Nothing Phone 3 Review
Nothing Phone 3 pros and cons
Distinctive design DNA, from packaging to Glyph Matrix screen.
Smooth everyday performance and novel software in Nothing OS.
Reliable all-day battery endurance.
Camera takes time to find footing in tricky lighting.
Bulky build does impact one-handed comfort.
The Nothing Phone 3 arrives as the boldest step yet from a brand that has built a strong reputation on being different.
Starting with smartphones, then branching out into accessories - and even a value-led diffusion line in CMF by Nothing - the London-based start-up’s youthful positioning, fashion-forward aesthetic and keen array of devices have attracted a steady legion of fans.
The Nothing Phone 3 represents the culmination of this philosophy to date, presenting a device that seeks to balance eye-catching distinction with the practical demands of a top-shelf smartphone in its first flagship effort.
Does it truly stand out from the crowd, or is Nothing Phone 3 a case study in style over substance? Read our review to find out.
Design and specifications
Design remains a cornerstone of Nothing, and it has really gone all the way out there in terms of looks with the Phone 3.
A semi-transparent rear echoes the unique stylings introduced with the first model back in 2022, displaying internal components that are carefully aligned to avoid clutter.
This deliberate arrangement reflects the company’s mantra of making technology both visible and approachable, immediately lending the phone - available in both black and white (latter reviewed) - an unmistakably distinct design.
The star of the show is a circular array of white LEDs, dubbed ‘The Glyph Matrix.’ An evolution of the segmented strips found on the rear of previous iterations, that could be tailored to flash in an assortment of patterns, the Glyph Matrix is cleaner, equally customisable and potentially even more functional.
Serving as a digital display for anything from notifications and charging progress to a simple clock, it lends the device a cool visual shorthand for daily use that also makes the Nothing Phone 3 instantly recognisable.
The clever bit comes in when you realise more functionality can be added to this tiny window, with micro-apps (dubbed ‘Glyph Toys’) turning it into anything from a magic 8-ball or spirit level to even a low-res selfie mirror.
It’s a playful and definitely a unique touch, giving Nothing Phone 3 further differentiation from the flock.
Physical specifications reinforce its premium positioning, with dimensions of 160.6 x 75.59 x 8.99mm, and a weight of 218 grams - firmly pitting it in flagship circles in terms of its heft.
The burnished aluminium frame extends to both volume buttons on the left and the power and ‘Space’ button on its right (more on that later), whilst Gorilla Glass protection contributes to durability (as well as that weight) with 7i on the front and Victus on the back.
An IP68 rating rounds things out with welcome resistance from both water and dust, and the net result is a substantial and premium-feeling phone, though at the expense of some ergonomic ease.
Interestingly, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset powers the device - certainly no slouch, but also not a variant opted for by current flagship competition.
A balance of power, efficiency and cost is no doubt… although savings not entirely shared with the customer given the retail price.
Memory comes in either 12GB or 16GB of RAM with 256GB or 512GB of storage, both using UFS 4.0.
Expandable memory is absent, yet connectivity is comprehensive with 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and eSIM support, as well as Bluetooth and NFC.
When it comes to security, both a rapid under-display fingerprint sensor and selfie-camera powered face unlock provide a variety of options.
Alongside the geometric shapes and random striations under the glass, as well as a patterning of circles is a trio of camera lenses, splayed out across the top-half of the device.
We’ll come back to how they shoot, but this adds yet another distinctive - yet divisive - visual element.
Bonus points for the layout also keeping the phone fairly stable when placed on a table.
Just as with my super-rare Phone 2a Plus Community Edition, there was no shortage of occasions where colleagues and friends alike stopped everything just to ask, “What is that phone?” - an incredibly rare occurrence, despite my smartphone promiscuity.
There’s no question that the Phone 3 injects some much-needed excitement to an otherwise stagnant smartphone market, but to take such bold swings on a flagship device is a testament to Nothing’s disruptive attitude shining through once again.
Display and audio
The display is one of the strongest features of the Nothing Phone 3, using a 6.67-inch OLED panel with a 1260 x 2800 resolution, boasting HDR support and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz.
With a quoted peak brightness of 4500 nits, the screen achieves excellent visibility in outdoor settings, rivalling the brightest displays on the market. Text is sharp, colours are vibrant yet measured, and motion remains fluid thanks to the adaptive refresh.
The adjustment of PWM dimming frequency from 2160 Hz to 960 Hz at low brightness levels is significant - a later, yet entirely welcome change post-launch - showcasing Nothing’s dedication to almost constant revision and refinement through software updates for their customers through community feedback.
This change improves consistency when using the phone in dim environments, reducing visible flicker while maintaining image clarity - a considered balance of comfort with visual performance. The outcome is a sharp, responsive and practical display, at parity with the standards expected of a premium device.
