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Should You Buy the Controversial Nothing Phone (3) Despite Its Flaws?
I've been watching Nothing since they first started making phones. Now they're back with the Phone (3), and I need to tell you what I really think about this device.
The Design That Divides People
When I first saw the Nothing Phone (3), my reaction was mixed. The phone looks different from anything else out there. But different doesn't always mean better.
The back of this phone is busy. Really busy. You've got three cameras sitting there, plus this new circular dot display they call the Glyph Matrix. The old LED strips are gone completely. Instead, you get 489 tiny LEDs arranged in a circle.
Here's what the Glyph Matrix can do:
- Show app notifications
- Work as a visual timer
- Act as a second screen for selfies
- Play simple games like rock-paper-scissors
- Display waveforms when recording
The transparent back still shows all those mechanical-looking parts inside. Most of them don't actually do anything. They're just there for looks.
What's Under the Hood
The specs are solid for a flagship phone. Nothing didn't cut corners here.
Display Features:
- 6.67-inch AMOLED screen
- 1.5K resolution
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 4,500 nits peak brightness
- HDR 10 support
- 10-bit color depth
- Gorilla Glass 7i protection
The screen is bright. Really bright. You can use this phone outside on sunny days without squinting. The bezels are 18% thinner than before, which makes the phone look more modern.
Performance Specs:
- Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor
- 12GB or 16GB RAM
- 256GB or 512GB storage
- 5,150 mAh battery
- 65W fast charging (54 minutes for full charge)
- 15W wireless charging
- IP68 water resistance
The processor is a big step up from the previous Nothing phone. This chip handles everything I throw at it. Games run smooth. Apps open fast. No lag anywhere.
Camera System Breakdown
Nothing put four 50MP cameras on this phone. Three on the back, one on the front.
The main camera takes good photos in daylight. Colors look natural, not oversaturated like some other phones. The periscope camera is interesting. It gives you 3x optical zoom and up to 60x digital zoom. You can even take macro photos with it.
All three back cameras record 4K video at 60fps. The quality is decent, but not the best I've seen at this price point.
Software Experience
The phone runs Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15. It's clean and simple. No bloatware cluttering up the interface.
Software Features:
- 5 years of major updates
- 7 years of security patches
- Essential Search for universal searching
- Improved Essential Space
- Monochrome design theme
The update promise is good. Five years of major updates means this phone will stay current for a long time.
Price and Availability
Here's where things get tricky. The Nothing Phone (3) costs:
- $799 for 12GB RAM + 256GB storage
- $899 for 16GB RAM + 512GB storage
Pre-orders started July 4th. The phone goes on sale July 15th. You can get it in black or white.
My Honest Opinion
The Nothing Phone (3) is a capable phone. The specs are good. The performance is solid. The camera system works well enough.
But I have concerns about the design. The Glyph Matrix feels like a gimmick. Yes, it's functional. But do you really need 489 LEDs on the back of your phone to show notifications? Your regular notification system already does that job.
The phone looks cluttered from behind. The camera placement feels awkward. The whole design seems like Nothing tried too hard to be different.
At $799, you're paying flagship prices. For that money, you can get phones with better cameras, cleaner designs, and more polished software experiences.
Who Should Buy This Phone
The Nothing Phone (3) works best for people who:
- Want something that looks completely different
- Like tech gadgets with unique features
- Don't mind paying extra for design experiments
- Need a phone with good performance and long software support
Who Should Skip It
You might want to look elsewhere if you:
- Prefer clean, simple phone designs
- Want the best camera quality for your money
- Think the Glyph Matrix is unnecessary
- Need maximum value for $799
Nothing took a big risk with the Phone (3). They threw out their previous design language and tried something completely new. Some people will love it. Others will hate it.
The phone works well. The specs are competitive. The software is clean. But the design feels like it's trying too hard to be special.
For $799, I expected more polish. The camera system is good but not great. The Glyph Matrix is clever but not essential. The overall package feels like a work in progress rather than a finished flagship.
If you love unique designs and don't mind paying for experimental features, the Nothing Phone (3) might work for you. But if you want the best overall phone for your money, there are better options available at this price point.
The Nothing Phone (3) is interesting. It's different. But different doesn't always mean better, especially when you're spending $799 of your hard-earned money.