Nothing’s smartphones have always intrigued me with their unique devices, but I’ve never been impressed with their design. The focus on the ‘Glyph Interface’ of lights on the back, while distinctive, has always been a feature that I quickly turn off after reviewing a Nothing phone. The Glyph lights can be annoying, distracting, and often lack utility. So, when I learned that Nothing would be removing them on the Phone (3), their first flagship phone, I was thrilled.
While undoubtedly unique, much of the experience was centred around the ‘Glyph Interface’ of lights on the back, which flash, pulse and flicker in a wide variety of scenarios.
However, as soon as I’ve finished reviewing a Nothing phone, it’s one of the first things I switch off. I find the Glyph lights always annoying, often distracting and rarely useful.
So, when I heard that Nothing would be ditching them on the Phone (3), its first flagship phone (if you can call a £799/$799 phone a flagship), I was excited.
A similar design, but also very different
To say there’s a lot going on with the Phone (3)’s design would be an understatement. The Glyphs might be gone, but the handset is still sure to turn plenty of heads.
Instead of the lights, we now have ‘Glyph Matrix’, a collection of 489 monochrome LEDs that can be used to show a lot more at-a-glance information than the lights ever could. We’re talking everything from caller IDs and app notifications to party games such as spin the bottle and even a Magic 8 Ball, which you can interact with via the new ‘Glyph Button’ on the back.
I’m not going to pretend that this is a groundbreaking feature (it’s been available on Asus ROG gaming phones for years) or even something I’ll use on a regular basis. But it’s a hell of a lot more discreet than massive lights, and doesn’t look bad when switched off.
To say there’s a lot going on with the Phone (3)’s design would be an understatement
The top of the phone’s back is a little busy for my tastes, with three camera lenses and a flash all crammed in alongside the ‘Glyph’ matrix at the top of the phone.
It’s less noticeable on the black model, but the semi-transparent design gets a bit lost. If you want your phone to stand out from the crowd, go for the white version.
True flagship durability
Just like previous Nothing handsets, the Phone (3)’s design will be polarising. But no one can have any complaints about the build quality.
With a glass front and back and an aluminium frame, the phone feels noticeably more premium than the plastic-framed Phone (3a) Pro. It has a satisfying weight in your hands, though at 218g, it’s one of the heavier phones around.
The glass itself is Corning’s Gorilla Glass 7i on the front and Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, both of which are rated to survive most bumps, drops and scratches. Based on early impressions, the Phone (3) is one of the few handsets I’d consider using case-free – grip certainly isn’t an issue.
The Phone (3) is one of the few handsets I’d consider using case-free – grip certainly isn’t an issue
It’s also the first Nothing phone to get flagship-level IP68 water and dust resistance, meaning it’s able to survive submersion in up to 1.5m of freshwater and is fully protected against all particles.
No-compromise display, slight-compromise performance
I’ve only used the Phone (3) for a few minutes, but I can already tell you it has an excellent display.
The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel looks gorgeous, offering the combination of vivid colours and deep blacks that help content come alive. A 1260 x 2800 resolution isn’t quite the 1440p we see on some flagships, but the detail is in no way lacking.
And even under the harsh lighting of a hands-on area, visibility was excellent. A peak brightness of 4500 nits certainly helps!
I’ve only used the Phone (3) for a few minutes, but I can already tell you it has an excellent display
The fast 120Hz refresh rate is reliant on performance being strong, which is exactly what the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip appears to deliver.
It might be one step down from the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite, but alongside at least 12GB of RAM, I doubt you’ll notice unless you plan on lots of high-end mobile gaming.
Almost brilliant software support
Nothing will ship the Phone (3) running Nothing OS 3.5, which is still Android 15 under the surface.
As a result, the software experience is very similar to what we’ve seen on recent Nothing phones. Aside from the ‘Glyph Matrix’ functionality, the only new feature of note is ‘Flip to Record’ within the Essential Space, which will start recording audio when you put the phone face down and hold the Essential Key, then it’ll transcribe and summarise the recording automatically.
Nothing will ship the Phone (3) running Nothing OS 3.5, which is still Android 15 under the surface
However, the company has confirmed that Nothing OS 4.0, which is based on Android 16, will be rolling out in Q3 – that’s any time between now and the end of September.
Looking further ahead, Nothing will be supporting the Phone (3) with five major OS updates, taking it to a potential Android 20, with security patches continuing until 2032.
It’s an impressive upgrade on the three and four-year commitment for the Phone (2), though Samsung and Google still have the upper hand with seven years of both.
The two great unknowns
Of course, there are plenty of things you can’t test properly during a brief hands-on session. In the case of the Phone (3), that includes two areas which could make or break its success.
The first is battery life. With a generous 5150mAh cell, Nothing claims the Phone (3) can be a two-day phone with lighter usage.
Given how good the 4700mAh Phone (3a) Pro’s battery life was, I have few concerns here, but you can never be quite sure before you test it. Hopefully, the increased power demands of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset won’t have too much of an impact.
However, I’m altogether more concerned about camera performance.
On paper, the Phone (3)’s four 50Mp lenses (main, periscope telephoto, ultrawide and selfie) can more than compete with the regular Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25, both of which are priced at the same £799/$799 starting point.
On paper, the Phone (3)’s four 50Mp lenses can more than compete with the regular Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25
However, as we know, software processing plays a huge role in the final image you see. And the image quality on past Nothing phones has previously been a small step down compared to rivals.
Has Nothing been able to address this on its first-ever flagship? Without proper testing, it’s impossible for me to answer that at this stage.
However, there’s no doubt that the Phone (3) is a compelling addition to the flagship smartphone segment. Even if it doesn’t have top-tier cameras, I can see plenty of people being tempted to switch from a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone.
Pre-orders for the Nothing Phone (3) will be available on 4 July via the Nothing website, ahead of a limited-stock ‘Nothing Drops’ release on 12 July and the full general sale on 15 July.
To see what else the Phone (3) will be up against, check out our guide to the best phones you can buy right now.
