Nothing Phone (3) Review: Miffed by The Glyph

Value When Reviewed

From $799 | Mannequin reviewed $899

Greatest Costs In the present day: Nothing Cellphone (3)

In 2025, except you need a foldable, it’s truthful to say that the smartphone market is a bit boring. Established cellphone makers proceed with their tried and examined strategies, leading to fashions that always promote nicely however do little to get shoppers really excited.  

British firm Nothing has taken the alternative strategy. Throughout all six of its handsets thus far (and two extra from sub-brand CMF), it’s mixed daring {hardware} with genuinely distinctive software program. But, as the corporate has confirmed, its market share within the first six months of 2025 sat at simply 0.2%. 

Will the corporate’s first flagship assist change that? A primary essential cellphone launch within the US because the Cellphone (2) two years in the past ought to assist that, however the Cellphone (3) faces very sturdy competitors from the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16. 

Does it actually do sufficient to tempt you away from Google, Samsung and Apple? I spent every week utilizing the Nothing Cellphone (3) as my essential cellphone to search out out. 

Design & Construct

• New ‘Glyph Matrix’ display screen
• Semi-transparent design stays
• IP68 water and dirt resistance

The design of the Cellphone (3) is undoubtedly the primary purpose to purchase it. Not solely is it very totally different to each different premium handset on the market, nevertheless it’s additionally an enormous shift away from what we’ve seen on previous Nothing telephones. 

Should you’ve already learn something in regards to the Cellphone (3) earlier than this, you’ll know precisely what I’m speaking about. The ‘Glyph Interface’ lights that outlined earlier fashions are gone, changed with a brand new ‘Glyph Matrix’ show within the top-right nook. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

This small, monochrome LED show has numerous potential, going far past the customized notifications and distinctive caller gentle patterns we noticed from the lights.  

A lot of the expertise centres on ‘Glyph Toys’, which let you work together with the display screen through a devoted ‘Glyph Button’ on the again of the cellphone. With a single press to cycle between toys and a protracted press to set off one, it’s very straightforward to make use of, but extremely restricted at launch. 

On my overview unit, solely 4 instruments can be found: a digital clock, a stopwatch, a battery indicator and a ‘Spin the bottle’ device. It saves having to flip the cellphone over and probably get distracted, nevertheless it’s every thing it could’t do but that basically frustrates me. 

Nothing has confirmed that there’ll be additional ‘Glyph Toys’ corresponding to a mirror-style device for framing selfies utilizing the primary digicam, a photo voltaic clock, a leveller device and even a model of the favored Magic 8 Ball recreation, however none of those can be found at launch. 

Trying additional forward, the corporate has made the related recordsdata accessible to builders, paving the way in which for lots extra third-party choices. However I’ve to overview the ‘Glyph Matrix’ as it’s as we speak, which is undoubtedly underwhelming. 

The association of the rear cameras can also be uncommon, to say the least. For some purpose, Nothing has determined to place the telephoto lens diagonally above the primary sensor, somewhat than within the accessible area subsequent to the ultrawide. 

Consequently, you lose all semblance of symmetry, and the cellphone simply appears to be like bizarre, for my part. When holding it as much as my ear for a cellphone name, I felt barely ridiculous. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nothing has caught with the semi-transparent aesthetic, though it’s extra obvious on the ‘White’ mannequin I’ve examined than the ‘Black’ model. I’m typically a fan of this, although the glass does shortly present loads of fingerprint smudges. 

The latter level is related as a result of the Cellphone (3) is without doubt one of the few telephones I may see myself utilizing case-free. A transparent silicone case is included within the field, nevertheless it detracts from the distinctive design, and I discovered there to be sufficient grip already. 

Sturdiness is superb, too. With Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus on the again and Gorilla Glass 7i on the entrance, plus a tricky aluminium body, the cellphone is rated to outlive most bumps, drops and scratches. Apart from a few falls onto a desk, I haven’t correctly examined this, nevertheless it definitely feels well-built. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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You don’t have to fret about water or mud, both. The Cellphone (3) has a flagship-level IP68 score, which means it’ll survive submersion in as much as 1.5m of contemporary water for as much as half-hour and is totally protected against mud. 

Nonetheless, in case you have been searching for a light-weight or simply pocketable cellphone, this isn’t it. The Cellphone 3 measures 160.6 x 75.6 x 9mm and weighs a comparatively hefty 218g, although these figures aren’t out of the unusual in case you’re used to large telephones. 

Display & Audio system

• 6.67-inch, AMOLED show
• Full HD+ decision, 120Hz
• Stereo audio system

So, sure, the Nothing Cellphone (3) is a big handset, however that’s as a result of there’s a 6.67-inch show to slot in. 

