In summary
- Nothing OS 4.0 officially released
- Rollout begins on 21 November with Phone (3)
- Includes refreshed design, Extra Dark Mode, AI monitoring tool and more
British tech company Nothing has begun Nothing OS 4.0, its new smartphone UI based on Android 16. And there are some brand-new features to get excited about.
Nothing first announced its NOS 4.0 alongside the launch of the Nothing Phone (3) back in early July, with a release window of “early autumn”. The rollout finally began on 21 November, with the Phone (3) first in line.
It’s unclear when other handsets will get the update, with all Nothing phones except 2022’s Phone (1) compatible.
Nothing OS 4.0 new features
Ahead of that rollout, Nothing has issued a post detailing some of the improvements coming to Nothing phones.
With the promise of a more fluid and intuitive design, we can expect a cleaner Quick Settings menu, a more responsive lock screen and always-on display, and a selection of reimagined lock screen clocks.
A new Extra Dark Mode promises to go even further with Nothing’s signature dark aesthetic. The additional level of contrast should save even more power and ease eye strain, while looking cool in the process.
Nothing
Elsewhere, and AI Usage Dashboard will keep you up to date on all those clever LLMs (Large Language Models) whirring in the background. That’s one handy AI feature you won’t find on the Google Pixel 10 Pro .
There’s also a new Pop-up View, which lets you use two floating apps simultaneously. Swipe up from the bottom edge to minimise an app, then pull down to expand it.
Nothing is also promising improvements to the photographic experience, with an upgraded Camera and smarter Gallery, but it remains to be seen how much of a difference these will make.
An official post on X gives you an idea of what to expect:
To check if the update is available on your phone, head to Settings > System > System Updates to check manually. You may have to install any other outstanding updates before Nothing OS 4.0 appears.
Nothing Phone (3)
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.
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