What you need to know
- Nothing’s General Release for its Android 17 update (OS 5.0) is rolling out now for the Phone 3.
- Nothing OS 5.0 brings major updates to the Phone 3, such as deeper phone customization, improved Essential AI tools, a Glyph Interface app, and a brand-new typeface, Geist.
- An updated roadmap reiterates the Open Beta for several more phones (Phone 4a and 3a series), ahead of an eventual General Release.
It’s been two months of testing for Nothing’s Android 17 software, and the update is finally rolling out.
Nothing announced in a community post that its OS 5.0 upgrade (Android 17) is rolling out for Phone 3 users. This “General Release” brings the “full experience” to all users—those who participated in the beta and those who didn’t. Nothing states users should expect a “staggered release” for Nothing OS 5. While some users have received the update since Nothing announced its rollout, others will have to wait.
Certain regions and users in those regions will see the patch before others. So have patience this week and into next. If you’re curious, Nothing states Phone 3 users should head into Settings > System > System Update to check if their device is ready to download/install.
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Nothing OS 5 is huge—beyond the fact that it’s Android 17. In late August, the company launched the software’s open beta, encouraging Phone 3 users to join. Highlights include the system’s new typeface, Geist. This typeface is “cleaner and easier to scan.” It joins other refreshes to the device’s UI’s status bar, camera, Settings, and Gallery.
Elsewhere, you’ll find the Glyph Interface inside a dedicated app. All features and sounds are housed in one place.
Nothing’s Essential AI tools have been upgraded in OS 5. AI features have become a focal point for the company, and its Android 17 update sees it doubling down. Real-time transcriptions have been improved, and Smart Collections can “suggest and organize content for you automatically.”
All of this and more (deeper personalization, lock screen upgrades, etc.) are packaged neatly in Nothing OS 5.
One down, more to go
The Phone 3 was the first to enter Nothing’s Android 17 Open Beta, and it’s the first to exit. However, we’re still waiting on several more updates. Nothing’s updated roadmap shows that the Phone 4a, Phone 4a Pro, and the Phone 3a and 3a Pro are still in their respective Open Betas. These devices entered the Open Beta program in September.
There’s a chance a General Release could arrive later in October or November for these phones.