Ryan Haynes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Nothing prioritized the Phone 2a in the Nothing OS 3.0 beta program as it is one of the latest bestsellers.
- Also, none received an optimized update from MediaTek for the 2a’s processor before it received an optimized update from Qualcomm for the Phone 2’s processor.
- The final stable release of Nothing OS 3.0 will be rolled out to Phone 2 and Phone 2a simultaneously.
Android 15 is here, and OEMs are beginning to enroll users in beta programs for the upcoming platform update. Nothing was announced about the Nothing OS 3.0 open beta program, but interestingly, the company is rolling out the new update first to its budget device, the Phone 2a, rather than its flagship Phone 2. . Now, the company has shared more details about why. Had to disrespect the flagship.
There is nothing to explain this, as the company is a young company with a relatively small team compared to established brands working on software development. To maintain the quality and pace of development, updates should be gradual across devices. This allows you to gather feedback, make adjustments, and deploy fixes to the devices in your portfolio.
By the way, the Nothing Phone 2a got Nothing OS 3.0 open beta access, and the Phone 2 will get similar access in November, as will the Phone 1, Phone 2a Plus, and CMF Phone 1 in December.
There’s nothing to prefer the Phone 2a over the Phone 2 since it’s the newest device and one of the best-selling phones. This gives the software team a larger sample size to gather feedback before moving on to other devices.
Additionally, like other Android OEMs, Nothing relies on chipmakers Qualcomm and MediaTek to provide platform updates optimized for specific chipsets. We’ve had a lot of support from MediaTek in this process, and there’s nothing that’s helped us run any MediaTek SoC-powered device faster. There was nothing to move forward with the MediaTek-powered Phone 2a as the first device in the open beta program, instead of Qualcomm holding off on the beta program to provide an update to the Phone 2’s SoC.
It also doesn’t explain why they couldn’t postpone the beta program to include all devices. That would mean waiting until January and pushing back the stable release even further.
On a bright note, the explainer says that both the Phone 2 and Phone 2a will receive the final release of Nothing OS 3.0 at the same time. Unfortunately, the company is holding back the stable release of the Phone 2a just for Phone 2 users, as the beta program for the Phone 2 is at least 20 days away, whereas the Phone 2a already has a beta program. Looks like it’s going to be put on hold.
blank phone 2
A cleverly crafted, subtly cool design
Flagship tier performance
excellent value
What do you think about Nothing’s Nothing OS 3.0 open beta program? Should the flagship Phone 2 get the update before the mid-range Phone 2a? Let us know in the comments below.
