Phone 3 isn’t your typical London device; it’s unique and playful, encouraging users to rethink their allegiance to Samsung or Apple.
As the brand’s inaugural high-end Android in several years, it encompasses everything a flagship phone should offer. It particularly distinguishes itself with its back design, featuring a smooth, dot-matrix-inspired interface along with a distinctive LED screen.
Starting at £799 (799 Euros/$799/$1,509), it’s priced double that of Phone 3 and will directly compete with the Samsung Galaxy S25, Google Pixel 9, and iPhone 16.
The back screen showcases notifications including icons, battery or volume indicators, and WhatsApp messages. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Previously, a semi-transparent design was introduced with Phone 1 in 2022. However, for Phone 3, these glyflights have evolved into a compact round matrix of LEDs in the top right corner of the back to exhibit icons, animations, and patterns.
This feature serves for basic notifications and can now showcase “toys” for unique experiences like the Magic Eight Ball, a stopwatch, or the Spin the Bottle game, activated with a touch-sensitive button on the back. More practically, it can show time, volume, charging status, or persistent icons for selected notifications or apps.
From the front, Phone 3 resembles an ordinary smartphone. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The rest of the rear design provokes mixed reactions with its unconventional arrangement of shapes and elements, likely displeasing symmetry enthusiasts.
The display, however, is a standard 6.7-inch OLED screen with a slim bezel and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Although it can be reflective on sunny days, it remains crisp, vibrant, and bright.
Specifications
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Screen: 6.7in 120Hz QHD+ OLED (460ppi)
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Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4
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RAM: 12 or 16GB
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Storage: 256 or 512GB
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Operating System: Nothing OS3.5 (Android 15)
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Camera: 50MP Main, 50MP 3X Telephoto, 50MP Ultra Wide, 50MP Selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, WiFi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6, GNSS
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Water Resistance: IP68
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Size: 160.6 x 75.6 x 9mm
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Weight: 218g
Snappy but Warm
Using the Glyph Matrix screen as a viewfinder requires significant effort to align your shots accurately. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chip, this version is a notch below the latest Snapdragon 8 elite processors found in most top-tier Android phones. While daily use reveals no performance lags, it may heat uncomfortably during intensive graphic tasks.
The battery life isn’t class-leading, offering around 40 hours under heavy 5G use. Most users will find it necessary to charge every couple of days with moderate usage, a reflection of Phone 2’s capabilities from two years ago.
With a compatible USB-C power adapter of 65W or more (not included), it can reach full charge in approximately 55 minutes, hitting 50% in just 19 minutes. Additionally, 15W wireless charging is available.
Nothing OS3.5
The OS is characterized by a stylized appearance with dot-matrix elements and is quite customizable. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
There’s little information regarding last year’s Android 15, but this version features a distinctive dot-matrix style that is user-friendly. Users wanting traditional colors for app identification may find the default Android styles more appealing.
Overall, the software operates smoothly with standard Google services included, alongside apps like The Weather and Voice Recorder. The Essential Space app, which first debuted on Phone 3A Pro, now incorporates audio recordings with glyph screen animations and cloud-based transcription services. Essential Search offers an AI-enhanced search for content across the device, providing assistance with basic queries as well.
Essential Space compiles screens, notes, and recordings, leveraging AI for understanding and summarizing content with mixed success. Composite: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian
It may not be the most exciting upgrade to Android 16 anticipated in late 2025, but it will provide five years of version updates and seven years of security updates, aligning with the top-tier offerings from Google and Samsung. Notably, applications like Netflix currently do not support HDR playback on Phone 3 due to certification constraints that limit them to SDR content.
Camera
The Nothing Camera app is relatively straightforward but includes most of the essential features for photography. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Nothing’s camera setup boasts three 50MP cameras on the back and a matching 50MP front-facing camera. The primary camera excels at producing detailed images, while the 3x optical zoom manages to preserve great detail and sharpness in well-lit scenes. It supports a zoom of up to 6x with the sensor and a digital zoom of 10x. The Ultra Wide Camera, however, is the weakest link – while it provides a great field of view, it lacks detail when zoomed in and distorts the edges of the frame.
It produces stunning photos in bright outdoor conditions, but transitioning between the three cameras can result in inconsistent color balance and tones, which is less than ideal. Indoor shooting can lead to odd gray tones under varying lighting.
The selfie camera offers commendable results, capturing details well, while the telephoto camera features a macro mode for close shots from around 10cm away, adding an element of fun.
While the Phone 3’s camera can produce good images, its inconsistencies prevent it from reaching the heights of its competitors in this price range.
Sustainability
The optical fingerprint scanner located at the bottom of the screen is quick and precise, though it sits low on the display. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The battery retains at least 80% of its original capacity over the span of 1,400 full charge cycles. The devices are generally repairable throughout the UK.
Crafted from recycled materials including aluminum, copper, plastic, steel, and other elements, it comprises 17.6% recycled content by weight. The associated carbon footprint equates to 53.2kg of CO2. The company has released a sustainability report.
Price
The Nothing Phone 3 starts at £799 (799 Euros/$799/$1,509) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
In comparison, the Phone 3A Pro is priced at £394, the Google Pixel 9 Pro at £999, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ at £999, the Samsung S25 Edge at £1,099, and the OnePlus 13 at £899.
Verdict
Phone 3 is a remarkable offering from Nothing, though it falls short of being an exceptional Android device. It’s undoubtedly more intriguing than its competitors, but one must genuinely desire something different to justify its appeal, considering there are better-performing options at this price point.
The software experience is strong, being fluid, customizable, and well-optimized. While it may not utilize the latest Android version, it offers 7 years of security updates and 5 years of version upgrades. The glyph screen is a fresh take, and the translucent back design is captivating, although it may divide opinions. The performance and battery life are solid, though perhaps not striking.
The camera’s inconsistencies signal that there’s room for improvement, but the potential of its AI tools offers some exciting prospects, despite still being rather basic.
For those who are looking for something a bit quirky, Phone 3 is an intriguing choice.
Pros: Great software, unique dot matrix screen, reliable performance, 3x telephoto camera, vibrant display, effective fingerprint scanner, quick charging, and long-term updates.
Cons: The camera exhibits inconsistency and lacks competitive edge, while battery life could be better. The AI features are not cutting-edge, and the asymmetrical design may not appeal to everyone.
The Glyph Matrix screen is a clever concept, packed with fun and customizable elements for various applications, contacts, and notifications. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Source: www.theguardian.com
