Is Nothing teasing a Pokémon collaboration with its latest cryptic launch hint? Or are we just chasing our (Nine)tails?

• Nothing has posted a Pokémon image on its X account
• This particular character is Arcanine
• New phones are expected soon

Nothing is up to something. The firm is well know for its use of weird teaser images to generate excitement ahead of new product announcements, and the latest one has just dropped.

For the benefit of anyone who isn't familiar with the Pokémon codex, it's a pixelated image of Arcanine. It's surprising to see an image of a Pokémon, given the aggressively protective nature of The Pokémon Company and its partner, Nintendo – so perhaps this indicates an official tie-up between the two companies. The excellent Nothing Ear (a) are already available in a Pikachu-like yellow, so perhaps an Arcanine-like orange is coming.

Or perhaps what's more significant is either the number contained in Arcanine's name, or the number of its place in the Pokédex.

What do the internet detectives think of Nothing's teaser?

Over at GSM Arena, they're suggesting that the nine in Arcanine's name could suggest a product announcement on the 9th of February. Or perhaps its Pokédex number, 58, is the clue. The 58th day of the year would also be in February, albeit a bit later on February 27.

That's the possible whens. As for the what, the smart money appears to be on the Nothing Phone (3) or one of the other two Nothing phones expected to launch by mid-2025 – with or without Pokémon collaboration.

The (3) seems to be the most likely one. A leaked internal memo said that the firm was planning to launch a "landmark" AI-powered smartphone in the first quarter of 2025, which fits with a February announcement – although previously we'd expected a launch at MWC 2025 in March.

That's the thing about teasers. You can make them mean almost anything, but by their very nature they reveal nothing. Or in this case, nothing about Nothing.

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