Nothing Phone 3 Launches with Innovative Glyph Matrix and AI Features

Nothing launches its most expensive flagship yet, Phone (3) | TechCrunch

Nothing on Tuesday launched its newest flagship phone after a two-year gap. At an event in London, the company unveiled the Phone (3), which starts at $799 and aims to take on bigwigs like Samsung and Apple with its differentiated design and features targeting tech enthusiasts. Since releasing Phone (1) in 2022 , the GV-backed startup has relied on a transparent design to make its phone stand out from others. The Phone (3) follows that same design language, but it introduces a stranger camera arrangement that forgoes the typical square or circular alignment found on other smartphone devices. (If you are someone who gets triggered by unaligned elements on websites or apps, this camera arrangement might make you mad!) Nothing has also favored arranging LEDs on its back -- a feature that it calls Glphy. This was always somewhat gimmicky, but the company made use of this to show you different alerts and notifications using the LED lights. Now, the company is replacing GIphy with a small circular mini LED screen, called Glphy Matrix, on the back of the device at the top right. This addition displays 16-bit styled patterns, which can offer more information than the earlier Glphy arrangement. The company is also releasing mini-apps for this interface, such as spin the bottle and rock, paper, scissors. It is 2025, so the phone has to include some AI-powered features, too. At launch this includes two features called Essential Space and Essential Search. The company first debuted Essential Space, an app to save screenshots and take notes, on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Now, Nothing is upgrading this app to let you record meetings and view an AI transcription and summary. To use the feature, you'll have to press the Essential key and place the phone with the screen side down to start the recording. While this sounds potentially useful, Nothing doesn't have a web interface to access these transcriptions and summaries at this time. Nothing is also debuting Essential Search -- a feature like the iPhone's Spotlight search -- and infusing it with AI. This search feature allows you to search for settings, files, or photos on your phone by typing in keywords. Plus, you can type in natural language queries to get web results by pressing a button next to the search bar. This is similar to iPhone's upgraded Siri interface, which is integrated with ChatGPT. The new smartphone has comparable specifications to other companies' Android flagships. This includes a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution, which is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, built on a 4-nanometer architecture. The trio of cameras all have a 50-megapixel resolution, but play different roles. The main camera has a 1.3-inch sensor, which is 20% bigger than Phone (2), at a f/1.68 aperture; the periscope telephoto lens offers 3x optical zoom, and 60x digital zoom with AI Super Res Zoom; and the ultra-wide lens provides a 114-degree field of view. Nothing is also upgrading the selfie camera from 32 megapixels to 50 megapixels. The Phone (3) has a 5150 mAh battery (5,500 mAh in its India variant) with support for 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The company said the phone will ship with Nothing OS 3.5, which is based on Android 15, and will be updated to Nothing OS 4.0, based on Android 16, later this year. It noted that the flagship device will get five years of software updates and seven years of security updates. The company will sell the 256GB model of the Phone (3) for $799 and the 512GB model for $899. At this price, the phone directly competes with the Samsung Galaxy S25, which was released at a base price of $799 earlier this year. Pre-orders for the device begin on July 4 with general availability on July 15. As TechCrunch reported last month, Nothing is making the Phone (3) available in the U.S. generally through its own website and Amazon. This is the second device, after Phone (2) the company is making widely available. Its other budget devices were available only through a restrictive beta program.

Nothing Just Killed Its Phone's Flashy Glyph Interface. I Think the Replacement Is Better

Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand. Nothing just announced its long-awaited "first true flagship," the Nothing Phone 3, and killed off one of its most popular and unique phone features in the process. The flashing lights that crisscrossed the back of its previous phones, known as the Glyph Interface, is gone. In its place is something new -- a round black and white screen on the rear of the phone, adjacent to the cameras, which Nothing is calling the Glyph Matrix. With an interface of monochrome dots, the Matrix can show a range of information about the phone while it's face down on any surface. These include the time, the phone's battery percentage and pixelated portraits to show who's calling. What Nothing is referring to as "Glyph Toys" also bring an element of fun to the Matrix, with games such as rock, paper, scissors; spin the bottle; and a magic 8 ball. The introduction of the Matrix is major change for Nothing, and one that fans of the brand might initially be skeptical about. At first, I was too. Ever since it released its very first phone back in 2022, Nothing has proved itself to be a rule breaker -- especially when it comes to design. The Glyph Interface has helped define Nothing's creative and experimental approach, and has set its phones apart in a sea of mundane and identikit devices. The Matrix seems at first glance to be less bold and more restrained. I asked Nothing Founder and CEO Carl Pei why he decided to make the change. One motivation, he said, was that currently around 80% of people have the Glyph Interface activated on Nothing phones and he wanted to make it "more functional." "Sometimes when you're looking at the patterns, it's not the easiest to remember who's trying to contact you," he said. "Now we can set emojis, we can set patterns -- it's a lot more visual space to really show differentiation. So if it took three seconds to understand what was going on before, now you understand in one second." This sentiment was echoed by Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. "The Glyph Interface was interesting, but I always found it a little bit challenging to always figure out what it was trying to tell me," he said. Conversely, the little icons and graphics that can be displayed on the Matrix are likely to be easier for people to understand. When I spent some time with the Nothing Phone 3, I couldn't help but agree. I always enjoyed the Glyph Interface's flashing lights, but rarely could I work out what they were trying to tell me. The Matrix, on the other hand, is very easy to read. There's a touch-sensitive button below to activate it and flip through the various toys and features. You then long-press to engage with them individually. I tried this successfully with the spin-the-bottle Glyph Toy, although chickened out from following through given that none of the other tech journalists in the room had actually agreed to play with me. I also played around with what Pei tells me is his own favorite feature of the Phone 3. When the phone is face down on the table and you hold down the Essential button on the side of the device (designed to activate the phone's AI features), the phone will immediately start recording, with sound waves flowing across the Glyph Matrix. When you press it again during the recording, a dotted pattern, like a small explosion, appears on the Matrix, signaling that the AI has taken note of the fact this is a key moment in the recording that you'll want to return to later. Even though the Matrix is less eye-catching than the Glyph Interface, it is also refreshing to see Nothing shake up the design and introduce something new, given that this phone represents the company stepping into flagship territory for the first time. "You have to keep the design fresh," said Wood -- especially when you consider Nothing's core audience of cool kids with strong aesthetic sensibilities. Nothing has grown massively in the past few years, shipping millions of products and reaching over a billion dollars in sales. But the fact that it still accounts for only 0.2% of the global smartphone market also means it's still nimble, giving it leeway to play with new ideas, which is harder to do when you're selling a mass-market product. "We have to try new things and evolve as a company," said Pei. "We're the only ones small enough to be able to experiment, so we should take that opportunity." After playing around the Glyph Matrix, I do feel glad Nothing has taken the opportunity to shake things up. The Matrix might not be as flashy as the Interface, but it is genuinely clever and useful, while proving Nothing hasn't lost its edge when it comes to putting a unique spin on phone design.

I Finally Tried the Nothing Phone 3 and There's a Lot I Like

After months of rumors and teases, the Nothing Phone 3 has finally been unveiled at a Tuesday launch event in London. Nothing is calling the phone its "first true flagship" and with good reason; the Phone 3 has higher specs and other quirky new features (like the Glyph Matrix) that set it apart from its cheaper siblings. I got to spend some time using the phone at the launch and while it was only a quick look, I'm already quite impressed. The Nothing Phone 3 will go on sale next week in the US from $799 and in the UK and wider Europe from £799. That's not a bad price when other flagships like Google's Pixel 9 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus tend to start at $999 or more. Here's what I like so far about the phone. Nothing's phones have always had quirky designs with see-through panels and the light-up Glyph interface but this time around the company has swapped the lights for a small dot-matrix display. The Glyph Matrix, as Nothing calls it, sits on the back of the phone and can display crucial info like battery level or incoming notifications but can also be used for more fun purposes. From a 'spin the bottle' tool to a Magic 8 Ball function, there are various 'Glyph Toys' on board, with developers being welcomed to create more. I like the Glyph Matrix and CNET's Katie Collins described it as her favorite thing about the Nothing Phone 3. It's more usable than the lights on the previous Nothing Phone 2 as it actually tells you information, rather than just lighting up at random. Playing little mini games on a tiny screen on the back of your phone is still arguably something of a gimmick but in a world full of almost identical gray phones, it's nice to see something a bit quirky. Ditto the transparent design, which has become something of a hallmark of Nothing's phones. This time around the 'inside' of the phone has been given more of a blocky, cubist style that sort of reminds me of the Bauhaus art movement. I'm here for it. Nothing hasn't skimped on the specs with its flagship. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor should offer some potent performance for everyday use as well as more demanding gaming. I'm yet to put it to use but I expect it to handle graphically demanding games like Genshin Impact with aplomb. Meanwhile, the rear of the phone is home to a triple camera array featuring the standard lineup of main lens, ultrawide and telephoto zoom. All three cameras have 50 megapixels of resolution, which is the same resolution as the standard and ultrawide cameras found on the Nothing Phone 2 but the company promises significant improvements in image processing that should hopefully result in better-looking shots. Another 50-megapixel camera is located on the front display for self-taken photos and video calls, which is a big step up from the 32-megapixel camera on the Nothing Phone 2. I'm looking forward to seeing how these cameras perform; camera performance is one of the key ways top-end phones like the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra differentiate themselves and if Nothing truly wants to compete in the elite arena, it needs to offer stellar imaging skills. One thing that has me excited is the inclusion of various color profiles, along with numerous more available to download. I loved the filmic vibes I got from the Nothing Phone 3A in Barcelona earlier this year and being able to create similar looks in Samsung's phones was a boon for me as a photographer. I'm keen to see how Nothing's compares. Beyond the fancy Glyph Matrix and the cameras, the phone has a solid lineup of specs. The 6.67-inch display has a high resolution, the 5,150mAh Silicon-carbon battery promises a full day of use while the 65W fast charging will take it from empty to half full in just 19 minutes. It's also IP68 rated for water and dust resistance so taking calls in the rain should be no problem. It also comes with various AI tools sprinkled throughout, including Nothing's Essential Space that it launched with the Phone 3A earlier this year. The Essential Space is basically a repository for your voice notes and screen shots you take throughout the day that strives to give you some order to your mind clutter. I sort of think of it like a journalling tool. Nothing is building AI deeper into Essential Space, as well as providing more functionality over the coming months so I'm keen to see how useful this tool becomes. The phone launches with Android 15 on board, although Nothing says the phone will be updated to Android 16 later this year. The phone will receive four years of software updates and seven years of total security updates meaning this phone should still be safe to use in 2032 -- although there's still a lot you can do to make your phone last this long. I've only spent a short time using the phone but I'm quite charmed by the Glyph Matrix and the classic Nothing design. If Nothing really wants to play in the elite leagues then it needs to offer top-end performance from the processor and the cameras. I'll be testing the phone rigorously over the coming days to really understand what this phone is like to live with. But if it performs as well as Nothing boasts then it might be a solid option at a price that's more reasonable than most of its flagship rivals.

