Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Nothing Phone 2 to Stop at Android 16 as CEO Carl Pei Explains Update Decision

Nothing Phone 2 to Stop at Android 16 as CEO Carl Pei Explains Update Decision

The Nothing Phone 2 launched with Android 13-based Nothing OS 2.0.

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by Rohan Pal | Updated: 9 September 2026 20:06 IST

Nothing Phone 2 to Stop at Android 16 as CEO Carl Pei Explains Update Decision

Users have requested newer features for the Nothing Phone 2 (pictured)

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Pei initially misstated the phone’s Android update count
A Nothing employee later acknowledged the error
Users have requested newer features for the Phone 2

Nothing Phone 2 will not receive the Android 17-based Nothing OS 5.0 update, leaving the 2023 flagship outside the company's latest major software upgrade cycle. The decision has raised questions among Phone 2 users, particularly because the handset still has relatively capable hardware and has received several Android version upgrades since its launch. The discussion around the phone has also brought clarity on its promised software support, the updates it has already received, and whether some newer Nothing OS features could still make their way to the device.

Nothing CEO Responds to Phone 2 Update Request

The discussion started when a Reddit user asked Nothing to give the Nothing Phone 2 another major software update. The user argued that the handset remains capable enough to run newer software and deserves continued support. The comment received more than 90 upvotes.

Nothing Phone 2 Discussion

Huawei Honor 6 Plus review

Explore More...

Nothing CEO Carl Pei said the Phone 2 cannot move to Android 17 because its kernel is too old and the chipset vendor does not support the newer Android version. He also said Nothing had already fulfilled its original software commitment for the phone.

Nothing Phone (4a) Series, Phone (4b) Could Get More Expensive in India

Pei initially got one detail wrong, claiming that the Phone 2 had received four major Android upgrades. A Reddit user pointed out that the phone launched with Android 13, followed by Android 14, Android 15 and Android 16, making it three upgrades.

A Nothing employee then acknowledged that he had given Pei the incorrect information. Pei later edited his comment to correct the figure. The Phone 2 has received all three Android upgrades covered by Nothing's original commitment.

The original poster then asked Nothing to bring newer features to the Phone 2 even without a full Android 17 update. They highlighted the AI Vivid camera mode and newer camera widget found on newer Nothing phones, and requested camera improvements with the Lucent theme update.

Nothing OS 5.0 With More Than 80 Changes, Upgrades Launched

Another user asked whether Nothing could extend chipset support through Qualcomm. The discussion did not establish whether this is possible, and Nothing had not responded to these requests at the time of writing.

The Nothing Phone 2 launched with Android 13-based Nothing OS 2.0 and the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. It features dual 50-megapixel rear cameras and a 32-megapixel selfie camera.

Nothing Phone 2

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Iconic design, unique notification system
Excellent software
Very good battery life
Improved main camera
Slick system performance

Bad
Average low-light performance with secondary cameras
Video recording quality needs improvement
No bundled charger
Top variant isn't great value

Read detailed Nothing Phone 2 review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel

RAM 8GB, 12GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Battery Capacity 4700mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 1080x2412 pixels

More Nothing mobiles Nothing mobiles price in India

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Nothing Phone 2, Nothing OS 5.0, Nothing OS, Android 17, Carl Pei, Nothing, Nothing Phone 2 update

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More