Nothing Phone (2) stays out of Android 17: Carl Pei explains the reason

Launched in 2022 with the promise of three major OS updates, Nothing Phone (2) has reached Android 16, as planned. So with Android 17 on the horizon the path stops: it was confirmed by Carl Pei himself, Nothing’s CEO, during an AMA on Reddit where he answered users’ questions about the device’s software future.

Nothing Phone (2) and Android 17: the reason for the missed update according to Carl Pei

According to Pei, the problem is not a business decision but a technical limit difficult to bypass: the kernel of Nothing Phone (2) is now too dated to handle the jump to Android 17, and making things worse is the fact that the chipset supplier (Qualcomm, the phone uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1) no longer guarantees the necessary support for the new version.

Pei nevertheless emphasized that the device has surpassed initial software expectations: promised with three major updates, Nothing Phone (2) has progressed from Android 13 to Android 16 during its commercial life.

Which Nothing devices remain outside Android 17

Nothing Phone (2) is not the only model left out from the jump to Android 17. In the same category are Nothing Phone (1), the brand’s first smartphone, and CMF Phone 1, the most affordable model from the company’s sub-brand.

To be eligible for Android 17 for now remains only Nothing Phone (3), which, according to Pei, is also the only device in the lineup entitled to five OS updates, a software support commitment notably longer than the previous models.

Nothing Phone (2): How much longer will the software support last

The fact that Nothing Phone (2) will no longer receive major updates does not mean the device is left without support. Pei has stated that security updates will continue to arrive until July 2027, still ensuring coverage for the most critical part of the software support.

READ ALSO: How many years will your Android receive security updates

So, owners of the device can continue to use it safely for several more months, knowing that the software experience will remain stuck at the Android 16 base.

For all the latest news about the brand’s ecosystem, you can find our most recent articles in the Nothing section of GizChina.it.