Audio performance reflects the same design intent, courtesy of a stereo speaker system that produces a wide soundstage, with clear mids and crisp treble. Vocals come through strongly, making it well-suited for dialogue in shows or podcasts.
High volumes introduce some distortion, particularly in bass-heavy tracks, but overall, the speakers hold their own - providing enough depth to make casual listening and video playback satisfying without resorting to headphones.
No headphone jack? No problem, as the wireless audio support spans the gamut of Bluetooth codecs, ensuring headphones and speakers - particularly Nothing’s own - are covered. This allows for higher bitrate streaming and reduced latency, which benefits both music playback and gaming, keeping sounds in sync with the action in the case of the latter.
Overall, the display and audio package place the Phone 3 firmly in direct competition with leading flagships, not necessarily winning the specs wars but offering a solid and well-rounded experience that excels during daily use.
Camera capabilities
The camera set-up on the Nothing Phone 3 is another stake in the ground for visual identity as much as function.
Three 50-megapixel sensors are placed far apart on the rear panel rather than collected in a compact block, with a wide spacing giving the phone an unconventional appearance.
The arrangement may appear odd at first glance, but it shows Nothing’s intention to make even functional components a fundamental part of its design language.
The system is built around these sensors all playing a different role. The main wide-angle lens is a 50MP effort with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation, designed to capture the most light and deliver balanced all-round results.
An ultrawide with an f/2.2 aperture and a 114-degree field of view deals with expansive landscapes and group scenes.
The periscope telephoto lens carries that same 50MP resolution once again, with an f/2.68 aperture, optical stabilisation and a 3x optical zoom, extending reach for portraits and distant framing.
The front-facing camera? Yep, one more 50MP lens, also delivering ultrawide at an f/2.2 aperture and is aimed at both serving up detailed stills and high-resolution video alike.
In bright light, the results from this system are strong. The main lens produces detailed images with accurate colour and broad dynamic range. The ultrawide keeps distortion under control at the edges, maintaining consistency with the main sensor’s colour profile.
The periscope telephoto stands out at 3x optical zoom, providing clear mid-range shots that avoid the pixelation associated with digital zoom. At closer ranges, portraits benefit from natural depth of field and good subject isolation.
On a visit to St Ives harbour, the wide lens captured the colourful boats and reflections with real precision, while the telephoto provided flattering portrait shots against the backdrop of cobbled streets.
In low light the system is less consistent. The wide sensor remains usable, but noise begins to intrude and fine detail softens. The ultrawide suffers more noticeably, losing sharpness and introducing grain, while the telephoto is significantly less effective in dim conditions, producing softer images with reduced dynamic range. The processing can misjudge exposure in mixed lighting, resulting in highlights that blow out or shadows that lose detail.
This became obvious during a late evening walk in Falmouth, where street lamps left sections of shots either too bright or too dark, and detail was lost in the shadows.
Video capture is flexible, with support for 4K at both 30 and 60 frames per second on the rear system, and 4K at 30 fps from the front camera.
Slow-motion is supported at up to 240 fps at 1080p, though results are less detailed at these reduced resolutions.
Stabilisation is generally effective for static and panning shots, but more dynamic motion exposes rolling shutter and occasional jitter. Colours and exposure in video are balanced, though transitions between bright and dim environments can cause temporary shifts.
Shooting surfers at Fistral Beach highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses here: smooth clips at steady pans, but shakier results when following quick, unpredictable movements.
Us being late to the party does have some benefits for this review however, as a raft of recent tweaks have improved things in the photography stakes for the Nothing Phone 3.
Manually adjusting exposure feels smoother and more precise, while earlier issues with unwanted colour tints in certain scenes have been corrected, producing more natural and balanced tones.
The AI SuperRes Zoom algorithm has been updated, giving text and fine details sharper definition at higher magnifications, whilst ‘Action Mode’ has been tuned to reduce noise in fast-moving shots, which makes a difference when capturing lively scenes.
Video clarity has also benefited, with enhanced contrast and less haze lending recordings more vibrancy, and even third-party apps now benefit from sharper, more consistent output.
In low light the system is less consistent. The wide sensor remains usable, but noise begins to intrude and fine detail softens. The ultrawide suffers more noticeably, losing sharpness and introducing grain, while the telephoto is significantly less effective in dim conditions, producing softer images with reduced dynamic range.
The processing can misjudge exposure in mixed lighting, resulting in highlights that blow out or shadows that lose detail. This became obvious during a late evening walk in Falmouth, where street lamps left sections of shots either too bright or too dark, and detail was lost in the shadows.
Video capture is flexible, with support for 4K at both 30 and 60 frames per second on the rear system, and 4K at 30fps from the front-facing effort.
Slow-motion is supported at up to 240 fps at 1080p, though results are less detailed at these reduced resolutions. Stabilisation is generally effective for static and panning shots, but more dynamic motion exposes rolling shutter and occasional jitter.
