I Finally Tried the Nothing Phone 3 and There's a Lot I Like

CNET

a day ago

After months of rumors and teases, the Nothing Phone 3 has finally been unveiled at a Tuesday launch event in London. Nothing is calling the phone its "first true flagship" and with good reason; the Phone 3 has higher specs and other quirky new features (like the Glyph Matrix) that set it apart from its cheaper siblings. I got to spend some time using the phone at the launch and while it was only a quick look, I'm already quite impressed.
The Nothing Phone 3 will go on sale next week in the US from $799 and in the UK and wider Europe from £799. That's not a bad price when other flagships like Google's Pixel 9 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus tend to start at $999 or more.
Here's what I like so far about the phone.
Nothing Phone 3 Glyph Matrix
Nothing's phones have always had quirky designs with see-through panels and the light-up Glyph interface but this time around the company has swapped the lights for a small dot-matrix display. The Glyph Matrix, as Nothing calls it, sits on the back of the phone and can display crucial info like battery level or incoming notifications but can also be used for more fun purposes. From a 'spin the bottle' tool to a Magic 8 Ball function, there are various 'Glyph Toys' on board, with developers being welcomed to create more.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I like the Glyph Matrix and CNET's Katie Collins described it as her favorite thing about the Nothing Phone 3. It's more usable than the lights on the previous Nothing Phone 2 as it actually tells you information, rather than just lighting up at random. Playing little mini games on a tiny screen on the back of your phone is still arguably something of a gimmick but in a world full of almost identical gray phones, it's nice to see something a bit quirky.
Ditto the transparent design, which has become something of a hallmark of Nothing's phones. This time around the 'inside' of the phone has been given more of a blocky, cubist style that sort of reminds me of the Bauhaus art movement. I'm here for it.
Nothing Phone 3: Snapdragon processor and triple camera array
Nothing hasn't skimped on the specs with its flagship. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor should offer some potent performance for everyday use as well as more demanding gaming. I'm yet to put it to use but I expect it to handle graphically demanding games like Genshin Impact with aplomb.
Meanwhile, the rear of the phone is home to a triple camera array featuring the standard lineup of main lens, ultrawide and telephoto zoom. All three cameras have 50 megapixels of resolution, which is the same resolution as the standard and ultrawide cameras found on the Nothing Phone 2 but the company promises significant improvements in image processing that should hopefully result in better-looking shots. Another 50-megapixel camera is located on the front display for self-taken photos and video calls, which is a big step up from the 32-megapixel camera on the Nothing Phone 2.
The Nothing Phone 3 has a 6.67-inch display.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I'm looking forward to seeing how these cameras perform; camera performance is one of the key ways top-end phones like the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra differentiate themselves and if Nothing truly wants to compete in the elite arena, it needs to offer stellar imaging skills. One thing that has me excited is the inclusion of various color profiles, along with numerous more available to download. I loved the filmic vibes I got from the Nothing Phone 3A in Barcelona earlier this year and being able to create similar looks in Samsung's phones was a boon for me as a photographer. I'm keen to see how Nothing's compares.
Nothing Phone 3 other specs and features
Beyond the fancy Glyph Matrix and the cameras, the phone has a solid lineup of specs. The 6.67-inch display has a high resolution, the 5,150mAh Silicon-carbon battery promises a full day of use while the 65W fast charging will take it from empty to half full in just 19 minutes. It's also IP68 rated for water and dust resistance so taking calls in the rain should be no problem.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
It also comes with various AI tools sprinkled throughout, including Nothing's Essential Space that it launched with the Phone 3A earlier this year. The Essential Space is basically a repository for your voice notes and screen shots you take throughout the day that strives to give you some order to your mind clutter. I sort of think of it like a journalling tool. Nothing is building AI deeper into Essential Space, as well as providing more functionality over the coming months so I'm keen to see how useful this tool becomes.
The phone launches with Android 15 on board, although Nothing says the phone will be updated to Android 16 later this year. The phone will receive four years of software updates and seven years of total security updates meaning this phone should still be safe to use in 2032 -- although there's still a lot you can do to make your phone last this long.
Nothing Phone 3: Is it any good?
I've only spent a short time using the phone but I'm quite charmed by the Glyph Matrix and the classic Nothing design. If Nothing really wants to play in the elite leagues then it needs to offer top-end performance from the processor and the cameras. I'll be testing the phone rigorously over the coming days to really understand what this phone is like to live with.
But if it performs as well as Nothing boasts then it might be a solid option at a price that's more reasonable than most of its flagship rivals.