Nothing OS 4.0 open beta rolls out with support for Essential AI, available on Phone (3)
Nothing has announced the rollout of its latest operating system, the Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16, in open beta. The update is available for users of Nothing Phone (3), Phone (2), Phone (2a), and Phone (2a) Plus. The Phone (3a) series is expected to get the update next month, though there’s no word on its availability for Nothing’s former sub-brand, CMF’s phones.
The Nothing OS 4.0 open beta brings Essential AI to the Phone (3), which the company announced as its AI suite and a platform that will eventually evolve into a future personalised OS called Essential OS. Essential AI brings two components: Essential Apps and Playground.
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Essential Apps lets you create your own app by just giving a prompt in simple, natural language, not requiring any coding knowledge whatsoever. For example, you could input, “Automatically summarise my daily emails into a two-minute digest, and have it waiting in my notes app every morning at 8 AM.” The app you create automatically gets added as a widget on your home screen, enabling a personalised experience. For starters, the company says they have set a temporary limit of up to six widgets on Phone (3) and two on other models. The apps that you create would be available via Playground, which is going to be a library for sharing and downloading community-made apps.
Through Essential AI, Nothing has taken one of the first steps in the industry to build a hyper-customised smartphone experience. As the company’s founder, Carl Pei said, “the future of software will be one of unrestricted access, collective innovation, and hyper personalisation.” While Nothing OS 4.0 introduces fresh AI-led features, it builds on the aesthetic and performance seen in Nothing OS 3.0. Compared to rivals like Google’s Gemini-powered Pixel phones or Samsung’s Galaxy AI features in One UI, Nothing’s phones lean towards customisation rather than pure productivity.
The other new feature that Nothing OS 4.0 open beta users would get is the Stretch camera preset, co-created with photographer Jordan Hemingway. The feature, available on the Phone (2) series, will enhance photos directly from the Camera app.
Other new features include a pop-up view with two floating icons for faster switching, two new lock screen clock faces, a 2×2 Quick Settings tile support, and Extra Dark Mode.
To join the open beta, you will need to ensure you’re on the latest stable build and then download an APK file. It is advisable not to use open betas on your daily drivers as they may come with bugs and cause your device to heat up. Also, do take a backup of your data before downloading the open beta.
For prospective buyers, these features make Nothing phones more future-proof, but the benefits are strongest for early adopters and enthusiasts. With the launch of Essential AI, Nothing phones become more future-proof for prospective buyers, but the benefits are strongest for early adopters and enthusiasts.