Colours and exposure in video are balanced, though transitions between bright and dim environments can cause temporary shifts. Shooting cyclists along the Promenade highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses here: smooth clips at steady pans, but shakier results when following quick, unpredictable movements.
When measured against its flagship peers, the Nothing Phone 3 holds its own without claiming the crown.
Google’s latest effort does still lead the way in computational photography, producing sharper and cleaner shots in low light, whilst Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra continues to dominate long-range zoom, extending reach further with greater clarity and the iPhone (Pros) remain unmatched for video stability and colour science.
The Phone 3 may not surpass these individual strengths, but it still offers a well-rounded system handling most scenarios with confidence and care, all whilst distinguishing visually by its striking camera array.
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Performance and software
Performance is delivered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, a chipset designed to provide strong efficiency and high performance across a range of workloads.
Paired with up to 16 GB of RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, the phone delivers responsive multitasking, fast app launches and smooth gaming performance.
In practical terms, it matches many flagship devices, though the absolute highest benchmarks remain the territory of the Snapdragon 8 Elite in rival handsets.
Nothing OS, layered on Android 15, carries forward the company’s design-led philosophy. The interface is minimal, clean and consistent, avoiding unnecessary duplication or excessive bloatware - and includes all of the AI-powered benefits of Gemini
Animations are carefully tuned, and the integration of the Glyph Matrix extends into software functions, providing unique interactions for notifications, calls and charging. This reinforces the brand’s nature of pairing hardware identity with software design.
The headline addition unique to more recent Nothing devices - including the Phone 3 - is Essential Space, an AI-driven hub accessed via the dedicated Essential Key on the side of the phone.
Pressing this button - uniquely glossy amongst the matte keys flanking the device - opens a streamlined environment for everything from notes and voice recordings to screenshots and reminders, with on-device AI used to tidy, tag and surface saved content.
One interesting wrinkle is that this useful addition is on a bit of a time limit - 300 minutes of use which refreshes on a regular basis.
In Nothing OS 3.5 the Essential Key can be customised, with recent updates allowing content to be saved directly from the clipboard, making it quick to grab quotes, addresses or reference material without navigating through menus.
The result is a dedicated workspace that encourages focus while remaining only a button-press away from the wider operating system - a welcome feature, applied with conviction into the Nothing Phone 3’s functionality.
Nothing has also committed to five years of Android upgrades and extended security updates, positioning the Phone 3 as a long-term device.
While Samsung and Google now offer seven years of updates respectively, Nothing’s policy remains among the strongest commitments in the Android space.
The software experience therefore reflects the wider identity of the brand - distinctive, minimalist and design-conscious, while delivering reliable performance and some breathing space for everyday use.
Battery life and charging
The Nothing Phone 3 includes a 5150 mAh battery, with real-world performance seeing the phone comfortably lasting a full day under typical use, and screen times in the range of six to seven hours.
Light usage can extend briefly into a second day, while intensive workloads reduce endurance, but rarely leave the phone short before the evening charge.
Charging performance is competitive. Wired charging at 65W delivers up tp 60% in thirty minutes, with a full charge taking just over an hour as the curve tapers to protect long-term health.
Wireless charging is supported at 15W, with reverse wireless charging allows smaller devices such as earbuds to be topped up too.
This battery performance places the Phone 3 among dependable flagships - it’s not matching the extreme endurance of devices with larger cells, but it avoids the pitfalls of underpowered premium devices with trickle charging limits.
One drawback is its repairability, with the unique design making battery replacement more complex than on some rivals.
Nothing Phone 3 UK pricing and availability
At the time of writing, the Nothing Phone 3 is priced at £799 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, with the 16GB RAM and 512GB storage model priced at £899.
The device is available in a dusky black and striking white hue across both sizes, though the larger storage configuration has been less readily available due to popular demand.
This pricing places the Phone 3 firmly in the flagship segment alongside devices like the iPhone 17, Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and Google’s Pixel 10.
Nothing has chosen not to undercut its rivals but stand alongside them, confidently signalling this new step for both brand identity and the premium nature of the Phone 3.
Final verdict
The Nothing Phone 3 is nothing short of a distinctive flagship that represents the apex of the company’s design-led ethos.
Its semi-transparent design, Glyph Matrix display and minimalist software make it one of the most recognisable devices available, with performance, display quality and battery life all strong enough to earn the mantle of a premium smartphone.
However, there are some areas of improvement in camera performance, compromises on weight that come as a consequence of such a distinctive design, and some question marks on the degree of repairability, which is admittedly a rarity in many devices these days.
For those who value a sense of originality, a bold design language and technical performance in equal measure, the Nothing Phone 3 stands as a compelling choice in 2025.
For buyers who are more laser-focused solely on imaging excellence, other options may prove just as compelling - particularly given the price point.
What can’t be disputed is that Nothing has clearly achieved in its aim of producing a phone that is as much an expression of style and modern sensibility as it is a piece of mobile technology - and for that, they should be applauded.