I used the $799 Nothing Phone 3, and these features surprised me in the best way

Nothing's new flagship phone is its most expensive and risky product yet. At $799, the Nothing Phone 3 no longer undercuts its midrange competitors. Instead, the handset takes on the likes of the iPhone Pro, Pixel Pro, and Galaxy S phones of the world with a striking design, functional AI features, and fine software tuning. Also: I tested Nothing's first over-ear headphones, and they made my AirPods Max look boring And it does so while sacrificing its most iconic feature, the Glyph Lights, which have now been replaced by a more subtle and unique Glyph Matrix interface. More on that later. I went hands-on with the Phone 3 at Nothing's launch event in London, and here's why it's poised to make a splash in an ever-competitive market. As a tech enthusiast, I couldn't help but see the various Nothing Phone 3 renders that were leaked ahead of launch, and went into the hands-on session with lowered expectations. I wasn't expecting much from the asymmetric design, but the Phone 3 has surprised me for the better. Dare I say, I love its weirdness. The new Glyph Matrix on the back cover adds a playful touch to what would otherwise be another slab phone, and I'd argue it's more functional than the Glyph Interface of past models. Also: Why I recommend this $280 Android phone over cheap models from Samsung and Google The Glyph Matrix consists of 489 individual mini-LEDs, which are controlled by a physical Glyph Button on the back. You can switch between utilities like a stopwatch and Glyph Mirror, ambient interactions like battery indicator and clock, and games like Magic 8 Ball, or completely turn off the LEDs for a more understated look. A physical button to turn the LEDs on and off and switch between different functionalities is a smart move - so much so that I'd call the Glyph Button the biggest addition to Nothing's design this year. In the past, there have been times when the Glyph Lights were triggered unwillingly in public places, and I had to struggle to turn them off through the quick-setting tile. The new design saves me from doing that. In addition, there's a red square underneath the transparent back cover that blinks when you're recording audio or shooting a video. It's a nice touch for ambient information. The Nothing Phone 3 is an expensive proposition at $799, but I don't want to dismiss it just yet. At 218 grams, Phone 3 isn't the heaviest flagship phone. You get flat sides with curved corners and a glass sandwich design that feels ergonomic to hold and supports IP68 dust and water resistance. Also: How to use a circuit breaker finder to understand your home's wiring (and why it matters so much) It features a 6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED display, which goes from 30Hz to 120Hz instead of going all the way down to 1Hz like LTPO panels. The latter is more battery efficient, but Phone 3's 5,150mAh battery should be enough to last an entire day. I could only interact with the Nothing Phone 3 in indoor lighting, so I have no comments on outdoor legibility yet. Unlike other flagships, the Nothing Phone 3 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, which doesn't have the new Oryon CPU cores. By specs alone, expect the performance to be on par with last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Nothing says that going with 8s Gen 4 over the 2024 flagship SoC helped them commit to longer software support. The Phone 3 is promised to receive five years of Android OS updates and seven years of security updates. Also: Gemini's command line tool is a hidden productivity game changer - and it's free The Nothing flagship features three 50MP cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie camera on the front. Its 1/1.3-inch main camera is claimed to deliver "lossless 35mm (1.5x) and 48mm (2x)" shots, and it's paired with a 3x optical zoom-capable periscope sensor and a 114-degree ultrawide angle camera. The Nothing Phone 3 supports TrueLens Engine 4, which is said to process photos 125% faster than Phone 2. It also helps improve HDR performance, real-time scene segmentation, lower noise, and smoother motion. It runs Android 15-based Nothing OS and is promised to get Android 16 later this year. It comes with my favorite AI feature, Essential Space, which houses everything that you record with the Essential Key and more. There's also a new feature called Flip to Record, which records and transcribes audio recordings when you put the phone face down. Also: The best phones to buy in 2025 Based on my early impressions, the Nothing Phone 3 seems like a solid phone for $799, despite the absence of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Going by my past experiences, I like Nothing's software tuning and animations. If the Phone 3 can deliver the same fluid software experience alongside improving camera performance, it'll likely be contending with the best phones on the market throughout the rest of 2025.

