Nothing Phone (1) and Phone (2a) Plus also receive Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1

The Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 Open Beta 1 released by Nothing for the CMF Phone 1 recently is now available for two more devices - Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2a) Plus.

The update changelog for both devices is the same. The Open Beta 1 brings Shared Widgets, an AI-powered Smart Drawer, a new lock screen customization page, and camera improvements to the Nothing Phone (1) and Phone (2a) Plus. You can check the complete changelog below for more details.

Shared Widgets

• Use widgets to link up with friends and family. See another person’s widgets displayed on your home screen and interact with each other through reactions. A new way to stay connected.

Lock screen

• New lock screen customization page. Access by long-pressing the lock screen or via the Customization page.
• Upgraded clock faces. Choose your favourite style.
• Expanded widget space, allowing you to place more widgets on your lock screen.

Smart Drawer

• Added AI-powered Smart Drawer feature to automatically categorize 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.

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.

Camera improvements

• Faster camera launch speed under the Camera Widget.
• Reduced HDR scene processing time.
• Smoothened user interface after countdown photos.
• Improved zoom slider display.

Enhanced pop-up views

• 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.

Other improvements

• AI-powered selection and prioritization of your frequently used apps, keeping them at your fingertips for a more efficient experience.
• 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.
• New charging animation with signature dot matrix styling.

Nothing has also provided rollback packages to Nothing OS 2.6's stable builds for both devices since beta versions often have bugs that may hamper the user experience, but the brand doesn't recommend rollbacks as some unexpected issues may occur.

Nothing Phone (1)

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

If you still want to try Android 15 and Nothing OS 3.0 without waiting for the stable version's rollout, you can head to the source links below for more details.

Source 1, Source 2