When Carl Pei launched Nothing, the brand came with a promise: to bring a sense of fun and uniqueness back into tech. Fast-forward to 2025, and the Nothing Phone (3) stays true to that vision—but now it’s more mature, more polished, and arguably more useful than ever before.
This isn’t a phone trying to beat Samsung or Apple at their own game. It’s carving its own path—quietly and confidently.
First Impressions: That Transparent Vibe Still Hits
If you’ve seen a Nothing phone before, the design language will feel familiar, but not stale. The Phone (3) keeps the brand’s signature transparent back and Glyph lighting, but this year it feels tighter, cleaner, and more refined.
The LED Glyphs are thinner and now do more than ever, including things like real-time progress bars for food delivery, timers, and even a “quiet notifications” mode that uses lights instead of sounds or haptics.
It’s nerdy, sure. But also genuinely useful once you get the hang of it.
Display: Smooth, Bright, and Easy on the Eyes
Nothing stepped up the panel this year—a 6.7-inch AMOLED with a buttery-smooth LTPO 120Hz refresh rate, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and crisp 1080p+ resolution.
Colors are vibrant without being oversaturated, and scrolling feels effortless. Watching videos or swiping through Instagram stories? Pure joy. The bezels are still super thin, which makes the whole phone feel futuristic in a minimalist kind of way.
Performance: Mid-Range with a Flagship Feel
Powering the Nothing Phone (3) is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3—a smart choice. It’s not the top-tier chip, but it’s close, and more importantly, it’s efficient.
In daily use, the phone flies. Apps open instantly, multitasking is seamless, and even graphically intense games like Genshin Impact run smoothly on high settings. And because the chip isn’t an energy hog, battery life gets a nice boost too.
You’re looking at:
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB or 512GB storage
- No microSD, but UFS 4.0 speeds make file access zippy
Battery & Charging: All-Day and Then Some
The 4,700mAh battery is more than capable of powering through a full day—even with heavy use. Thanks to the efficiency of the Snapdragon chip and Nothing OS optimizations, I consistently got 6–7 hours of screen-on time.
Charging isn’t industry-leading, but it’s solid:
- 45W wired
- 15W wireless
- 5W reverse wireless
It’s not blazing fast, but it’s plenty for everyday use. The phone goes from 0–100% in just under an hour.
Cameras: Surprisingly Capable
Nothing’s cameras have always been the wildcard. This year, they’ve stepped up big time. You get:
- 50MP main (Sony IMX890, OIS)
- 50MP ultra-wide (Samsung sensor)
- 32MP front camera
Photos are sharp, natural, and detailed. Low-light performance is much improved, thanks to better image processing and sensor upgrades. The ultra-wide camera still lags slightly behind the main sensor in dynamic range, but it’s far from a dealbreaker.
What really impressed me? The color consistency across lenses. That’s something even some $1,000 phones don’t get right.
Software: Nothing OS 3.0 — Clean and Thoughtful
The software experience is one of the Nothing Phone (3)’s strongest suits. Nothing OS 3.0 is light, fast, and stripped of any bloat. It feels almost Pixel-like but with some cool customizations.
Features I genuinely enjoyed:
- Glyph Composer 2.0: Make your own ringtones using Glyph lighting and sound
- Widgets on lock screen
- Smart integration with apps like Uber, Spotify, and Google Calendar
- Dynamic theming that matches your wallpaper
You’re promised 3 years of major Android updates and 4 years of security patches—solid for a phone in this price range.
The Little Things That Make It Great
It’s not just about specs. It’s about experience. And Nothing nailed a few small-but-important details:
- Tactile, clicky buttons
- Great haptics (one of the best in Android)
- Stereo speakers that are surprisingly loud and clear
- No annoying ads or junk apps