One of the best ways a smartphone company can prove its maturity is by launching a true flagship. For many brands, that milestone device represents a statement — a way of saying, “We’ve arrived.”
Nothing is stepping into that space with its latest device, the Phone (3). Priced at $799 / €799 / £799, this is their boldest attempt at creating a top-tier Android phone. It’s clearly aimed at users who might otherwise be eyeing the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, or even Apple’s entry-level iPhone 16.
Yet even with the more premium pricing and hardware improvements, the Phone (3) still stays true to Nothing’s core identity — doing things differently, even if it’s just for the sake of it. So, who’s the right fit for this phone?
Let’s go over what it brings to the table.
- The specs are on par with other flagships
On the spec sheet, the Phone (3) doesn’t fall short. It comes with a 6.67-inch OLED screen offering a 120Hz refresh rate, support for HDR10+, 1 billion colors, and brightness that peaks at 4,500 nits.
Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip from Qualcomm. While it’s a step below the elite Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, it’s built on the same 4nm process and paired with either 12GB or 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, along with 256GB or 512GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage. With Nothing OS 3.5 layered over Android 15, day-to-day performance is smooth and fluid.
Battery life is also solid. The 5,150mAh battery can comfortably last through a full day of average use. For recharging, it supports 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, along with Power Delivery 3.0. Like many modern phones, a charger isn’t included in the box.
The build quality is also in line with premium devices. The phone has an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass, dual SIM support (plus eSIM), and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. However, there’s no headphone jack.
- Cameras offer solid results with a few caveats
On the back, you’ll find three 50MP sensors — a main wide-angle lens, a 3x telephoto lens, and an ultrawide. The main sensor does most of the work and captures images with great detail and natural-looking colors.
The telephoto performs well at its native 3x zoom and holds up reasonably well up to 6x. Beyond that, image quality starts to fall off. The ultrawide lens delivers a 114-degree view and generally produces pleasing wide-angle shots.
For selfies, there’s a 50MP front-facing camera that also supports 4K video recording at 60 frames per second.
- The Glyph interface evolves — but is it practical?
Nothing continues to lean into unique design elements, and the Glyph system is a big part of that identity. Initially more of a novelty, the lights on the back now serve some functional purpose.
This time, the Phone (3) features what the company calls a Monochrome LED Display — a small matrix of 489 LEDs placed on the back corner of the device. It’s capable of showing basic app icons, animations, and info like time or battery status.
While some features, like the Magic 8-Ball or spin-the-bottle, might feel like gimmicks, others are more useful. For example, you can check your volume level or charging progress without turning the phone over. The rear also responds to touch, letting you interact with widgets straight from the Glyph interface.
It’s a creative upgrade, but whether it becomes genuinely useful or remains a quirky extra depends on how much support it gets going forward.
- Software that’s clean and simple
Nothing OS 3.5, built on Android 15, brings a distinctive visual style with its retro dot-matrix themes, but underneath that, it’s one of the cleanest Android skins available. It feels more like what you’d expect from a Pixel phone rather than a Samsung.
There are also some thoughtful software touches. Essential Space, for instance, allows you to record audio notes with the phone facing down, while showing visual cues on the Glyph display. Essential Search uses built-in AI to quickly answer questions based on your phone’s data.
The company says the phone will get five major Android updates and seven years of security patches, which is an impressive promise for long-term support.
- So, who’s this phone actually for?
At $799, the Phone (3) isn’t the best in any one category. The Pixel 9 Pro delivers better photography, the Galaxy S25+ edges out in raw performance, and both offer more established ecosystems and software polish. But this phone is meant for people who want something that doesn’t feel like everything else.
If you care about design and appreciate unconventional approaches, you’ll likely enjoy what Nothing has done here. It’s ideal for those who want a streamlined Android experience and see value in features like customizable LED notifications or the novel rear display.
On the flip side, this phone probably won’t appeal to heavy gamers who need top-tier thermal performance. It’s also not built for photography purists who expect flawless results from every lens. And if you rely on your phone for video streaming, you might be better off waiting until proper HDR certification is available.
It makes the most sense if you’re already a part of the Nothing ecosystem. If you own previous Nothing phones or use their earbuds, the experience feels more seamless. But for someone jumping from Apple or Samsung, it might take a bit more adjustment.
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