A developer has reportedly managed to port the new Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16, to the Nothing Phone (1). This is a big deal because Nothing has officially ended software support for its first-ever phone.
What’s this about the Phone (1) getting Android 16?
X post announcing the availability of the unofficial port. | Image credit — @techiboy96 (X)
So, Android 16 has been making the rounds, and Nothing is deep into its own Nothing OS 4.0 beta for newer devices like the Phone (2) and Phone (3). But what about the phone that started it all, the Phone (1)? Officially, it’s been left in the dust.
Well, it looks like the developer community isn’t quite ready to say goodbye. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), YouTuber TechiBoy shared that an unnamed developer has successfully installed Nothing OS 4.0 onto the debut smartphone. This is an unofficial port—which, in simple terms, just means a very smart developer took the software from a newer phone and tweaked it to work on the older hardware.
According to TechiBoy, “Everything seems to be working, including the new Camera app with presets!”
But, as you might expect, it’s not all perfect. This is an early effort, and it’s got bugs. The post mentions the clock in the status bar is “not correctly aligned” and the camera view is partially hidden “behind the punch-hole.” There are apparently a few other unmentioned issues that need ironing out, too.
H2: Why it’s important
Image proving Nothing OS 4 is running on a Nothing Phone (1). | Image credit — @techiboy96 (X)
This news is landing as Nothing is essentially washing its hands of the Phone (1). The company recently confirmed that the phone has reached its “end-of-life” (EOL). This means no more official Android versions and, more importantly, no more security patches.
This is where the community shines. While Nothing is pushing everyone to its newer models, this port—if it’s legitimate—proves the original hardware is still perfectly capable of running the latest software. This is a classic story in the Android world: a company’s planned upgrade cycle versus a community that wants to keep its perfectly good devices running.
So, who should care? Right now, this is really just for other developers and very brave tinkerers. But it gives all Phone (1) owners a glimmer of hope that their device isn’t just an expensive paperweight yet.
The Phone (1) isn’t dead until the community says it is, apparently
Honestly, I love seeing this. It’s always a bit of a mess when companies EOL hardware that clearly has plenty of life left in it. The Phone (1) wasn’t just some random budget phone; it was a design statement that launched the entire brand. Seeing it dropped so soon feels wasteful.Now, I’m in the camp of being “a little skeptical” since some info is “lacking,” but the fact this is even happening is a huge win for the community.
Would I recommend you go out and try to install this? Goodness, no. Not yet. An early, unofficial port is a recipe for a headache and potential security risks. But I am absolutely watching this project. It’s a fantastic reminder that “end-of-life” is often a business decision, not a technical limitation. It shows the Phone (1) still has plenty of fight left in it, even if its own creators have moved on.
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