Nothing, the recent launch of former OnePlus manager Carl Pei has acquired the Essential brand, according to a report by 9to5Google with reference to documentation from the UK Intellectual Property Office. Important, of course, was the company that started Android creator Andy Rubin after he left Google. It launched a single smartphone before closing its doors due to poor sales performance. Nothing’s acquisition, completed on January 6, 2021, ahead of Pei’s formal announcement of Nothing, apparently contains all of Essential’s trademarks, logos and other trademarks.
It’s not clear what Pei’s new company intends to do with the Essential brand (or anything else; the information on exactly nothing’s product plans is as scarce as the company name), but if 9to5Google remarks, there is not much apart from the brand name at Essential since the company closed its doors last year. Essential had planned to release a sequel to the one smartphone it brought to market, as well as launch an ambitious new smartphone platform, but neither of them ever got it out of the planning phase and is of course deleted.
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It is also not clear why exactly Nothing wants to acquire the Essential brand, which can best be described as ‘affected’ after a failed product launch and association with Rubin’s name. A 2018 report by The New York Times detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Rubin during his time at Google and a large $ 90 million buyout he received for leaving the company.
9to5Google’s The article says that nothing will reveal more information about the upcoming products in the near future, so maybe sooner or later we will find out more about what he plans to do with the Essential brand. We did not reach out for comment on the matter and would update this article should the company respond.