Nothing Phone (3) review

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Introduction

The third time's a charm - or so Nothing hopes with its latest release, the Nothing Phone (3). Following up on the well-received Phone (1) and the more performance-oriented Phone (2), the new model pushes the company's design-forward philosophy into more premium territory, while also refining the formula that brought the startup so much attention in the first place.

Positioned as the flagship of the Nothing lineup, the Phone (3) arrives with a more mature attitude - and a matching price tag. The base 12/256GB variant starts at $799/€799/£799/₹79,999, while the 16/512GB model goes up to $899/€899/£899/₹89,999. That's a big step up from the Phone (2), placing it squarely in competition with established premium midrangers and even some full-fledged flagships.

Nothing Phone (3) 5G specs at a glance:

• Body: 160.6x75.6x9.0mm, 218g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame; Monochrome LED display on the back (489 LEDs, notifications, timer, flashlight), IP68 dust tight and water resistant (submerged up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.67" OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 960Hz PWM, HDR10+, 4500 nits (peak), 1260x2800px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8735 Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A720); Adreno 825.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades, Nothing OS 3.5.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.7, 1/2.75", PDAF, 3x optical zoom. OIS; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.2, 114-degree, 1/2.76".
• Front camera: 50 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.76".
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@60fps, 1080p@60fps.
• Battery: 5150mAh; 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4, 15W wireless, 7.5W reverse charging, 5W reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 6.0; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Circle to Search.

On the outside, the Phone (3) sticks to Nothing's now-iconic transparent design language but tweaks it in new directions. The most noticeable change is the introduction of the Glyph Matrix on the back - a new take on their lighting interface. The old LEDs are gone now and you get a new dot-matrix display that adds a new dimension to notifications and personalization.

The chassis is flatter and more angular than before, and the combination of an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front maintains the premium build quality established by its predecessor.

Under the hood, Nothing has opted for the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset - a capable sub-flagship SoC that strikes a balance between efficiency and raw power. It's paired with up to 16GB of RAM and a large 5,150mAh battery, a clear upgrade over previous models. The new 65W charging promises fast top-ups.

The display also receives a boost, now featuring a 6.67-inch OLED with up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness, as well as slimmer bezels than ever. Camera-wise, Nothing has expanded things by adding a third 50MP 3x periscope telephoto on the back, alongside the 50MP main camera and 50MP ultrawide.

In many ways, the Phone (3) represents an incremental upgrade and refinement of the familiar formula rather than a massive change or leap forward. Whether that comes at too great a cost - literally and figuratively - is what we're here to find out.

Let's dive into the details.

Unboxing

The Nothing Phone (3) ships in a rather oversized box. It is a white box with the traditional Nothing styling on top. Actually, the styling is mostly limited to the sleeve covering the box. The box itself is almost entirely white. The inner box is very hard and rigid, perfect for protecting the phone during shipping. There is a cradle for the actual phone on the inside to keep it snug and safe. Everything appears to be made of cardboard, which is a nice touch.

In terms of accessories, our European unit naturally did not come with a charger in the box. There is no physical space for a charger in the box either. Still, some retailers may offer a bundle deal that includes a charger, so be sure to check.

What is in the box is a transparent TPU case. It's nice and thick, making it a great addition to start using your shiny new phone right away. Additionally, you receive a stylish Nothing USB Type-C to Type-C cable.