Nothing Phone 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Bold Design or AI Powerhouse?
From AI features to battery life and display brightness, see how the Nothing Phone 3 and the Galaxy S25 stack up against each other.
If you’re eyeing a premium Android phone in 2025 without diving into foldables, two contenders likely dominate your shortlist: Nothing's first premium Android device, the Nothing Phone 3 and the ever-reliable Samsung Galaxy S25.
Both start at $799, feature powerful Snapdragon processors, AMOLED displays, and capable cameras. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find they serve different audiences: one emphasises expressive design and fast hardware, the other leans into polished software and long-term value.
So, which one fits your pocket best? Here’s a breakdown by category.
1. Design & Build
Samsung continues its minimalist evolution with the Galaxy S25, offering a clean design with a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display, an Armour Aluminium frame, a slim 7.2mm profile, and IP68 water and dust resistance. It’s light, durable, and understated, built for practicality and polish.
The Nothing Phone 3 leans into its unique aesthetic with a transparent back, an expanded Glyph interface made up of 489 customizable LEDs, and a new “Shortcut Key” for quick actions. It has an aluminium frame, IP68 water and dust resistance, and a slightly thicker, more tactile build.
Which wins? Samsung for durability and refinement; Nothing for personality and standout design.
2. Display
Both phones feature large AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates, but they diverge in key specs. The Galaxy S25 uses LTPO technology, allowing it to scale down to 1Hz when idle, conserving battery. It reaches a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, supports HDR10+, and delivers exceptional outdoor visibility.
The Nothing Phone 3 offers a 6.7-inch AMOLED with HDR10+, 2160Hz PWM dimming for reduced eye strain, and a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, more than bright enough for most conditions.
Which wins? Samsung Galaxy S25. It's brighter, more efficient, and slightly more advanced overall.
3. Performance
The Samsung S25 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset and delivers flagship-level performance. It also complements it with LPDDR5X RAM and enhanced vapour chamber cooling, which helps with sustained loads and thermal stability. The base S25 offers 8GB or 12GB of RAM, depending on the region.
Nothing pairs its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and LPDDR5 RAM with up to 16GB RAM on its higher-end model. Real-world use is fast and responsive on both, though benchmark testing suggests Samsung maintains smoother performance over extended use thanks to better software tuning in One UI 7.1.
Which wins? Samsung Galaxy S25, mostly because it just has a better chip that can handle more.
4. Cameras
The Galaxy S25 features a versatile triple-lens setup: a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. It supports AI-enhanced Nightography, 8K video, and refined computational processing powered by Galaxy AI and Google Gemini Nano.
The Nothing Phone 3 sports a dual 50MP system (main + ultrawide) and a 50MP front camera with strong selfie and video performance (up to 4K at 60fps). It also supports 3x optical zoom, includes improved video stabilisation and a cleaner camera app UI.
Which wins? Samsung Galaxy S25. More lens variety and computational photography give it the edge, especially for zoom and night shots.
5. Battery & Charging
The Galaxy S25 sports a 4000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. The Nothing Phone 3, on the other hand, has a 5150 mAh silicon carbon battery (5500 mAh for the India model). Paired with a 65W wired charging speed and 7.5W reverse charging, the Nothing Phone 3 arguably offers more flexibility with its charging speeds and a significantly larger battery to back it up.
In real-world use, Samsung often delivers slightly better battery life due to LTPO display efficiency and tighter power management in One UI.
Which wins? Nothing Phone 3, purely based on the numbers showing that it charges faster and has more battery.
6. Software & AI Features
Samsung holds a significant lead in software longevity and AI integration. The Galaxy S25 ships with One UI 7.1 on Android 15 and offers seven years of OS and security updates, the longest support among Android OEMs. It comes with built-in Gemini Nano features like Generative Edit, Circle to Search, Live Translate, and battery-optimised AI suggestions.
The Nothing Phone 3 runs Nothing OS 3.5, a clean and lightweight Android skin, with useful features like Smart Widgets, advanced Glyph controls, and minimal bloat. It offers five years of OS updates and seven years of security patches.
Which wins? Samsung Galaxy S25, easily. Longer support and deeper AI functionality make it the smarter long-term pick.
Final Verdict: Which Should You Buy?
If you're looking for bold design, fast charging, and a clean software experience, the Nothing Phone 3 delivers a refreshing alternative to mainstream flagships. It’s ideal for users who want a unique device that still performs at a high level.
But if your priorities are camera versatility, AI-powered features, and long-term software support, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is the more well-rounded choice, especially for those planning to keep their phone for several years.
In other words, Nothing brings the fresh design; Samsung delivers the long-term performance. Either way, you’re getting a top-tier Android phone in 2025.
Kelechi Edeh
