If you own a Nothing Phone 2 or 2a, then you might want to check if your phone is eligible for the latest software update - Nothing recently announced that the new Nothing OS 2.6 update has finally arrived for the two models, and packs some much-welcome features, improvements, and bug fixes.

 

The update now lest users keep a closer eye on their CMF Watch's battery level directly within the Quick Settings Bluetooth tile, and access a new Date Widget and all-new Community Headlines Widget. For the Phone 2, users will be able to declutter their Wallpaper Studio with the new option to delete wallpaper history; additionally, Nothing earbuds get a more optimized performance when Low Lag Mode is activated.

 

New improvements have also arrived for Game Mode - users can now access the Game Dashboard with a simple tap on the left sidebar during gameplay, and incoming calls won't disrupt gaming sessions anymore with the new pop-up notification.

 

Nothing OS 2.6 also addresses various bugs, including issues with voice and call recording in WhatsApp. The Phone 2 also gets a fix for emergency calls, ensuring they function properly in all scenarios. The Cloned Apps feature has also been finally fixed.

 

Meanwhile, Phone 2a users will no longer experience the disappearing Atmosphere wallpaper effect, and the Lock Screen display will no longer overlap in certain situations. Additionally, photo previews taken in landscape mode while the device is locked will now display correctly. Portrait Mode has been improved to avoid incorrect blurring, and overall camera stability improvements.

 

REDMAGIC, a smartphone manufacturer known for its unique take on gaming phones recently announced the launch of its new 9S Pro series phones, which consist of the 9S Pro and 9S Pro+. They do come with impressive hardware specifications, but are currently exclusive for Chinese markets, that is up until July 16.

 

REDMAGIC's hardware design has certainly remained consistent with the new phones, which feature rectangular form factors with dynamic accents all over, just in case you weren't aware that these were made for gaming. Both the 9S Pro and Pro+ offer an 6.8-inch OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and the phones' overall design also comes with dedicated shoulder triggers, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.

 

Inside, the two phones feature a unique Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 "Leading Version" chipset, which is essentially an overclocked version of the standard 8 Gen 3. There's also an ICE 13.5 cooling system that features a larger vapor chamber and a new cooling gel for better thermal management, which should be ideal for prolonged gaming sessions.

 

The 9S Pro comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage, while the 9S Pro+ offers a standard 16GB RAM and 512GB storage option alongside a limited-edition variant with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

 

 

In terms of battery, the 9S Pro packs a massive 6,500mAh battery with 80W fast charging, while the 9S Pro+ prioritizes sleekness with a slightly-smaller 5,500mAh battery that supports super-fast 165W charging. For software, you'll find Android layered with Red Magic 9.5 OS - this custom version of Android comes with AI features like Smart Navigator, AI Trigger, and Sound Recognition in addition to some exclusive REDMAGIC apps.

 

Available in China from July 9th, the phones start at CNY 4,800 (around $660 when converted) for the base model. If you're keen on getting one, you might want to wait until July 16 for the phones' global release.

 

The next major update for the Nothing Phone, Nothing OS 3.0, is expected to be introduced around the same time as the Nothing Phone (2a) Community Edition. This device will include hardware changes to the Nothing Phone (2a) designed by the fan base. The handset will also include wallpaper and packaging created by the public. The Nothing Community will also help market the phone.

 

The founder and CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei, has shared some images showing some new features that will be part of Nothing OS 3.0. Pei revealed some new capabilities for the lock screen, and the upcoming interactive dot animations coming to Quick Settings. Pei posted the images on his "X" account. The executive has what I consider to be the best "X" username of all time, "@getpeid."

 

One image shared by Pei reveals three different lock screen customizations available to Nothing users. There is the Default look which shows the clock, the day, and the date. The Clock + Widget option shows the time in dots with three widgets available on the screen, the weather, a shortcut for quick actions, and the date. The third lock screen customization is called Expanded Widget Area. This example shows an analog clock with a large date tile, and widgets for quick actions, weather, and contacts.

 

 

Pei also shared information about the upcoming Interactive Dot Animation which will be made up of three different layers: the input image layer, the live interaction layer, and the final output layer.

 

 

Nothing OS 3.0 is expected to feature a new native gallery and community app. Pei says that an official announcement regarding Nothing OS 3.0 will take place in September. Last August was when Nothing OS 2.0 was disseminated by the company. The update will be available for the Nothing Phone (1), Nothing Phone (2), and the Nothing Phone (2a).

 

Pei was so excited about the upcoming Nothing OS 3.0 release that he felt compelled to share the information about the lock screen customizations. In his tweet, Pei wrote "Sorry in advance to the team for this leak... but I'm too excited!" But we should point out that he has been known to use his personal social media accounts in the past to leak information about upcoming phones both at OnePlus (which he co-founded) and Nothing.

 

It's been a couple of months now since Nothing first unveiled the budget-friendly Phone 2a, and the company has once again put the 2a in the spotlight with the launch of a new special edition of the handset. Simply dubbed the "Nothing Phone (2a) Special Edition," the new variant focuses more on looks, retaining the same hardware components as the more standard model.

 

Nothing says that this is the company's first-ever product to incorporate the three primary colors (red, blue and yellow) into a single device, as most of its previous products come with more minimalist designs. Adam Bates, Design Director at Nothing comments:

 

We are very happy to unveil Phone (2a) Special Edition. The first product to explore our palette of the primary colours; red, blue and yellow. Its overall aesthetic references some of our design heroes from the past, whilst creating a new expression for a smartphone. Elevating a functional device into a striking piece of art.

 

 

In addition to the more colorful rear design, the phone comes with a custom MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, a dual 50MP camera array, complemented by a 32 MP front camera that uses the same sensor as the Phone 2, and a large 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as a maximum brightness of up to 1,300 nits.

 

In terms of price, the Phone 2a Special Edition is available in a 12+256GB model which retails for £349 GBP, or around $445 when converted. Unfortunately, it's not available for North America at the moment, although we're hoping this changes soon.

 

Following the launch of a new "Nordic" Blue OnePlus Watch 2 variant and a leaked blue Pixel 8a model, it looks like Nothing is the latest company to follow this year's trend of launching blue-themed tech. More specifically, Nothing's budget-friendly Phone 2a is now available in a rather cool-looking blue colorway, although there's a catch to the new launch.

 

As it turns out, the blue Nothing Phone 2a is currently exclusive for buyers in India via Flipkart, although aside from the difference in hues the phone remains largely the same in terms of specs. For those unfamiliar, it packs a custom MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, a custom SoC developed by Nothing in collaboration with MediaTek, and it's backed by up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

 

 

As with the regular 2a, the blue variant does come with the signature transparent design as seen on other Nothing Phones, although it features a slightly different rear panel design due to the re-arranged camera module, which Nothing refers to as "The Eyes" - housed in a central NFC coil, the setup houses a dual 50MP camera array, complemented by a 32 MP front camera that uses the same sensor as the Phone 2.