After months of anticipation and teasing on social media, the Nothing Phone 3 has finally made its debut. Positioned as Nothing’s boldest release yet, the company proudly calls it a “true flagship,” aiming to rival giants like Samsung and Google. But does this phone truly live up to the hype? In this article, we’ll dive into what makes the Nothing Phone 3 stand out, where it excels, and where it might just fall short of being a full-fledged flagship phone in 2025.
Table of Contents
- 📱 When Was the Last True New Flagship?
- 🎨 Design That Grows on You
- ⚡ Flagship-Level Specs?
- 🚀 Powering the Phone 3
- 📸 Cameras: A 50MP Trio
- 💰 Pricing: Does It Match the Flagship Status?
- 🤔 Final Thoughts: The Almost Flagship
- ❓ FAQ
📱 When Was the Last True New Flagship?
It’s been a while since we saw a genuinely new flagship phone that isn’t just another iteration from the usual suspects like Google or Samsung. The smartphone market often feels saturated with incremental upgrades rather than groundbreaking designs or features. That’s why the launch of the Nothing Phone 3 felt like a breath of fresh air. Nothing is a company known for its innovative approach, bringing fresh design and unique touches that differentiate their phones from the crowd.
The question remains: what truly defines a flagship? Is it the processor, the cameras, the display, or simply the price point? The Nothing Phone 3 aims to tick all those boxes, and from first impressions, it seems to come close.
🎨 Design That Grows on You
The design of the Nothing Phone 3 is unmistakably a Nothing phone — it screams the brand’s identity with its distinctive look. While initial leaks made the design seem a bit unusual or even “wonky,” handling the phone in person changes the perspective. The feel in the hand is surprisingly pleasant and well-crafted.
One of the most talked-about design elements is the camera module. It’s unlike any other flagship on the market, featuring lenses that protrude quite noticeably. This could potentially cause issues like catching on pockets or concerns about durability since the cameras lack a protective housing. It’s something to keep an eye on in long-term use.
Another significant design shift is the removal of the iconic glyphs — the unique light patterns on the back that have been a signature feature of Nothing phones. Instead, the Phone 3 introduces the “glyph matrix,” a dot matrix display in the top right corner of the back. While it offers some playful features like a magic eight ball, spin the bottle game, and the ability to show the time or battery percentage, it’s a bit underwhelming compared to the original glyphs.
A neat touch on the glyph matrix is a small red blinking dot that lights up when recording video, letting people know they’re being filmed — a subtle but thoughtful addition.
⚡ Flagship-Level Specs?
On paper, the Nothing Phone 3 boasts impressive specifications, but keep in mind that this is a first impression — no in-depth testing or photo comparisons have been allowed yet.
The display is a standout: a 6.7-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It’s big, bright, and smooth, delivering the visual experience you’d expect from a flagship device.
Battery life also looks promising. The Phone 3 packs a 5,150mAh battery — larger than both the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Charging speeds are impressive too, with 65W fast charging that outpaces those competitors. Additionally, the phone supports 15W wireless charging.
One standout feature is the use of a silicon carbon battery, something rarely seen in flagship phones. Neither Samsung nor Google have adopted this technology yet. Silicon carbon batteries can theoretically offer longer life and allow for more battery capacity within the same size cell, and the Phone 3 has 17% more battery capacity than its predecessor, the Phone 2.
🚀 Powering the Phone 3
Here’s where the Phone 3 might lose some of its flagship luster. Instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite chipset found in some top-tier phones, Nothing opted for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 (referred to as Snapdragon 8 S Gen 4). This decision disappointed some, as the Elite chip offers more raw power.
However, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 is no slouch. For everyday use, gaming, and heavy workloads over extended periods, the Phone 3 performs nearly on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite. It even outperforms the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s Tensor G4 chip in many scenarios.
For US buyers, a caveat: the Phone 3 lacks support for millimeter-wave 5G, which could be a consideration depending on your carrier and location.
Overall, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 is a solid choice, especially if the phone hadn’t been marketed as a “true flagship.” That label sets high expectations that the chipset doesn’t fully meet, but for most users, performance will be more than adequate.
📸 Cameras: A 50MP Trio
The camera setup on the Nothing Phone 3 is unique in that all sensors are 50 megapixels — including the main, ultra-wide, telephoto zoom, and even the selfie camera. This uniformity is unusual and intriguing.
Unfortunately, no sample photos or detailed camera software information were available during the initial hands-on, so we can’t comment on image quality yet. The cameras seem to perform decently, but we’ll have to wait for a full review to see how they stack up against flagship competitors.
💰 Pricing: Does It Match the Flagship Status?
The Nothing Phone 3 starts at $799 for the 256GB version and goes up to $899 for the 512GB model. This pricing places it in the premium range, close to other flagship devices like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Is it worth the price? That’s a tough call without a full review, but it’s perhaps a bit higher than some expected. However, the phone offers five years of OS updates and seven years of security patches, which is nearly flagship-level support and adds value over time.
🤔 Final Thoughts: The Almost Flagship
First impressions suggest that Nothing has crafted an “almost” true flagship phone. The design is refreshingly different and will likely attract buyers who want something unique. While the initial look might be divisive, the more you see and hold the Phone 3, the more appealing it becomes.
Performance-wise, it’s very capable but doesn’t quite reach the peak power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite phones. The cameras are promising but remain unproven until further testing. The removal of the iconic glyphs in favor of the glyph matrix might disappoint some longtime fans.
Paired with Nothing’s new $300 headphones, the Phone 3 offers a distinctive style package that could help you stand out in a sea of smartphones.
What do you think about the Nothing Phone 3? Has Nothing fallen just short of delivering a flagship, or are you excited about what they’ve brought to the table? Let us know your thoughts!
❓ FAQ
What makes the Nothing Phone 3 a flagship?
The Phone 3 features a large 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a sizable 5,150mAh battery with fast charging, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 processor, and a unique 50MP quad-camera setup, all of which fit the flagship criteria.
Why did Nothing remove the glyphs from the Phone 3?
Nothing replaced the traditional glyphs with a new glyph matrix — a dot matrix that offers some interactive features but is less prominent and exciting than the original glyphs.
Does the Nothing Phone 3 support millimeter-wave 5G?
No, especially for US buyers, the Phone 3’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset does not support millimeter-wave 5G, which may affect the highest-speed 5G connectivity.
How does the Phone 3’s battery compare to competitors?
The Phone 3 has a larger battery capacity than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro XL, with faster charging speeds and support for wireless charging, thanks to its silicon carbon battery technology.
Is the Nothing Phone 3 worth its price?
Priced between $799 and $899, the Phone 3 is in the premium range. It offers strong specs and long-term software support, but without a full review, it’s hard to definitively say if it’s the best value compared to other flagship phones.