And what a show it’s. Apart from a QHD show (the 1260 x 2800 decision right here is greater than sufficient), it’s acquired all of the options you’d count on from a high-end smartphone display screen. 

I’m speaking AMOLED, which means you get wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks. Nothing’s Android pores and skin depends closely on the latter, which means you get to see it in its full glory. I’ve liked utilizing it for YouTube movies, gaming, net searching and every thing in between.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Should you’re not a fan of this vivid look, merely head into Settings and swap the default ‘Alive’ mode for a truer-to-life ‘Commonplace’. Right here, you can too fine-tune the color temperature to your liking. 

A 120Hz refresh fee is predicted as of late, nevertheless it feels extremely quick and easy on the Cellphone (3). The default ‘Dynamic’ mode does a very good job of adjusting this mechanically, even when the Cellphone (2)’s LTPO tech (which allowed it to drop as little as 1Hz) is gone. 

Provided that I’ve darkish mode enabled and it’s a shiny show, I used to be involved about out of doors visibility. However an unbelievable peak brightness of 4500 nits means you don’t have to fret about that. Even the 785 nits I recorded at dwelling make it straightforward to view, even in direct daylight. 

With HDR10+ assist, 1.07 billion colors and a 1000Hz contact sampling, the Cellphone (3)’s show has every thing I’m searching for in a flagship cellphone display screen. The truth that the bezel is so slim (92.89% screen-to-body ratio) and constant all the way in which round is the icing on the cake.

Inside the display screen, you’ll discover an optical fingerprint sensor. I discovered this typically quick and dependable, although it was delicate to moisture and any uncommon angles. Coming from the Pixel 9 Professional XL, I additionally actually missed with the ability to authenticate funds and log into apps utilizing my face – the model on the Cellphone (3) isn’t safe sufficient. 

The Cellphone (3) boasts the usual dual-speaker setup we’ve come to count on on flagship telephones. The audio received’t blow you away, however there’s a satisfying depth to the sound, making it wonderful for informal listening and spectacular for calls. Two high-definition mics guarantee voice recordings and movies stay clear and crisp, too. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
• 12/256GB and 16/512GB fashions accessible
• One of many first Bluetooth 6.0 telephones

The Cellphone (3) is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip. Should you’re aware of Qualcomm chipsets, that may sound regarding – why doesn’t a so-called flagship use a real flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite? 

That was a query I had, too, till I began testing it. Whereas the 8s Gen 4 is a small step down when it comes to pure output, the Cellphone (3)’s efficiency remains to be very spectacular.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Alongside 16GB of RAM on the mannequin I examined (the cheaper model has 12GB), it breezed by all on a regular basis duties with ease. We’re speaking net searching, emails, messages, just a few calls and loads of pictures. Even when shortly switching between them, there was no hesitation or slowdown by any means. 

Actually, I’d go so far as to say that the Cellphone (3) is the quickest cellphone I’ve examined in a very long time. It even feels sooner than the Galaxy S25+ and Pixel 9 Professional XL, each of that are considerably costlier. This factor is totally speedy. 

Gaming is the place the Cellphone (3) begins to point out limitations. On high-end titles corresponding to Name of Obligation: Cellular, EA Sports activities FC and Actual Racing 3, there have been just a few dropped frames, and the again of the cellphone acquired very heat to the contact. Nonetheless, they’re nonetheless very playable, and also you’ll don’t have any downside with extra informal titles. 

General, the efficiency of Cellphone (3) stunned me in one of the best ways. Alongside the 120Hz refresh fee, it makes for a potent mixture. 

The quantity of RAM you select determines how a lot storage you’ll get. 12GB will get you 256GB, whereas 16GB will double that to 512GB. Both ought to be loads for most individuals, however simply ensure you get sufficient, as there’s no assist for expandable storage. You do get a twin bodily SIM card tray, although. 

It’s additionally value noting that the Cellphone (3) is without doubt one of the first smartphones to assist the most recent Bluetooth 6.0 normal. In comparison with older variations, that is anticipated to enhance reliability, scale back latency and ship the next normal of safety. 

Nothing Cellphone (3) benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp, f/1.7 essential
• 50Mp, f/2.7 3x periscope telephoto 
• 50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide   
• 50Mp, f/2.2 selfie 

On paper, the Nothing Cellphone (3) has some spectacular cameras. All 4 sensors (f/1.7 essential, f/2.2 ultrawide, f/2.7 periscope telephoto and f/2.2 selfie) are 50Mp, avoiding the widespread tendency to scale back the megapixel depend on supporting lenses. 

