Nothing Phone (2a) gets Android 15 in Open Beta with revamped Nothing OS

Ben Schoon | Oct 8 2024 - 7:20 am PT

Ahead of a full release in December, Nothing is today launching an Open Beta of Nothing OS 3.0, powered by Android 15, on the Phone (2a).

Available starting today for any Nothing Phone (2a) owners, the Android 15 update in Open Beta provides a chance to try out the company’s next big update early.

Nothing says:

Before its general release this December, we’re running our Open Beta testing program. This is your chance to experience Nothing OS 3.0 first. Including an exclusive preview of Android 15.

Nothing OS 3.0, as announced recently, is a fairly huge update to the company’s Android skin. There’s a new take one the app drawer, big updates to the lock screen and Quick Settings, and a whole lot more.

Nothing’s full changelog details what’s new, including some of Google’s updates found in Android 15 itself.

Lock screen

New lock screen customisation page. Access by long-pressing the lock screen.

Upgraded clock faces. Choose your favourite style.

Expanded widget space, allowing you to place more widgets on your lock screen.
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Smart Drawer

Added AI-powered Smart Drawer feature to automatically categorise your apps into folders. For better organisation and easy access.

For ultimate convenience, you can pin your favourite apps to the top of the app drawer. No scrolling required.
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Quick Settings

Reconsidered Quick Settings design with an optimised editing experience.

Enhanced widget library design.

Updated visuals in Settings including better Network & Internet and Bluetooth options.
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Camera improvements

Faster camera launch speed under the Camera Widget.

Reduced HDR scene processing time.

Optimised portrait effects by fine-tuning blur intensity based on face size.

Boosted camera performance in low-light environments.

Improved zoom slider display.
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Enhanced pop-up view

Movable pop-up view for cleaner and more productive multi-tasking.

Easily resize the pop-up view by dragging the bottom corners.

Pin the pop-up view on the screen edge for quick access.

View information without leaving your current app. Simply swipe down on incoming notifications to enter the pop-up view. Enable via Settings > System > Pop-up view.
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Other improvements

Added support for auto-archive function to automatically free up storage space without removing apps or data from your device.

Partial screen sharing for more efficient and secure screen recording. Record just an app window rather than the entire screen.

Updated setup wizard to version 3.0 for the smoothest introduction to Nothing OS.

Enabled predictive back animations for apps that have opted in.

New fingerprint animation with signature dot matrix styling.

This new beta will be available first to Nothing Phone (2a), launching today, but will expand to other devices later. Phone (2) will get the update in November, with Phone (1), Phone (2a) Plus, and CMF Phone 1 following in December ahead of a full release.