Nothing Phone (1) will get Android 14 Beta in coming weeks

Damien Wilde | Apr 28 2023 - 3:08 am PT

With only one phone in the Nothing lineup, the firm has confirmed that the Phone (1) will be eligible for the Android 14 Beta 1 in the coming weeks.

No timeline was shared for the update, but with the Pixel series already seeding the Android 14 Beta to eligible devices, the Nothing Phone (1) will be among the first non-Google devices to get an independent preview phase. We’re expecting more Android partners to confirm beta phases for the next operating system at Google I/O on May 10. In previous years, this has corresponded with Android Beta update information and the start of the public-facing test phase for Pixel phones.

However, Google has offered the Android 13 Beta 1 and Android 14 Beta 1 updates on a protracted timeline. After the huge Android 12 update, tweaks and tuning have been minor compared to the Material You overhaul. Nothing OS 1.5 based on Android 13 has been available for all Phone (1) units since mid-February but arrived some six months behind the Pixel series.

With an earlier Android 14 Beta release for the Phone (1), we could see Nothing launch the stable Nothing OS update in good time later this year. With the Nothing Phone (2) expected to launch in the coming months, it’s unclear if the firm’s next flagship will be eligible for this public preview when it eventually goes on sale.

Google’s early Android 14 Developer Preview and subsequent Beta includes more tweaks to Material You and Dynamic Color – which underpinned previous OS releases. Nothing OS is very close to the software found on Pixel phones and is likely to offer minor tuning. The London-based startup has not yet shared details on how Phone (1) owners can sign up or the updated timeline. Expect to learn more in the coming weeks.