It has been quite the happening day for Nothing, as we finally see the Nothing OS 4.0 open beta roll out, alongside the Essential Playground feature. However, at the same time, the brand has also teased Essential OS with AI at its centre, set to launch in 2027.
What to expect from Nothing’s Essential OS
Nothing is envisioning a concept of a smartphone interface beyond the Nothing OS, which is more tailored for each user, rather than one size fits all. Nothing CEO, Carl Pei, shared a series of posts on X sharing his thoughts on what the company is gearing to offer with its next phase in operating system.
He said, "We believe in a future where everyone gets their own personal OS," and later added, "The future we're building, an OS that is unique to each individual." Pei also shared a glimpse of a UI he is working towards, which might be our first look at Essential OS homescreen.
The company has released the first step towards this AI-native OS with Essential Playground. Here, users can create custom apps with simple text prompts and the app just appears on the device. The concept is based on the vibe coding trend, but Nothing plans to use to as a stepping stone to offer a more AI-centric experience where users can prompt their way to a more personal user interface.
In addition to Playground, Nothing has also introduced Essential Apps, a tool to let users generate applications by describing their needs. For example, users can create an app "to capture the receipts from the camera roll and export a finance-ready PDF every Friday" or one that "before my calls, show me a one-page brief based on my calendar and message threads."
Once generated, these apps can be added directly to the user's home screen. It seems very similar to how users can take to Shortcuts on iOS to create custom workflows.
It is also worth noting that Nothing acquired Essential, the company behind the Essential PH-1 and founded by Andy Rubin, who is considered the father of Android. So this could be Nothing's attempt to go back to its roots while embracing the future with AI.
Besides, Nothing has also teased when we can see the new operating system arrive on their devices. If you head to essential.com and scroll down to the Essential OS section, it shows H1 2027, which means the first half of 2027.
Well, looks like those recent spottings of the Nothing Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro IMEI listings do mean something and they could be one of the first devices to receive the Essential OS update when it arrives. For now, Essential OS is still a while away and all eyes are currently on the Nothing OS 4.0 open beta.
