Nothing Phone (1) towards Android 14 (Nothing Phone OS 2.5): here is the first beta
Good news from Nothing. In particular, owners of Nothing Phone (1) will also be able to “taste” the new Nothing Phone OS 2.5 based on Android 14. In fact, it has been made official that the new version of the operating system is in beta testing on the device. In this sense, remember that this is a rather important update as it will implement a series of features, such as improvements to stability, new layout options for Quick Settings as well as improvements to volume control.
As regards the launch timing of the stable version, we highlight what happened with Nothing Phone (2). In this case, the “beta” phase lasted from October 11th to December 15th: therefore, if all this also happened with the “old” smartphone, users will have to wait until February 2024 to get their hands on Nothing Phone OS 2.5. For those who want to try the beta version, simply sideload an APK provided directly by Nothing and then access Settings/System/Update to beta version.
Regardless of the updates, Nothing products, at least so far, have been quite well received by users. Also for this reason, the company is apparently planning the launch of a new smartphone, this time belonging to the mid-range. This is Nothing Phone 2a, which could already be presented at MWC 2024 in Barcelona (in February 2024).
Customisation
- 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.
