Nothing Phone 1 gets its first taste of Android 14 with an open beta

Nothing OS 2.5 is packed with customization features and stability improvements

by · Android Police

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Summary

  • Nothing OS 2.5 is now available in open beta for Nothing Phone 1, featuring UI enhancements, customization options, and stability improvements for the camera and volume control.
  • The update brings new features like solid color wallpapers, a monochrome color theme, more gestures, and advanced screenshot editing.
  • Nothing Phone 1 owners can now access the beta version of Nothing OS 2.5, while Nothing Phone 2 users have already received the stable OS powered by Android 14.

If you’re a Nothing Phone 1 owner, you've probably been anticipating the rollout of Nothing OS 2.5. The update, which is fueled by Android 14, comes with a slew of new features that enhance performance and UI alike. Now, the long wait is over — Nothing OS 2.5 is officially rolling out in beta for all Nothing Phone 1 devices.

Nothing announced on its community page that Nothing OS 2.5 is now in beta testing on the Nothing Phone 1. Don't let the odd x.5 branding fool you, though — this is one of the biggest updates the phone has seen to date, but Nothing reserves the x.0 branding for major updates to its OEM skin rather than Android version updates like this one.

Some of the features that come with Nothing OS 2.5 are UI and customization-based. For example, solid color wallpapers and a monochrome color theme are now options for users. Support for more gestures has been added as well, which can help with screenshot capturing and lock screen shortcuts. Finally, Nothing OS 2.5 has stability improvements for device cameras, new Quick Settings layout options, and volume control enhancements. The full changelog (edited for clarity) can be viewed below:

Customization

  • Redesigned a joint Home Screen and Lock Screen customization page and improved the edit wallpaper flow for a more comprehensive view of options.
  • New Atmosphere wallpaper effect: Transform your background photo into a dynamic wallpaper that brings motion to colors on your home screen. A seamless transition between your lock and home screens.
  • Introduced solid color wallpapers for a cleaner Home Screen appearance.
  • Added a monochrome color theme in the basic color section.

Gestures

  • Customizable double-press power button to quickly access a chosen feature. Just head to Settings → System → Gestures.
  • More Lock Screen shortcut options like: Do Not Disturb, Mute, QR code scanner, video camera.
  • Capture screenshots quickly with a three-finger swipe gesture.
  • New screenshot editor and menu, allowing for more advanced editing features and quick deletions.

New Widgets

  • Pedometer Widget: Track your daily steps directly from your home screen. Set goals and monitor your progress to stay motivated.
  • Media Player Widget: Displays the currently playing song. Control your music easily while on-the-move.
  • Screen Time Widget: Monitor and manage your daily screen time to maintain a healthy digital lifestyle.

More improvements

  • Added a new Glyph animation for when NFC is being used.
  • Improved the experience of Flip to Glyph.
  • Optimized the experience of the Weather app and improved the notification of weather alerts.
  • Refreshed the back gesture arrow visual to be more in line with Nothing’s style.
  • Made it possible to set ringtone and notification sound volumes separately, with an updated volume control interface.
  • Updated Quick Settings layout and support to show more devices icons.
  • Improved the stability of the camera.
  • Enhanced overall system stability for a more reliable and smooth experience.

While Nothing OS 2.5 enters beta for Nothing Phone 1 owners, Nothing Phone 2 users are now getting their first taste of the stable OS, powered by Android 14. As the company noted on the Nothing community page, this comes after testing by users in an open beta period, which ran from October 11 through December 15, to give you an idea of the development timeline you might expect for the Phone 1.

Interestingly, the Nothing OS 2.5 beta program opened up for Nothing Phone 1 owners less than a week after the stable version launched for the Nothing Phone 2. At the time, it was assumed that the Phone 1 beta would come before 2024, but not as soon as it did, so this is a welcome surprise for those who have been waiting to see what else developers have up their sleeves.

Thus far, Nothing has been positively received by consumers — especially those who are looking for a device with bells and whistles, but less bloatware. The company is rumored to be planning the launch of a Nothing Phone 2a, and it could come as soon as MWC Barcelona in February 2024. Some believe that it may also be at a lower price point, but offer similar robust features. Given the more budget-friendly price tag of Nothing’s existing models, the release of such a phone could help it surge in popularity.

For those interested in trying this beta today, you'll just need to sideload an APK provided by Nothing (also available in Nothing's forum post), then head to Settings → System → Update to Beta version. As long as your phone was already running the latest Nothing OS update, you should then be offered an OTA update for Nothing OS 2.5, which will install like any other.