Android 17 is officially rolling out on Nothing phones

Nothing CEO Carl Pei may be full of opinions about the foldable iPhone, but the smartphones of his own company have been lacking in terms of software in the last few months. Now, the company is finally delivering on its promises and it’s launching a stable Android 17 software for its phones.

Nothing Phone (3) gets Android 17 on schedule

Nothing has started the rollout of Nothing OS 5.0 for the Phone (3). The Open Beta of the Android 17-based software started in August when the company shared a detailed roadmap for its stable release. 

Apparently, those weren’t empty promises, as the company is fulfilling its promise for a mid-October release. The update comes with various new features, but Nothing warns it’s distributing it in stages, so availability could vary by region and device.

How to see if Nothing OS 5.0 is available for the Nothing Phone (3)?

If you haven’t received a notification, you can head to the Settings and check if its available manually. See the following menu:

1. Settings
2. System
3. System update

Users on Reddit report that the download is 2.84GB for non-beta users and about 1.7GB for anyone who was part of the Open Beta. Other Nothing devices are scheduled to get Android 17 from early November to the middle of January 2027.

Initial reactions to the update have been mostly positive, with some redditors diving into the minor details and less obvious improvements. While there are some complaints about the performance, most users report that everything is running smoothly.

What’s new in Nothing OS 5.0?

Some of the most significant new features in the new software are the redesigned Launcher, the Geist typeface, and the refreshed Settings interface. Nothing also has a new Micrograpgics clock face and improved Essential AI tools.

The less flashy additions are the smoother animations, deeper personalization options, and the performance improvements, alongside some functional additions. Those include easier controls for connected Bluetooth devices, changes to the Quick Settings menu, and a noticeable upgrade to the camera features.

Next on the list for the Nothing OS 5.0 update are the Phone (4a) Pro, Phone (4a), Phone (3a) Pro, and Phone (3a), which should get it in November. Last on the list are the Phone (4b) and CMF Phone 2 Pro, which will be updated in January.

Samsung should take notes

I’ve always thought that Android brands should be very straightforward with the way they communicate their software update plans. Nothing is probably the best example I’ve seen, and I’d love bigger brands, including Samsung, to take notes and follow a similar strategy. Knowing when your update will arrive makes the wait much better, even if it’s longer than for Pixel users.

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