Want the Nothing phone in the US? Be a beta

Here’s something that seems all but a guarantee: The way we purchase expensive electronics is going to change. Years after the U.S. began moving away from the carrier-based model of phone purchases, it seems as though we’re heading toward another sort of subscription model in the form of hardware as a service.

Even with that in mind, this is a strange one — though Nothing has made breaking from orthodoxy a central tenet of its existence since day one.

As we’ve known for some time, the Phone (1) wasn’t destined for the U.S. market — at least not through any traditional means. Today, however, the London-based firm announced it is available through a far less traditional route. “The United States represents a high potential market for Nothing and so the company is seeking to better understand users’ needs,” the company said in a note sent to TechCrunch.

The “Nothing OS 1.5 Beta” is a $299 program designed to help the company get a better grip on the world’s third-largest smartphone market — one that’s been notoriously difficult to crack. The price includes a Nothing phone that’s yours to keep, even after the program runs its course at the end of June.

Nothing notes:

Please note, the Phone (1)’s distributed are for testing purposes. Whilst these are final models, devices may not work with all US carriers. Since this is a Beta version of the software, users may experience some limitations. Please read the below FAQs before continuing.

Interested parties can sign up for the program starting today and save themselves ~$173 off the retail price. A little nothing for something, if you will.