For the Nothing Phone (1), the update to Android 13 has been released as an open beta. The Nothing OS 1.5 open beta starts immediately for registered users who have signed up for it with Nothing, the final update to Android 13 will then be made available to all owners of the phone (1) in spring 2023.
Android 13 improves data protection, among other things, in that apps no longer have to be granted general access to all photos, but users can only release individual images for apps. Media types can also be specified for the release. In addition, notifications for individual apps can be controlled more precisely.
Nothing indicates that Netflix and Google Pay app functionality may still be limited in the Nothing OS 1.5 beta. In addition, as with any beta version, the general note applies that it may contain bugs and be unstable.
- New weather app with custom Nothing UI.
- Up to 50 Percent faster app loading speed.
- More color schemes for third-party apps to match wallpapers.
- Multi-language support for different apps.
- Privacy changes:
- Photo picker. Targeted selection of which images to share with each app.
- Permissions for notifications. Control which apps are allowed to send notifications.
- Media Permissions. Group media types that want to be shared, e.g. E.g. photos and videos, music and audio, files.
- New QR code scanner in quick settings.
- Clipboard Preview: Copied text is shown on the clipboard in the lower corner of the screen. In this way, the text can be edited directly before it is inserted.
- New look for the media control. Includes playbar, shuffle and repeat buttons.
- Close running background apps directly from Notification Center to save battery.
- Live Caption: Detects speech on the device and automatically generates captions. Increased background storage. Shorter loading times for frequently used apps.
- New self-healing function that keeps the phone (1) running like new. By clearing unused cache and expired dumps.
- Improved quick settings. With new network and Bluetooth device pop-ups.
- Easily adjust individual volume controls without unlocking the screen (e.g. music vs. alarm).
- Improved game mode. New UI for easy notifications and additional Google Game Dashboard. The dashboard supports screenshots, screen recording, FPS display and do not disturb.
Open beta users can upgrade to the Android -13-Beta under “Settings > System > Perform system update”. Since the Open Beta is delivered directly OTA based on the IMEI of the registered users, it cannot be installed by unregistered users.