Nothing Phone 3 Review—The Design Leaves the Audience Divided

Nothing, as a brand, has made a name for itself for being one of the most unique smartphone and tech businesses on the market today, and its first truly “flagship” phone is finally out. A Nothing Phone 3 review is in order to get a closer look at the quirky cousin to the original Nothing smartphone, and we have a very mixed response to the new gadget. The Nothing Phone 3’s design stands tall at its eye-catching best, but the well-loved glyph feature has been replaced with something more minimal, leaving behind a more chaotic mess on the back than we’d like. 

Still, far be it from us to knock innovation when we see it, and so we turn our eyes to the Nothing Phone 3 specs, and here, the company has outperformed itself, bringing a more upgraded phone than we’ve seen from the mainline Nothing models or the CMF sister phones. With the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, the 5,150mAh battery, and the tri-camera setup, there is a lot to love about the device. Are these upgrades enough to justify the Nothing Phone 3’s pricier price tag? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Nothing Phone 3 Review—The Glyph Matrix Takes A Grand Bow for Its Creativity

Nothing has been around since 2021, and it has slowly but steadily grown a massive fan base around its products. From its smartphones to its earphones—and now a pair of headphones—each product has invested lavishly in design and creativity, debuting to resounding applause. From the first Nothing Phone 1 to the recently released Nothing Phone 3a Pro, each product has enjoyed a healthy reception, and the new Nothing Phone 3’s release is no different. 

The company is an expert at teasing and revealing its products with a flair, and ever since the first glimpse of the latest flagship smartphone, there has been considerable conversation around how it would shape up. Now, with a release date of July 15, Nothing Phone 3 is open for pre-orders and is set to arrive with a $799 price tag. 

Nothing Phone 3 Design Highlights—the Glyph Matrix Is Where It Shines Best

The Glyph Interface at the back of the original Nothing Phone is gone now, replaced with a more demure “Glyph Matrix” on the right corner of the smartphone’s back panel. The stark LED lights are gone, but we have an adorable micro-LED screen which can be customized to notify the user about incoming messages, calls, and other actions on the phone. The glyph can be used to display simple widgets or even play simple games like spin the bottle or a magic 8 ball. It reminds us of Asus ROG’s gaming phones with the dot-matrix pattern on the back, but it is far more sophisticated.

Through an SDK released by the company, you should be able to program your own glyphs to showcase what you want on this mini monochromatic screen. There’s also a single Glyph button built under the back panel to allow you to interact with the glyph to a degree. The possibilities of exploring the potential of the Glyph Matrix are what make the Nothing Phone 3’s design so exciting, but the rest of the back panel layout is more divisive. You’ll either love it or hate it, there’s no in-between.

The L-shaped asymmetrical camera placement isn’t the best design choice that Nothing could have made with the smartphone, considering the patterned back is both minimalistic and messy. A glance at it might leave you with an unpleasant opinion, but the more we look at it, the more it’s starting to grow on us. The thin bezels on the display, the aluminum sides, and the overall sleek design make the device quite appealing. As for colors, there are two simple options: Black or White.

Nothing Phone 3 Specs—What’s Cooking Under the Hood?

While we recover from the mini-glyphs, a Nothing Phone 3 review would be incomplete without a look at the hardware and specs of the smartphone. The internals of the smartphone are nothing to scoff at. With the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, Nothing has made an upgrade from previous devices, but it still isn’t the best version available at this price point. 

If the $800 Samsung Galaxy S25 could feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite, it could have been possible on the Nothing Phone 3. Still, there are other specs to consider as well.

Nothing Phone 3 Features—What Else Do We Have on Offer?

The Essential Key introduced in the Nothing Phone 3a has been retained on this version as well, giving users a space to save their notes and thoughts in one consolidated area. It’s no Action Button by default, but it does have a certain utility that cannot be ignored, and it can be customized to your preference. The button can also be long-pressed and the phone flipped to start a recording, which will leave you with a transcribed script for review later on.

Nothing Phone 3 Price—Is It Too Expensive?

The Nothing Phone 3 is priced at $799 / $899, placing it on the same playing field as the budget phones from the top smartphone makers like the iPhone 16 or the Pixel 9. While Nothing is ready to “compete with products in that price level,” it’s too soon to tell if the company’s consumer base will be able to separate their low-to-mid-range expectations and reach for this new smartphone.

There are mixed opinions on the pricing to be seen among the Nothing Phone 3 reviews. While some agree that the specs put it on par with these other budget models, others feel that Nothing has aimed too far up with its pricing when you consider its customer base. Customers in other markets like India remain extremely unhappy with Nothing Phone 3’s price.

As for us, we agree that the pricing is certainly ambitious, there is something to be said for the novelty of the phone, far exceeding anything that the Galaxy S25 or the Pixel 9 offer.

Nothing Phone 3 Release Date—How Soon Can You Get Your Hands On It?

The Nothing Phone 3’s release date has been set for July 15, but pre-orders will open up on July 4 in case you want to get ahead and test it as soon as you can. Nothing has grown as a brand despite staying away from the US market, where interest in the device is high. The Phone 2 had made a debut, but it has been much harder for US customers to get their hands on the Nothing devices. For its flagship phone debut, Nothing has finally returned to the market with its latest smartphone, so if you’re in the US, you’re in luck this time.

Nothing Phone 3 Review: Final Thoughts

The Nothing Phone 3 features a collection of specs that are an impressive upgrade from what the company has showcased before. The Glyph Matrix, while smaller, offers far more in terms of customizability, and the four 50MP camera lenses overall make it a versatile option for those who don’t want to settle for inferior photography. It’s no premium Galaxy marvel, but it should do for most users.

The large battery paired with the decent memory and chipset ensures you can use the smartphone for anything from gaming to streaming without interruption, and the display should also be able to keep up without a stutter. Overall, the main takeaway from our Nothing Phone 3 review is that if you aren’t upset by the design, then the smartphone can be a great investment for users looking for a new gadget to keep them occupied. 

The Nothing Phone 3 may be too expensive for customers who were looking for something in Nothing’s typical price range, but there is no way to deny that Nothing did step up its specs this time around. The Nothing Phone 3a could still be a good option for you if you don’t want to spend $799 on a smartphone, but all things considered, for a “flagship” phone, the Nothing Phone 3 is a cheaper alternative than most others on the market.

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