Nothing announced the Phone (3) as its first ‘true flagship’ phone this week. It goes up for pre-order tomorrow, but a major software upgrade is already a matter of weeks away.
During the launch, which also included the firm’s first over-ear headphones, the London-based challenger brand confirmed all the final details for the Phone (3) but gave potential owners an unexpected promise.
While the device ships with Nothing OS 3.5, based on Android 15, a release timeline has already been confirmed for Nothing OS 4, which is based on Android 16.
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, said the update will come “later this autumn”. Meanwhile, the reviewers’ guide says “Q3 2025”.
Nothing
We’re already in Q3 – July, August, September – so in other words, the free update will arrive soon. This is likely ahead of when Samsung rolls out One UI 8 (also based on Android 16) to phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
We assume the Nothing Phone (3) will be the first to get the new operating system, with older devices such as the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro to follow. Phone (2) generation devices may need to wait longer, but Nothing hasn’t confirmed specifics yet.
It will also be the first of many software upgrades, as Nothing has improved its update promise for the Phone (3) to five years of OS and seven years of security.
