confirmed there will be no flagship Phone 4 in 2026 — both decisions driven by a global surge in memory component costs. For anyone who wanted a cheap Nothing phone, this is the clearest signal yet that one is on the way.
The memory problem
DRAM and NAND flash prices have jumped roughly 130% year-over-year, largely because AI infrastructure is hoovering up chip supply. Memory now accounts for more than 50% of a smartphone's bill of materials — compared with 10–15% historically. That inversion makes budget phones almost impossible to price competitively. Nothing CEO Akis Evangelidis said the CMF brand's identity couldn't survive the required price hikes, per Android Central. The CMF Phone 2 Pro launched at around $230; the same phone built today would cost $360–420. Gartner forecasts a 13% rise in average US and UK smartphone prices by the end of 2026.
What's been teased
Nothing's India account posted a video of a designer sketching a phone outline in pencil. The sketch shows a single rear camera — a step down from the dual-camera CMF Phone 2 Pro — and the pencil itself is labelled "4b." A Flipkart microsite is already live, confirming an India-first strategy.
(b)
— Nothing (@nothing) June 19, 2026
The design sketch retains Nothing's signature transparent aesthetic, though full specs — chipset, battery size, RAM tiers — haven't been revealed yet. Tipster Yogesh Brar points to a ₹25,000 (~$300) price and a July or August 2026 launch in India.
(b)usted. pic.twitter.com/b42Lk709lM
— Nothing India (@nothingindia) June 21, 2026
What it means outside India
Global availability is unconfirmed. The Flipkart listing covers India only, and Nothing has made no announcement for the US or UK. Nothing Phone (4a) has been expanding its US retail presence through carrier deals, so a Phone 4b rollout stateside is plausible — but there's no timeline. If the India price translates to Western markets at a similar ratio to past Nothing phones, expect something in the $299–349 range. Whether the 4b becomes a permanent entry tier or a stopgap while CMF irons out its economics remains to be seen.
