The Nothing Phone 3 is here with a new look and flagship ambitions
With a fresh design, flagship-level pricing, and just enough quirk to feel different, the Nothing Phone 3 makes a bold first step into premium territory.
The Nothing brand has been in business for less than five years, but since it came on the scene, it’s been quietly making a name for itself with its bold designs and budget-friendly approach.
Now, Nothing is finally taking things a step further as it dips its foot into the flagship market with the launch of the Nothing Phone (3), the third in the series, following the midrange Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro. This one’s different. It’s positioned as the company’s “first true flagship,” and priced to match, sitting right alongside the base models of Apple and Samsung’s latest flagships, the iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25, at $799. But is it really the same?
Right off the bat, the part that breaks my heart the most is that Nothing decided to get rid of its iconic Glyph interface, the light strips that lit up the backs of earlier phones in unique patterns. In its place is a mini customizable LED screen called the Glyph Matrix.
Video Credit: Nothing
This new matrix display can be used to show things like app alerts, contact notifications, and even progress indicators, so it feels kind of like the old Glyph interface, just with more nuance and a bit more “life” to it.
Better yet, Nothing is opening the Glyph Matrix to developers through a public SDK, inviting the community to build their own widgets, indicators, and even games like spin the bottle or rock-paper-scissors.
Aside from the glyph, the entire back of the phone looks a bit different with a new and somewhat chaotic camera arrangement. It’s no longer the neatly packed square or circle we’re used to, and it’s definitely the kind of design you either love or hate at first glance.
Under the hood, the Phone (3) runs on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, a strong performer, unlike most competitors, who are opting for the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Elite chip. It should still hold its own for everything short of hardcore mobile gaming. It’s paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage, which is pretty generous and right in line with what other flagship phones offer at this level.
You also get a solid 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution, now capable of hitting 4,500 nits of peak brightness, more than double the Phone (2)’s. Battery life also gets a bump, with a 5,150mAh cell (or 5,500mAh in the India version), along with 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. Nothing has even added IP68 water and dust resistance for the first time.
All in all, if there’s one thing to like about the Nothing Phone (3), I’d say it’s the design. Even though the specs may not be as elite as the rest (see what I did there?👀), it still delivers on the things people care about most: battery, aesthetics, and just enough novelty to feel different. And for a first attempt at this category, it’s a pretty bold start. Things can only get better from here on out.
Kelechi Edeh