Nonetheless, as we all know, much more goes into an incredible picture or video. So, how do they really carry out? 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

On the entire, fairly nicely. The primary lens is undoubtedly the spotlight, producing clear, crisp pictures which can be brimming with element. It affords sturdy dynamic vary and usually handles publicity nicely, together with some pretty advanced skies. Nonetheless, it could battle to precisely seize shadows at instances. 

Generally, pictures are impressively true to life, but have simply sufficient post-processing to make them simply shareable on social media or elsewhere. 

I’m additionally impressed with the way in which it handles low-light environments. The mechanically enabled night time mode manages to maintain issues simply shiny sufficient with out trying unrealistic or introducing an excessive amount of noise. 

Nonetheless, there’s one factor that also units the cellphone again when in comparison with the competitors: consistency. The Cellphone (3)’s essential lens can take wonderful pictures – simply not each time you hit the shutter button.  

For each 5 pictures, there’s one dud, which suggests you may’t all the time depend on it when it’s essential shortly snap a shot. With regards to point-and-shoot pictures, the identically priced Pixel 9 is a transparent step up. 

For pictures from additional away, you’ll wish to change to the periscope telephoto lens, which affords 3x optical zoom. I’m actually impressed with the element on supply at 2x and 3x, although high quality shortly declines as soon as digital zoom kicks in after that. You possibly can go all the way in which to 60x, however I wouldn’t suggest it. 

Whereas you should utilize the primary lens for portrait pictures, most modes depend on the telephoto. A number of the canine pictures I captured appeared impressively skilled, although look extra carefully and also you’ll see the apparent points with edge detection. It’s very straightforward to fine-tune to your liking, although. 

Given it has the identical megapixel depend as the primary digicam, I had excessive hopes for the 50Mp ultrawide. However, whereas nonetheless very usable, it’s a a lot greater step down than I hoped. Publicity, dynamic vary, element and color accuracy are all sacrificed barely, cancelling out many of the advantages of the 114˚ subject of view. 

See the complete vary of samples from the rear digicam within the gallery under:

Nonetheless, the front-facing digicam is perhaps my favorite of the lot. It delivers persistently clear, crisp selfies, dealing with my pores and skin tone nicely and avoiding overexposing backgrounds. A portrait mode can also be accessible right here, and appears to be extra profitable at studying the place my shirt ends and the background begins. 

General, the Cellphone (3)’s cameras aren’t dangerous by any means, and genuinely spectacular in some areas. However there are sufficient drawbacks to make it a transparent step down from the perfect digicam telephones round. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 5150mAh battery
• 65W wired charging
• 15W wi-fi, however not Qi2

The Nothing Cellphone (3) boasts a sizeable 5150mAh battery in most international locations, although that’s considerably smaller than the 5500mAh cell discovered on the Indian model. 

Nonetheless, I used to be optimistic in regards to the cellphone’s battery life, and it hasn’t upset me. In lots of eventualities, the Cellphone (3) is comfortably a two-day cellphone. With lighter utilization, whereas working from dwelling, I may stretch that to nearly three. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In fact, going 72 hours between plugging in isn’t necessary when an influence supply is inside straightforward attain.  

The essential element right here is {that a} full cost will nearly all the time get you to the top of the day, even with numerous GPS navigation, cellular information and excessive brightness. Except you intend on a number of hours of gaming, the Cellphone (3) will make it to bedtime. 

This wonderful battery life is mirrored in our normal PCMark battery check, which simulates real-world duties at a reasonably typical 200 nits of brightness. A time of 17 hours and 23 minutes is without doubt one of the finest we’ve ever seen. Make no mistake, battery life is without doubt one of the Cellphone (3)’s greatest property.

Make no mistake, battery life is without doubt one of the Cellphone (3)’s greatest property

By way of charging, the Cellphone (3) can hit 65W speeds utilizing its official charger, with a full cost taking solely 54 minutes. Nonetheless, it’s not included within the field, so that you’ll need to pay for it individually. 

I examined it utilizing a 65W charger I already owned, however speeds have been a bit of underwhelming, with round 90 minutes required to go from 0-100%. For a faster increase, half-hour took the cellphone to 38%, which is sufficient for just a few hours generally. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

15W wi-fi and 5W reverse wi-fi charging are additionally included, however that is utilizing the older Qi normal versus the present Qi2. 

Software program & Apps

• Nothing OS 3.5 over Android 15
• Android 16 confirmed for Q3 2025
• 5 years of OS updates, seven years of safety patches

Out of the field, the Cellphone (3) runs on the Nothing OS 3.5 software program, a personalized model of Android 15 that’s particularly designed for Nothing gadgets.  

Nothing has confirmed that the Android 16-based Nothing OS 4 shall be accessible in Q3 of 2025 – in different phrases, any time earlier than the top of September. Many Android cellphone makers are imprecise in the case of a timeline for Android 16, so that is refreshing to see. 