Why the most exciting Android phone this year isn't made by Samsung or Google

Nothing's new flagship phone is its most expensive and risky product yet. At $799, the Nothing Phone 3 no longer undercuts its midrange competitors. Instead, the handset takes on the likes of the iPhone Pro, Pixel Pro, and Galaxy S phones of the world with a striking design, functional AI features, and fine software tuning. Also: I tested Nothing's first over-ear headphones, and they made my AirPods Max look boring And it does so while sacrificing its most iconic feature, the Glyph Lights, which have now been replaced by a more subtle and unique Glyph Matrix interface. More on that later. I went hands-on with the Phone 3 at Nothing's launch event in London, and here's why it's poised to make a splash in an ever-competitive market. As a tech enthusiast, I couldn't help but see the various Nothing Phone 3 renders that were leaked ahead of launch, and went into the hands-on session with lowered expectations. I wasn't expecting much from the asymmetric design, but the Phone 3 has surprised me for the better. Dare I say, I love its weirdness. The new Glyph Matrix on the back cover adds a playful touch to what would otherwise be another slab phone, and I'd argue it's more functional than the Glyph Interface of past models. Also: Why I recommend this $280 Android phone over cheap models from Samsung and Google The Glyph Matrix consists of 489 individual mini-LEDs, which are controlled by a physical Glyph Button on the back. You can switch between utilities like a stopwatch and Glyph Mirror, ambient interactions like battery indicator and clock, and games like Magic 8 Ball, or completely turn off the LEDs for a more understated look. A physical button to turn the LEDs on and off and switch between different functionalities is a smart move - so much so that I'd call the Glyph Button the biggest addition to Nothing's design this year. In the past, there have been times when the Glyph Lights were triggered unwillingly in public places, and I had to struggle to turn them off through the quick-setting tile. The new design saves me from doing that. In addition, there's a red square underneath the transparent back cover that blinks when you're recording audio or shooting a video. It's a nice touch for ambient information. The Nothing Phone 3 is an expensive proposition at $799, but I don't want to dismiss it just yet. At 218 grams, Phone 3 isn't the heaviest flagship phone. You get flat sides with curved corners and a glass sandwich design that feels ergonomic to hold and supports IP68 dust and water resistance. Also: How to use a circuit breaker finder to understand your home's wiring (and why it matters so much) It features a 6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED display, which goes from 30Hz to 120Hz instead of going all the way down to 1Hz like LTPO panels. The latter is more battery efficient, but Phone 3's 5,150mAh battery should be enough to last an entire day. I could only interact with the Nothing Phone 3 in indoor lighting, so I have no comments on outdoor legibility yet. Unlike other flagships, the Nothing Phone 3 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, which doesn't have the new Oryon CPU cores. By specs alone, expect the performance to be on par with last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Nothing says that going with 8s Gen 4 over the 2024 flagship SoC helped them commit to longer software support. The Phone 3 is promised to receive five years of Android OS updates and seven years of security updates. Also: Gemini's command line tool is a hidden productivity game changer - and it's free The Nothing flagship features three 50MP cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie camera on the front. Its 1/1.3-inch main camera is claimed to deliver "lossless 35mm (1.5x) and 48mm (2x)" shots, and it's paired with a 3x optical zoom-capable periscope sensor and a 114-degree ultrawide angle camera. The Nothing Phone 3 supports TrueLens Engine 4, which is said to process photos 125% faster than Phone 2. It also helps improve HDR performance, real-time scene segmentation, lower noise, and smoother motion. It runs Android 15-based Nothing OS and is promised to get Android 16 later this year. It comes with my favorite AI feature, Essential Space, which houses everything that you record with the Essential Key and more. There's also a new feature called Flip to Record, which records and transcribes audio recordings when you put the phone face down. Also: The best phones to buy in 2025 Based on my early impressions, the Nothing Phone 3 seems like a solid phone for $799, despite the absence of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Going by my past experiences, I like Nothing's software tuning and animations. If the Phone 3 can deliver the same fluid software experience alongside improving camera performance, it'll likely be contending with the best phones on the market throughout the rest of 2025.

