Nothing Phone 3 Review: Design, Performance, Camera, Best Features & Price Breakdown

Introduction: Nothing’s Bold Leap Into Flagship Territory

The Nothing Phone 3 marks a pivotal moment for Nothing Technology Limited, transitioning from successful mid‑range devices to a true flagship challenger. Officially unveiled on July 2, 2025, it introduces groundbreaking design, powerful performance, AI‑centric software, and advanced camera capabilities—all while retaining the brand’s signature transparent aesthetic (cincodias.elpais.com, theverge.com).

Nothing Phone 3: Design Language: A Transparent Evolution with Glyph Matrix

Building on its unmistakable transparent DNA, the Phone 3 introduces the Glyph Matrix—a circular 489‑micro‑LED dot‑matrix display on the rear that replaces the earlier Glyph light strips (cincodias.elpais.com).

Visual Personality Meets Practicality

More than an aesthetic flourish, the Glyph Matrix offers interactive notifications, visual cues, and fun mini‑apps like timers and micro‑games (“Glyph Toys”), all activated via a haptic Glyph Button. It can display caller IDs, battery info, a selfie preview, or even let users play Rock‑Paper‑Scissors directly on the back panel .

Build Quality and Durability

The Phone 3 sports a symmetrical bezel measuring just 1.87 mm around its large 6.67″ display, with Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and Victus-grade glass on the back. Encased in recycled aluminum, it meets IP68 dust and water resistance standards. At 218 g and 8.99 mm thick, it’s slimmer yet sturdier than its predecessor (businesstoday.in).

Nothing Phone 3: Display: Vivid, Bright, Immersive

The Phone 3 features a 6.67‑inch flexible AMOLED display with a 1260 × 2800 resolution (~1.5 K) and a smooth, adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate (businesstoday.in).

Outstanding Brightness and Durability

It boasts an astounding 4,500 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ support, delivering crisp visuals even under bright sunlight. Corning Gorilla Glass 7i adds scratch and drop resilience .

A Cinematic Experience

With 10‑bit color depth and a 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, motion is silky, colors pop, and animations feel ultra‑fluid—a clear step up from its predecessors (businesstoday.in).

Nothing Phone 3: Performance: Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Powerhouse

Inside, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset (4 nm) drives major upgrades: a 36% boost in CPU speed, an 88% lift in GPU capability, and a nearly 125% improvement in AI processing compared to its predecessor (cincodias.elpais.com).

Memory and Storage Options

Available in two high-end configurations—12 GB RAM/256 GB storage and 16 GB RAM/512 GB storage—the device uses LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage for fast app loading and multitasking (los40.com).

Responsible Power Consumption

Despite the potent internals, Nothing claims up to two days of moderate usage, aided by silicon‑carbon battery chemistry and intelligent power management .

Nothing Phone 3: Battery and Charging: Long-Lasting and Fast

The global model pairs a 5,150 mAh battery with blazing 65 W wired charging and 15 W wireless, fully charging in just 54 minutes. In India, battery capacity slightly rises to 5,500 mAh based on local reports (cincodias.elpais.com).

Reverse Charging & USB‑C Convenience

Reverse wireless charging at 5 W also enables top‑ups for earbuds or wearables. A standard USB‑C port handles all charging and data transfer needs .

Nothing Phone 3: Camera System: Versatility in 50 MP Quad Formation

The Phone 3’s imaging system stands out with four 50 MP cameras:

Video: Pro-Grade Capture

Equipped with the TrueLens Engine 4, it supports 4K/60 fps video with real-time HDR, motion tracking, low-light optimisation, and more (businesstoday.in).

A Photographer’s Toolkit

Early impressions note sharp daylight shots, improved low-light performance, and rich ultra-wide footage—though full reviews are underway to confirm consistency .

Nothing Phone 3: Software & AI: Nothing OS 3.5 with On‑Device Intelligence

Nothing OS 3.5, based on Android 15, comes pre-installed with a clean and bloat-free interface. A major update to Android 16 (Nothing OS 4.0) will arrive later in 2025 (cincodias.elpais.com).

AI Features That Matter

  • Essential Space: Consolidates screenshots, recordings, and notes with AI summarisation and transcript support. The new “Flip to Record” feature starts recording via Essential Key and Glyph Button (tomsguide.com).
  • Essential Search: A universal natural‑language search across apps, contacts, settings, and online queries (cincodias.elpais.com).

Interface Enhancements

Android updates include shared widgets, a re‑engineered Quick Settings panel with resizable toggles, fingerprint dot‑matrix animations, and a redesigned control centre reminiscent of iOS style (fonearena.com).

Update Commitment

Nothing promises five years of major OS upgrades and seven years of security patches, ensuring support up to Android 20 and beyond 2032 (tomsguide.com).

Nothing Phone 3: Connectivity & Build Integrity

Featuring dual 5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, eSIM, NFC, and global band support (including Indian NavIC), the Phone 3 is ready for global use (businesstoday.in). It also endured over 95,000 quality validation tests including drop, bend, and impact trials (businesstoday.in).

Nothing Phone 3: Market Positioning & Pricing

Priced at €799 (12 GB/256 GB) and €899 (16 GB/512 GB) in Europe, Nothing aims to clash with the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9 (cincodias.elpais.com).

India Launch Offers

In India, the Phone 3 is ₹79,999 for 12 GB/256 GB and ₹89,999 for 16 GB/512 GB. Pre-orders begin July 1 with a free Nothing Ear (₹14,999 value) and pre-order warranty benefits; retail availability starts July 15 across online and offline channels (businesstoday.in).

Flashy Launch Deals

Early buyers in India get offers like ₹14,999 earbuds, no-cost EMIs, and extended warranty options (businesstoday.in).

Nothing Phone 3: Competitive Landscape

The Phone 3 breaks Nothing’s mid-range mold, placing itself directly in flagship territory against Samsung, Apple, and Google. Unique features like the Glyph Matrix and tailored AI suite give it a distinct competitive edge (theverge.com).
While hardware checks nearly every box, real-world validation—especially in camera quality and battery endurance—will determine if it can stand toe-to-toe with rivals .

Nothing Phone 3: First Impressions: What Reviewers Are Saying

Positive responses highlight its bold design, novel Glyph matrix, clean and intelligent UI, and high-end performance (indianexpress.com). There’s intrigue around camera consistency and long-term battery life—full reviews expected soon .

Nothing Phone 3: Conclusion: A Fresh Flagship With Flair

The Nothing Phone 3 stands out by blending striking design (transparent panels + Glyph Matrix), flagship performance (Snapdragon 8s Gen 4), advanced AI tools, and robust camera hardware. With a competitive price and strong support commitment, it’s poised to disrupt the premium smartphone space.

For consumers seeking a device that’s both functional and fun, while knowledgeable users weigh it against ecosystem giants, the Phone 3 arrives as a bold statement from a brand unafraid to do things differently.

Let me know if you’d like deeper insights into performance benchmarks, camera tests under various scenarios, or comparisons with peer flagships!

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