Nothing Phone (1) gets Android 16 and Nothing OS 4.0 after all – in a roundabout way

Nothing recently flipped the switch on its Android 16 beta, with support for many of its phones. The company is young, but those with the Nothing Phone (1) might be disappointed that they aren't in line to get the update to Google's latest mobile software in the guise of Nothing OS 4.0.

However, that hasn't stopped one enterprising developer from porting Nothing OS 4.0 to the Phone (1) and sharing the details on X. With the Nothing Phone (1) – which launched in 2022 – no longer supported, there's hope for early Nothing adopters that there could be some chance of getting the new software.

According to Phone Arena, YouTuber TechiBoy has shared the details of the work of a developer (who seems to have remained anonymous), showcasing the new software on the Phone (1).

The post from X confirms that most things work, including the new camera, but there are a couple of things that aren't – such as the alignment of the clock in the status bar.

Nothing is currently pushing the Nothing OS 4.0 beta, running on Android 16, with plans to update following devices:

• Nothing Phone (3)
• Nothing Phone (2)
• Nothing Phone (3a)
• Nothing Phone (3a) Pro
• Nothing Phone (2a)
• Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
• CMF Phone 1
• CMF Phone 2 Pro

While the port of Nothing OS 4.0 onto the Phone (1) provides some hope, it's still unofficial – and does little more than demonstrate that the hardware can run it. That's not the end of the story – an unofficial port of this type could be full of security holes, so it would be a risk to use it on your main device, unless it prompts Nothing to adopt it and include the Phone (1) in its updates.

Supporting old phones often comes down to resources and sticking to the commitment outlined when a device was first sold. Many manufacturers have longer commitments, like Google and Samsung which offer seven years of updates apiece.

It's not just a case of developing the software to support those devices, it also requires the core hardware to support those updates – for example, the Snapdragon chip at its heart.

This will be an interesting project to watch for the time being – and there's every chance that Nothing will feel a little shame and decide to update the phone officially.