Trying additional forward, Nothing says it should assist the Cellphone (3) with 5 years of main OS updates, plus an extra two years of safety patches. That’s its finest dedication so far, although barely in need of Pixel telephones and Samsung flagships, which supply seven years of each. It may not seem to be an enormous distinction, however in case you like to hold onto your telephones for a very long time or move them on to mates or household, it’s important. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nonetheless, what you’re actually shopping for the Cellphone (3) for is the software program expertise as we speak. I need to confess, I by no means actually acquired what Nothing OS was all about prior to now. However after getting issues arrange simply the way in which I wished, I’ve actually loved utilizing it. 

Nothing’s signature black and crimson aesthetic, futuristic icon design and in depth widget assortment mix for a really distinctive Android expertise. The setup I settled on under consists of 4 significant (and enticing widgets), key fast settings and my most-used apps, however the prospects are infinite.

I additionally actually like the brand new app drawer, which may mechanically group your apps into classes, which I discovered to be typically correct. The apps you utilize most frequently are bigger than the others, making it straightforward to navigate. 

I by no means actually acquired what Nothing OS was all about prior to now. However after getting issues arrange simply the way in which I wished, I’ve actually loved utilizing it

Nothing has additionally upgraded the search performance inside the app drawer, permitting you to simply entry contacts, pictures and recordsdata, plus search utilizing its personal generative AI. I discovered the latter pretty restricted, providing ChatGPT-style responses to easy prompts however fighting extra advanced queries. 

Elsewhere, Nothing continues to make use of AI comparatively sparingly, with some ChatGPT integrations elsewhere, a generative AI wallpaper device and a curated information widget. 

‘Important House’, launched on the (3a) sequence, continues to be the primary draw, permitting you to simply seize your display screen or the world round you through a photograph, video or audio recording, all of which will be analysed and summarised to seek for later.

It may be shortly accessed through the devoted ‘Important Key’ on the aspect of the cellphone:

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

A brand new characteristic comes within the type of ‘Flip to File’, which triggers a voice recording (and subsequent summarisation) while you long-press the ‘Important Key’ and flip your cellphone display screen aspect down. It really works as described, however doesn’t really feel any extra handy than simply launching the Recorder app. 

For me, ‘Important House’ nonetheless usually feels cluttered and overwhelming. Whereas the search perform helps, I nonetheless desire capturing one thing manually and discovering it in Google Photographs. Nonetheless, this characteristic ought to proceed to get higher over time. 

Value & Availability

At launch, the Nothing Cellphone (3) begins at £799/$799. That’ll get you a mannequin with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, whereas doubling the latter to 512GB (the model I examined) prices £899/$899. 

You possibly can pre-order one immediately from Nothing, with extra retailers and UK networks anticipated as soon as the cellphone is launched on 15 July. 

That beginning value means it’s technically a flagship cellphone, although far cheaper than the likes of the Galaxy S25 Extremely (from £1,249/$1,299.99). Nonetheless, there’s no scarcity of rivals, with the common Galaxy S25, Pixel 9 and iPhone 16 all priced identically. 

Must you purchase the Nothing Cellphone (3)?

Except you like the design, most likely not. The Cellphone (3) will get lots proper, together with a beautiful show, top-class construct high quality and among the finest battery lifetime of any 2025 cellphone. 

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 nonetheless delivers speedy efficiency, whereas seven years of safety updates are up there with the perfect round.  

Nonetheless, 5 years of OS updates are behind Samsung and Google’s dedication, whereas the cameras nonetheless want work to be up there with the easiest. 

Finally, it’s the design that may make or break this cellphone. I’m personally not an enormous fan, and I think about most individuals will really feel an analogous approach, so I can’t suggest it over key rivals at this value. However in case you love the way in which the Cellphone (3) appears to be like, there aren’t any dealbreakers elsewhere. 

Specs

• Nothing OS 3.5, based mostly on Android 15   
• 6.67-inch, 1260 x 2800, AMOLED, 120Hz   
• Optical in-display fingerprint scanner   
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy   
• 12/16GB RAM   
• 256/512GB storage  
• 50Mp, f/1.7 essential digicam 
• 50Mp, f/2.7 3x periscope telephoto 
• 50Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide   
• 50Mp, f/2.2 selfie  
• As much as 4K @ 60fps rear video   
• Stereo audio system   
• Twin-SIM + eSIM   
• Wi-Fi 7  
• Bluetooth 6.0 
• 5150mAh battery   
• 65W wired charging   
• 15W wi-fi charging 
• 5W reverse wi-fi charging 
• 160.6 x 75.6 x 9 mm  
• IP68 water and dirt resistance 
• 218g  
• Colors: Black, White