Fight me! $799 is a great price for the Nothing Phone 3
At $799, it's far from cheap, putting it right up against heavyweights like the Pixel 9, iPhone 16, and Galaxy S25. Still, I'd argue Nothing has actually priced the phone exactly right.
Is the Nothing Phone 3 worth $799?
1168 votes
Yes: It's innovative and delivers good value
16 %
No: That price doesn't match the compromises
53 %
Let's see the reviews first
32 %
Nothing out-values the big three
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
If you followed the phone's launch, you'll know the Nothing Phone 3's choice of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor over the more expensive 8 Elite model seen in other flagships has been a bit of a sticking point. We benchmarked the 8S in a rival phone and found it's just a smidgen behind last year's top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; it's not cutting-edge but is plenty powerful for daily needs, moderate gaming, and whatever else.
At $799, last-gen performance (or close to it) is more than serviceable — in fact, it's increasingly the norm. Google's Pixel line has never topped the charts, yet the Pixel 9 (and the far more expensive Pro XL) still hold their own. Likewise, the $649 Galaxy S25 FE uses a tweaked version of 2024's Exynos 2400. Even the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus ship with slower versions of Apple's flagship silicon. The reason is simple enough: older chips still perform brilliantly.
I'll happily slightly trade down a chip for long battery life, extra storage, and flexible cameras.
Sure, you can buy a phone with the 8 Elite for $799 — the Galaxy S25 is right there, and there are even more choices if you're willing to shop outside the big US brands. But outside of hardcore gaming, I'd argue that few people will notice the difference day-to-day.
More importantly, the Nothing Phone 3 scores plenty of wins in areas that matter far more: battery capacity, charging speeds, a triple camera setup, and generous base storage for all your media. Starting at 256GB is a move other brands should've made years ago, but they refuse just to save a few bucks.
Nothing Phone 3 Pixel 9 iPhone 16 Galaxy S25
SoC
Nothing Phone 3
Snapdragon 8S Gen 4
Pixel 9
Tensor G4
iPhone 16
Apple A18
Galaxy S25
Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM & Storage
Nothing Phone 3
12GB, 256GB
Pixel 9
12GB, 128GB
iPhone 16
8GB, 128GB
Galaxy S25
12GB, 128GB
Battery
Nothing Phone 3
5,150 mAh
Pixel 9
4,700 mAh
iPhone 16
3,560 mAh
Galaxy S25
4,000 mAh
Charging
Nothing Phone 3
65W wired
15W wireless
Pixel 9
27W wired
15W wireless
iPhone 16
25W wired
15W wireless
Galaxy S25
25W wired
15W wireless
Main Camera
Nothing Phone 3
50MP, f/1.67, 1/1.3'
Pixel 9
50 MP, f/1.7, 1/1.31"
iPhone 16
48 MP, f/1.6, 1/1.56"
Galaxy S25
50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.56"
Ultrawide Camera
Nothing Phone 3
50MP, f/2.2, 1/2.76'
Pixel 9
48 MP, f/1.7, 1/2.55"
iPhone 16
12 MP, f/2.2
Galaxy S25
12 MP, f/2.2, 1/2.55"
Telephoto Camera
Nothing Phone 3
50MP, f/2.7, 1/2.75'
3x zoom
Pixel 9
iPhone 16
Galaxy S25
10 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.94"
3x zoom
There's solid parity with these rivals in other areas, too, including an IP68 rating, Gorilla Glass protection, and a slick aluminum chassis. The optical fingerprint scanner won't be the best around, and the display can't go as low as 1Hz, but those are minor trade-offs. Our hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3 also revealed plenty of clever touches and design choices that help it stand out.
I'm still on the fence about the new Glyph Matrix system, and I'll have to wait and see if the camera array truly competes. Still, Nothing OS 3.5 is polished and streamlined, and with five years of OS updates plus seven years of security patches, you can keep this phone just as long as any competitor.
What concessions could Nothing really make to build a cheaper flagship?
Could Nothing have priced the Phone 3 at $699 instead? Perhaps — but that would mean more compromises, pushing it further from the flagship market it's aiming for.
Would you be happy to lose Gorilla Glass protection, skip IP68 certification, drop the telephoto camera, shave off some support years, or settle for a mid-range chip just to save a bit? If so, you might as well already grab the very affordable Phone 3a Pro.
My point is this: $799 might not be an outright bargain, but it's competitive at the very least, and could be great value if you prioritize the specs that Nothing has focused on.
Player 2 has joined
Joe Maring / Android Authority
If undercutting the big players sounds familiar, that's because Carl Pei has been here before, back in his OnePlus days. Nothing's first flagship is certainly built in the same spirit as those golden years — turning heads with bold design choices while pulling few punches on the fundamentals.
Ironically, if there's one phone that stops the Nothing Phone 3 from running away with the US value crown it's the OnePlus 13. Yes, it's $899, but that extra cash buys some serious upgrades.
Is $100 extra worth jumping to a Snapdragon 8 Elite, larger and superior camera sensors, an even bigger 6,000mAh battery, and a more sophisticated, mainstream design? Well, in my opinion, it absolutely is; the OnePlus 13 is the best phone from the brand in years and arguably the best smartphone you can buy without spending a grand.
Ironically, the OnePlus 13 represents equally, if not even better value than the Nothing Phone 3.
Of course, the battle is much tougher outside the US, with Xiaomi, vivo, and others throwing far more hardware at the wall for similar or even cheaper prices than Apple, Google, and Samsung. Global buyers have a harder job deciding whether Nothing's extra features justify the cost, and I think that'll boil down to whether you buy into the novelty.
Still, just because the OnePlus 13 edges it out on pure specs doesn't mean the Nothing Phone 3 lacks merit or is overpriced. Not unlike Google's Pixel series and its software-first approach, the Phone 3 is priced fairly for what it offers — even if that offer is a little more unconventional.
As we've covered, it has the hardware to stand toe-to-toe with the big three while providing more storage right out of the box and a bigger battery. A comparable 256GB Galaxy S25 runs $860, which looks steep by comparison. Throw in the Glyph, Essential Key, and OS touches, and you have a unique experience that doesn't look overpriced to me.
If it ever drops to $699 or equivalent regional pricing, the Nothing Phone 3 will be an absolute steal. But that doesn't mean you should sleep on it at $799.
Nothing Phone 3
Nothing Phone 3
MSRP: $799.99
Nothing's first 'true flagship.'
The Phone 3 is a stylish reinvention of Nothing's Android phone series, now with flagship specs, including a large silicon-carbon battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and a periscope zoom lens with macro photography support.
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