It may take until next June before the Nothing Phone (1) is upgraded to Android 13.
Android 13 is out. Google’s Pixel devices have already received the update; and Samsung and OnePlus have launched beta programs to test their upcoming updates. But one device that might not get it in a hurry is the Nothing Phone (1).
The company has confirmed that Android 13 won’t be available for the phone until the first half of 2023 — meaning it could arrive as late as June.
Android 13 on phone Nothing (1)
Nothing confirmed its plans for Android 13 on its debut phone in a statement to Android Authority. It said:
We are always working hard to improve the user experience of Phone 1. To ensure this, operating system updates will be available for download on a regular basis. Regarding Android 13, this will be released for Phone 1 users in the first half of 2023. Before the release, we want to fine-tune the software upgrade with the Nothing hardware. We’ll be sure to keep you updated with additional information.
The announcement came after users pressed the company for information on its launch schedule, to which Nothing founder Carl Pei gave a rather defensive response: “A product is more than its specs, features and version number.”
The phone is slated for three Android updates – going all the way to Android 15 – as well as four years of bi-monthly security updates.
Given that the company emphasized the value of its clean software, offering an almost stock Android experience, and that it had hired a huge team of developers to work on it, many expected the phone to be a good choice for anyone who wanted access to the latest software.
Now that expectation is diminishing. Of course, “first half of 2023” is vague enough that it could mean the update is just a little over three months away. But it could also be that users don’t see Android 13 on their Nothing phones until Google unveils Android 14 next spring.
Nothing at least has been rolling out regular software updates to fix some of the teething issues the device has had. The battery, the camera, the fingerprint scanner, the trademark Glyph interface and the overall smoothness of the user interface have all been targeted for improvements so far.
Android 13 updates
Mid-range phones tend to update to the next version of Android later than flagships, the honorable exception being the Pixel 6a, which has already received it. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy A52 received Android 12 in January this year, a month after the S21.
The A53 will likely fall into a similar Android 13 timeline, and the Nothing Phone (1) can still be compared to it. If you’re in the market for a new mid-range phone, these remain two of the most attractive phones to choose from.
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