Following its open beta launch in August, Nothing has started rolling out its Nothing OS 5.0, which is based on Android 17. The update will initially be available for the Phone (3), the company’s current flagship, before rolling out to more Nothing and CMF smartphones over the coming months.
According to the brand, the OS 5.0 brings more than 80 updates covering design, personalisation, performance and AI features. The general release also introduces several new features and improvements beyond those already available in the open beta.
Prior to the general release, Nothing OS 5.0 introduced a refreshed design, featuring updated icons, spacing, and animations across the status bar, Settings, Camera, and Gallery, alongside the Geist typeface. According to the company, these changes also bring more consistent visual details throughout the system. Of course, that is not to mention a faster and smoother performance experience.
The update also introduces several new widgets, including Collector, which allows users to create “visual collections of their favourite objects”. Another addition is Away Time, which tracks the amount of time users spend away from their phones. Nothing has also improved Home Screen editing, allowing users to move multiple apps and widgets simultaneously.
Nothing has also introduced further improvements to its Essential AI features, with Essential Voice offering faster and cleaner transcriptions. Meanwhile, Essential Space gains a new feature called Smart Collections. Essential Apps Builder is also now available directly on the phone, allowing users to describe, build, and deploy AI-powered apps without coding.
Since the update is based on Android 17, it also brings several changes to the underlying Android experience. These include separate Notifications and Quick Settings panels, cross-platform Quick Share, enhanced privacy controls and a redesigned Recents screen.
With the general release, the new OS also introduces several other features that were not available during the Open Beta. For one, the Home Screen has received a redesign, featuring transparent elements across widgets and the search bar. It also comes with an adaptive colour system that takes cues from the user’s wallpaper for a more cohesive look.
The update also adds a new Micrographics clock face for the Lock Screen. Inspired by hardware design, it displays the date, time, weather, and upcoming meetings at a glance, or so the brand says. The company also added that it will introduce more improvements to Essential Space, which “will roll out via Google Play alongside the general release”.
As mentioned earlier, Nothing OS 5.0 is now rolling out to the Phone (3). Users can check for the update through their phone’s Settings menu. As for the brand’s other smartphones, the company has yet to provide specific rollout dates, so we’ll have to wait for further updates.
(Source: Nothing [press release], [website])
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