1. Design & Build

Nothing’s signature aesthetic — a semi-transparent back with exposed components and LED light strips — is even more polished in the Phone 3. The Glyph Interface 2.0 brings smarter customization: lights now respond to notifications, volume, timers, and even Uber arrival. It's not just a gimmick — it’s genuinely useful in quiet settings and lends the device a futuristic touch.

The phone is thinner and lighter than its predecessor (only 7.3mm thick) and still manages to feel solid in the hand, thanks to its aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass protection front and back. The symmetrical bezels and flat-edge design add to its premium look and feel. Buttons are tactile and well-placed, and haptic feedback has been tuned for subtlety and precision. The Phone 3 remains one of the most uniquely recognizable smartphones on the market.

2. AMOLED Display

The 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED panel is one of the highlights: 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit color, and up to 2600 nits peak brightness make this screen look gorgeous indoors and visible even under direct sunlight. It supports HDR10+ and has excellent touch response, making it ideal for content consumption and gaming.

Viewing angles are excellent, with rich contrast and true blacks. Color accuracy is also improved, with a calibrated sRGB and DCI-P3 profile available in settings. Whether you're watching YouTube, editing photos, or reading in bed, the display adapts fluidly and maintains eye comfort. Always-on display options are minimal and tasteful, consistent with the brand's design ethos.

3. Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (not the flagship 8 Gen 4, but still very capable), the Phone 3 delivers snappy performance for everyday use, multitasking, and light gaming. Benchmarks put it slightly above last year’s Nothing Phone 2, but still behind the absolute premium tier.

In day-to-day use, the phone flies. Whether you’re jumping between Chrome tabs, editing videos on CapCut, or running a light 3D game, the device remains responsive and cool. For most users, the Phone 3 offers more power than they’ll ever need. Coupled with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage, app launches are instantaneous, and background processes are managed intelligently.

Gaming performance is solid, handling titles like Genshin Impact at medium settings without noticeable frame drops. Thermal management, a challenge for many mid-range phones, is well-handled here thanks to a revamped vapor chamber cooling system.

4. Camera

• Main: 50MP f/1.9 with OIS

• Ultra-wide: 50MP f/2.2

• Front: 32MP selfie camera

Images from the main sensor are sharp, well-exposed, and color-accurate. Low-light performance is better than before but still behind top-tier flagships. The ultra-wide sensor maintains good color consistency but suffers a bit in dynamic range.

Portrait mode has been improved significantly, with better edge detection and natural background blur. The front camera produces bright, detailed selfies even in dim lighting, thanks to AI-powered low-light enhancement.

The camera app remains clean and simple, with useful additions like manual controls, night mode, motion photo, and dedicated Glyph fill light for close-up subjects. While it can’t yet match Pixel or Galaxy flagships in computational photography, it outperforms most phones in its price bracket.

5. Battery Life & Charging

The 4700mAh battery offers a full day of use with ease — closer to 1.5 days with moderate usage. The phone supports 45W fast charging (wired) and 15W wireless charging, but there's no charger in the box.

In real-world testing, the Phone 3 manages 7-8 hours of screen-on time. Standby drain is minimal, and Nothing OS 3.0 optimizes background tasks effectively. Wireless charging is reliable, and reverse wireless charging is supported, letting you top up earbuds or a friend's phone in a pinch.

Charging from 0 to 100% takes around 55 minutes with a compatible 45W charger, and a quick 15-minute top-up can get you over 50%.

6. Software Experience

Nothing OS 3.0, based on Android 15, is perhaps the most refined version yet. It’s clean, minimal, and surprisingly fast. You get useful features like App Locker, Glyph Composer, and widgets that actually serve a purpose.

One of the standout features is the consistency of the visual language: monochrome icons, uniform animations, and subtle touches that make the experience cohesive. There’s no bloatware or intrusive notifications, and the system respects user privacy and control.

Advanced users will appreciate the deep customization, including widget stacks, advanced gestures, and system-level toggles. Nothing also promises three major Android updates and four years of security patches, aligning with industry best practices.