It's that time of the year (again) when everybody is busy posting emotional recapitulations on Facebook and TikTok, but Nothing has something bigger to say.
Instead of bragging about the Nothing Phone (3), Carl Pei's company is talking about the future and promises things will be very different… very soon.
It's a new dawn, it's a new day
Image by PhoneArena
Rohit Pakalapati, former CBO (Community Board Observer) and currently in the Software Product Marketing team at Nothing, shares his vision in an article on X that's titled "A Post-App World Is Essential".
He's saying that phones have worked the same way for a long time. People open an app, do something, close it, and repeat:
The pattern of "open app, complete task, close app" no longer feels natural. It feels heavy. Slow. Almost prehistoric. AI has made that friction visible. And once you see it, you cannot unsee it. This is where the idea of a post app world begins.
The author explains that in the future, people will not really open (or need) apps anymore. The home screen will act as the main workspace thanks to AI models. Widgets, which seem small today, would evolve into full tools. A weather widget will fully replace a weather app, a notes widget will replace a notes app, and a music widget will replace a music app:
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In a post app world, you do not enter software. You interact with the surface. The home screen stops being a launchpad and becomes the operating system itself. The things you need live on it. They stay active. They respond to you. They do not wait behind a wall of icons.
I must say that my dedicated weather app does a far better job than the weather widget, so I'm interested to see if things would flip in the future.
How do you feel about AI taking over your apps?
Bring it on! Sounds good.
14.55%
I'm a bit skeptical, but I'll probably give it a try.
32.73%
I'm going back to Nokia 3310 if AI takes over.
52.73%
110 Votes
Personalization above all
Another key point is personalization. The one-for-all interface no longer makes sense in an AI-driven world. Each person will eventually have their own layout and way of using their phone, shaped by their habits and thinking:
Everyone will eventually have their own interface. Their own layout. Their own arrangement of surfaces. Their own flow. Their own mental model translated directly into the device. Software becomes personal instead of universal. You build your own home, instead of living in someone else's. This is the most important shift of all.
Finally, the author says this shift is already happening. Phones are slowly turning into personal workspaces instead of collections of apps:
This is not science fiction. It is the natural next step in how humans compute. Apps turn into surfaces. UI becomes personal. UX becomes the actual product. AI becomes the invisible glue that holds everything together. [...] The post app world is coming.
Are we there yet?
No, not by any stretch of the imagination. There is a gap between a compelling vision and everyday reality. Apps may feel old, but they remain reliable, powerful, and deeply optimized in ways widgets and AI surfaces have yet to prove.
I'm sure the post-app world may be coming, but whether it stays around… remains to be seen.
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Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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