Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26 is a comparison you wouldn’t expect in a world that is dominated by more powerful OSs. The iOS 26 represents Apple’s tightly curated ecosystem. While Nothing OS 4 is firmly rooted in the Android camp. It’s not like Nothing OS is the undisputed king of Android. There are more like Samsung’s One UI, which offers Galaxy AI integrations. Yet, Nothing OS 4 stands above its weight, delivering a refreshingly clean and minimalist experience. So, let’s have a look at the two powerful OSs and how they stack up against each other.
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Design and User Interface: Glassy, Fun Widgets & More! Elegance
At their core, both OSes are chasing fluidity, but they arrive at it from opposite ends of the spectrum. The iOS 26, which that released on September 15, 2025, introduces “Liquid Glass”. It makes the fat icons in iOS appear more 3D-like. It’s like your iPhone’s screen is made of animated water droplets. The notifications pop up in a semi-transparent glass background. Home Screen icons shimmer with depth.
The Lock Screen’s time widget dynamically shifts to frame your wallpaper’s subject. Apple users loved this new feature because it simply offered a richer experience.
Nothing OS 4, based on Android 16 and has been rolling out stably since November 21, 2025. It leans towards ‘Flow’, a codename that perfectly captures its effortless, human-centric vibe. This OS update is powered by Nothing’s signature dot-matrix font and monochromatic icons. UI emphasises speed and intuition over flash. Animations are really smooth, but that’s mainly for Android 16’s app transition changes. The status bar now looks less cluttered. There’s more variation in widget sizes.
The best part about Nothing OS 4? The freedom for personalisation. Essential Apps let you craft and share AI-powered widgets via the Nothing Playground portal.
Also read: Android 15 Features, Eligible Devices List, All Details!
Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26: AI In Everything!
No phone or OS comparison is complete without going through the AI features these days. Thankfully, both deliver distinct flavours.
iOS 26 AI Capabilities
The iOS 26’s Apple Intelligence (requiring A17 Pro or newer chips) is all about seamless integration. You get visual intelligence that scans your screen for instant searches or actions. Genmoji is another fun feature that lets you create your own emojis just by describing them. Image Playground generates original artwork from text prompts. In Messages, you now get things like polls, moving backgrounds, and even real-time call translation. New games app lets you organise all your games, show challenges with friends, and give personalised recommendations.
One of the best features is Adaptive Power! It is great for people who always run out of battery. It quietly adjusts things like brightness and background activity when needed, but without slowing down what you’re doing.
Also read: Nothing Phone (3a) Lite Launch & Price: What To Expect?
Nothing OS 4 AI Capabilities
Coming to Nothing OS 4, the cool AI feature includes Lock Glimpse. It puts quick updates and info right on your lock screen. You can also turn it off if you don’t want it. Pop-up Views lets apps float like mini windows.
There’s a “Stretch” camera mode, made with photographer Jordan Hemingway. It uses AI to give your photos a stylish, fashion-inspired look with better editing control. And Nothing’s signature Glyph Interface gets upgraded features like Glyph Toys for playful notifications and Flip to Glyph for quick actions. These are some of the Nothing exclusive features.
Lastly, if AI in general scares you due to data safety concerns, there’s an Essential Space dashboard on the Nothing Phone (3). It actually shows how the phone’s on-device AI models use resources.
Also read: Oneplus 13s vs Nothing Phone 3: Which Phone Should You Buy?
Performance, Privacy, and Ecosystem
Looking for Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26 speed comparison? I think both run really well on their own hardware. The iOS 26 adds things like quantum-secure TLS 1.3 and a Recovery Assistant to make the system more stable. They basically prevent boot failures. Nothing OS 4 is more about smoothness, faster lock-screen responses, and adaptive brightness.
Though I would say Apple has an upper hand with deep end-to-end encryption. It is there on everything! But Nothing OS 4 competes head-on with scam-call protection and app-level safeguards from Android 16.
The real difference shows up in the ecosystem.
- iOS 26: It is amazing if you already use other Apple devices. Wallet syncs boarding passes to your Watch, and Maps predicts delays based on your routine. It all works together effortlessly.
- Nothing OS 4: It is more open. It supports sideloading, cross-app sharing, and plays nicely with the wider Android world. But it doesn’t have that deep, polished hardware-software harmony. That is when you are using Nothing Earbuds or other Nothing accessories.
In short, Apple gives you a tight, smooth ecosystem, while Nothing gives you freedom and flexibility.
Also Read: Xiaomi HyperOS Vs MIUI 14: Which Is A Better OS For You?
Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26: Phones Running The Show!
We covered a lot about the Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26. Now let’s have a look at the devices that hold these Operating systems.
| Operating System | Key Phone Models |
|---|---|
| iOS 26 | Apple iPhone 17 series (Pro, Pro Max, standard), Apple iPhone 16 series, Apple iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max |
| Nothing OS 4 | Nothing Phone (3), Phone (3a)/ (3a) Pro, Phone (2)/ (2a) series, CMF Phone 2 Pro |
Also read: iOS 26 Launch Date, Features, Eligible Devices, And More!
Final Verdict For Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26!
In the end, iOS 26 is for those who want a flawless, future-proof bubble. Nothing OS 4 appeals to Android users seeking joy in the details and customisations. Neither is perfect! iOS can feel rigid sometimes. Nothing is occasionally too minimal. But their comparison shows how small things collectively scale the prices of the devices these OSs are on.
Here’s my personal take: Switch to Nothing OS 4 if you’re burned out on Apple’s predictability. The switch would remind you why Android feels alive. But if ecosystem harmony is your jam, iOS 26’s glassy glow is worth the upgrade. Me? I’m team Nothing for the widgets alone! They make my home screen feel so personal. Whatever you choose, chase the OS that flows with your life, not the hype.
Also Read: Refurbished Nothing Phone 1 vs Nothing Phone 2: Best Deal!
So which are you more inclined to in Nothing OS 4 Vs iOS 26? Share it in the comments below!
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