Well, well, well. The original Nothing Phone (1) just pulled a bit of a comeback.
Officially, Nothing’s first smartphone was left off the guest list for Android 16 and Nothing OS 4.0. But unofficially? A developer out there decided that “unsupported” was merely a suggestion.
Nothing recently rolled out its Android 16–based Nothing OS 4.0 beta to newer phones like the Phone (3), Phone (2), and the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Owners of the 2022 Phone (1), however, were told their device had reached the end of its update road.
Cue one clever developer, who managed to port the new Nothing OS 4.0 to the OG Phone (1) — and yes, it actually works. The whole thing was spotted by YouTuber TechiBoy and reported by Phone Arena, showing off the slick new UI, updated camera app, and even most of the system functions running smoothly.
The only small issue? The clock in the status bar is a bit off-center.
(We’ll take that over planned obsolescence any day.)
Despite its age, the Phone (1)’s Snapdragon 778G+ seems perfectly happy running Android 16. It’s proof that the hardware wasn’t the limiting factor — just corporate priorities and limited support resources. Nothing has since focused on its newer lineup, but this mod shows there’s plenty of life left in the first glyph-flashing phone.
Of course, flashing an unofficial ROM isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll void your warranty faster than you can say “bootloader unlock,” and there’s always the chance of bugs or security gaps. But for tech tinkerers, it’s a satisfying “because I can” moment.
With brands like Google and Samsung now promising up to seven years of software support, companies like Nothing might want to take notes. The community clearly still loves the Phone (1) — enough to bring it back from the digital dead.
And who knows? Maybe this bit of public tinkering will shame Nothing into extending official updates, or at least acknowledge that its first phone still has a loyal crowd rooting for it.
