What you need to know
- Nothing OS 3.0 comes to Phone 2a Plus with a bunch of new features.
- The prominent ones include Shared Widgets and lock screen customizations.
- The update also includes a December 2024 security patch and a couple of AI-powered features, amongst others.
Nothing has recently announced stable Android 15 builds for its phones, including the Phone 2a and the flagship Phone 2. The builds were dubbed Nothing OS 3.0, and the company announced that they are now coming to the Phone 2a Plus handsets.
The latest firmware update is staggered, meaning not all Phone 2a Plus owners will receive the update immediately to ensure a smoother operating system rollout, notes Nothing in the accompanying community post.
Nothing OS 3.0 introduces a host of new features for the Phone 2a Plus. The prominent ones include Shared Widgets, which lets users use widgets to connect with their friends and family. Users can see others’ widgets on their home screens and interact with them. The company notes that it is a new way for Nothing phone owners to stay connected.
The feature is still in beta and available for Photo Widgets, which can be shared. On the other hand, there are improvements that can be witnessed on the lock screen with the new customization page, which can be accessed by long-pressing the lock screen.
Users can further choose a new range of clock face styles, and there is a new expanded widget space that allows for the placement of more widgets on the lock screen.
Nothing OS 3.0 uses AI in some instances, like the AI-powered app drawer, which is dubbed Smart Drawer. It automatically categories apps into folders, further promising to make the app drawer more organized. Additionally, users can pin their favorite apps on the top for quicker access on the Phone 2a Plus.
The pop-up view for apps is also getting enhancements, like the ability to drag anywhere on the home screen, easily resize it, and pin it to an edge on the screen. Further, users can send their incoming notifications directly into the pop-up window by swiping down, which eliminates the need to switch to a different app and stay on the current app.
Other nifty design elements in the Android 15-based update include redesigned Quick Settings and a redesign of the widget library. There is also a new dot animation for fingerprint unlocking and charging.
AI is also being used to learn users’ usage habits and inform them about their frequently used apps, simultaneously keeping them active for longer periods of time. The latest firmware has added an auto archive function to automatically free up storage on the Phone 2a Plus. Lastly, the update also includes the latest December 2024 security patch.
This firmware rollout makes all the company’s latest phones run on Android 15. Meanwhile, Nothing phone enthusiasts are looking forward to the Phone 2 successor, which is long overdue.