Nothing
Nothing Phone (1) Receives Massive Boost in Performance and Battery Life After Nothing OS 2.6 Update
Last week, Nothing OS 2.6 update was released for Nothing Phone (1) and users were waiting for this one with quite some enthusiasm. This update does seem to bring not only performance improvements but also better battery life, so this should make it a worthy upgrade for the device.
The latest benchmarks, after the update, posted that the performance scores were better or, in this case, the Geekbench CPU single-core score increased from 992 to 1026, and the multi-core score from 2833 to 2972. Nearly the same GPU scores, which is actually a good thing, show that graphical performance has been very stable. The real change comes in with the way the battery will be managed on the device and more efficiency overall.
Antutu Benchmark Score: 602310
CPU Throttling Test: CPU throttled to 83% of its max performance
Battery lives do particularly vary, but screen-on time has certainly seen an upswing. Before the update, users were reporting an average of 5-6 hours of screen-on time. Else, some are even clocking as much as six hours and nineteen minutes—with major usage going toward media playback, and usage of hotspot services.
Although with the improvements, there still are some discrepancies in the performance and life of the batteries amongst users, the operating system seems quite stable and efficient after the update, irradiating the result of Nothing OS 2.6 as a movement in the right direction toward consistency in user experience.
All in all, this update could be taken as a sort of a shot in the arm for the performance credentials of the Nothing Phone (1). One, however, shall be able to judge the real difference the update can make only when shared users’ experiences actually start adding up. The update seems to promise handling with more efficiency and without a superfast battery drain, specifically in scenarios like gaming, browsing, and streaming.
Nothing has officially announced the Closed Beta program for its upcoming operating system update — Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16. This early build is now available exclusively for Phone (3) users who want to test the latest features before the official rollout. The company is offering this early access as a way to thank its early supporters.
In this Closed Beta, Nothing is focusing on bringing Android 16’s core features along with a stronger and more consistent design system. The new UI changes are expected to lay the foundation for a more polished and cohesive user experience in the future versions of Nothing OS.
Since this is a beta version, users can expect bugs and certain features not working properly. Nothing encourages users to join this program and help them identify and fix issues before the Open Beta release in September 2025. It’s a chance for users to be part of the development process and shape the final software.
To be eligible, participants must use the Phone (3) as their daily device. They should also be willing to provide regular feedback to the Nothing team, maintain information security, and understand that this early build may be unstable. Testing is expected to run from August 2025 to early September.
Nothing also warns users that this Android 16 build is in its early stages of development. Some features may be missing or not function properly. It is strongly recommended to back up your device regularly while testing. More details and disclaimers can be found in the sign-up form.
If you’re interested in joining, you need to fill out the form linked below before 5 PM BST on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Selected users will be informed via email within a week, along with complete onboarding instructions.
Phone (3) Android 16 Closed Beta Sign-Up Form
Himanshu Tandon, the head of POCO India, has stepped down from his role and is likely to join the smartphone company Nothing in August. According to a report by Moneycontrol, he is expected to lead Nothing’s CMF division.
Tandon was part of the founding team of POCO and became the head of its India operations in 2022. He worked under Sandeep Singh Arora, Xiaomi India’s Chief Business Officer, who joined the company from Samsung earlier this year.
This is the second major leadership change at Xiaomi India in less than a year. Earlier, in November 2024, Xiaomi India’s President Muralikrishnan B also left the company.
Xiaomi Faces Market Challenges, POCO Shows Growth
Tandon’s exit comes as Xiaomi is facing tough times in India. In the second quarter of 2025, the company’s smartphone shipments dropped by 25% compared to last year, falling to 5 million units. Its market share also dropped from 18% to 13%.
Despite this, POCO performed well. It increased its share of Xiaomi’s shipments in India from 30% to 41%, with 2.03 million units sold. According to Canalys, POCO’s success came from targeting Gen Z users, offering gaming features, and growing offline sales through JioMart Digital.
Tandon Likely to Lead Nothing’s CMF Division
Tandon is expected to join Nothing’s affordable and design-focused brand CMF. The London-based company recently shifted its global marketing team to India.
Nothing’s CMF brand, led by company co-founder Akis Evangelidis in India, has seen fast growth — 229% in Q2 — thanks to products like the CMF Phone 2 Pro and Phone 3a series.
Both Xiaomi and Nothing are expected to officially announce Tandon’s move in the coming days.
A new app called NoVolume is gaining attention among Nothing Phone users for its clean, minimal design that matches the unique style of Nothing OS. If you’re bored of the default Android volume slider, this app might be the perfect upgrade.
The NoVolume app lets users slide to adjust the volume smoothly, swipe right to show the default Android volume panel, and even change the position and sensitivity of the slider. It works well with Nothing Phone (1), Phone (2), Phone (2a), Phone (2a), Phone (3a), Phone (3a) Pro, CMF Phone 1, CMF Phone 2 Pro, Nothing Phone (3) and even other Android phones.
What makes it stand out is its simple UI and customizability. It blends perfectly with the Nothing Phone’s transparent and minimal design language. Users can personalize how and where the slider appears, making it both functional and stylish.
You can download the NoVolume app from Google Play Store.
The best part? It doesn’t require root access. Just install it like any other app and start using it right away.
For those who love the Nothing OS aesthetic and want to add a new touch to their phone’s interface, the NoVolume app is worth checking out.