Nothing Phone 1 will soon get Android 14 update but there's a catch

Nothing Phone 1 will soon join the Google Pixel phones to become eligible for Android 14 Beta 1. In an announcement on Twitter, chief executive Carl Pei said early access to the first public beta of Android 14 for Nothing Phone 1 will be rolled out soon. The beta version of the next Android version is currently available for Google Pixel phones, so Nothing’s announcement is a welcome move for an OEM.

“Early access to Android 14 Beta 1 just dropped. Thanks @Android and @Google, very excited about what Nothing has coming in 2023,” wrote Pei. He, however, did not provide any timeline for the rollout of the beta version of Android 14.

The Nothing Phone 1 recently received the Android 13-based Nothing OS 1.5, which brings a slate of improvements. Released in February, the Nothing OS 1.5 will bring features such as up to 50 percent increase in app loading speed, more colour schemes for third-party apps as part of the Material You theme, multi-language support for apps, a new photo picker, better notification permissions and media permissions, a new QR code scanner in phone’s Quick Settings, Clipboard preview, new media control interface, live caption, and increased background memory, among others.

Meanwhile, Google is holding its annual I/O conference on May 10, where it is expected to unveil Android 14 and announce its details. Although the stable version is unlikely to become available for eligible devices immediately, developers and beta testers will have something to look forward to. Rumours are also rife that Google may announce its next affordable phone, Pixel 7a during the event. Leaked renders have suggested the Pixel 7a would have better build quality and features than those on the Pixel 6a. Google’s first foldable phone, which is also a part of the rumour mill, may also make an appearance if not officially launched.