I tried the controversial Android phone that's got the internet buzzing - and left impressed

Nothing's new flagship phone is its most expensive and risky product yet. At $799, the Nothing Phone 3 no longer undercuts its midrange competitors. Instead, the handset takes on the likes of the iPhone Pro, Pixel Pro, and Galaxy S phones of the world with a striking design, functional AI features, and fine software tuning. Also: I tested Nothing's first over-ear headphones, and they made my AirPods Max look boring And it does so while sacrificing its most iconic feature, the Glyph Lights, which have now been replaced by a more subtle and unique Glyph Matrix interface. More on that later. I went hands-on with the Phone 3 at Nothing's launch event in London, and here's why it's poised to make a splash in an ever-competitive market. As a tech enthusiast, I couldn't help but see the various Nothing Phone 3 renders that were leaked ahead of launch, and went into the hands-on session with lowered expectations. I wasn't expecting much from the asymmetric design, but the Phone 3 has surprised me for the better. Dare I say, I love its weirdness. The new Glyph Matrix on the back cover adds a playful touch to what would otherwise be another slab phone, and I'd argue it's more functional than the Glyph Interface of past models. Also: Why I recommend this $280 Android phone over cheap models from Samsung and Google The Glyph Matrix consists of 489 individual mini-LEDs, which are controlled by a physical Glyph Button on the back. You can switch between utilities like a stopwatch and Glyph Mirror, ambient interactions like battery indicator and clock, and games like Magic 8 Ball, or completely turn off the LEDs for a more understated look. A physical button to turn the LEDs on and off and switch between different functionalities is a smart move - so much so that I'd call the Glyph Button the biggest addition to Nothing's design this year. In the past, there have been times when the Glyph Lights were triggered unwillingly in public places, and I had to struggle to turn them off through the quick-setting tile. The new design saves me from doing that. In addition, there's a red square underneath the transparent back cover that blinks when you're recording audio or shooting a video. It's a nice touch for ambient information. The Nothing Phone 3 is an expensive proposition at $799, but I don't want to dismiss it just yet. At 218 grams, Phone 3 isn't the heaviest flagship phone. You get flat sides with curved corners and a glass sandwich design that feels ergonomic to hold and supports IP68 dust and water resistance. Also: How to use a circuit breaker finder to understand your home's wiring (and why it matters so much) It features a 6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED display, which goes from 30Hz to 120Hz instead of going all the way down to 1Hz like LTPO panels. The latter is more battery efficient, but Phone 3's 5,150mAh battery should be enough to last an entire day. I could only interact with the Nothing Phone 3 in indoor lighting, so I have no comments on outdoor legibility yet. Unlike other flagships, the Nothing Phone 3 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, which doesn't have the new Oryon CPU cores. By specs alone, expect the performance to be on par with last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Nothing says that going with 8s Gen 4 over the 2024 flagship SoC helped them commit to longer software support. The Phone 3 is promised to receive five years of Android OS updates and seven years of security updates. Also: Gemini's command line tool is a hidden productivity game changer - and it's free The Nothing flagship features three 50MP cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie camera on the front. Its 1/1.3-inch main camera is claimed to deliver "lossless 35mm (1.5x) and 48mm (2x)" shots, and it's paired with a 3x optical zoom-capable periscope sensor and a 114-degree ultrawide angle camera. The Nothing Phone 3 supports TrueLens Engine 4, which is said to process photos 125% faster than Phone 2. It also helps improve HDR performance, real-time scene segmentation, lower noise, and smoother motion. It runs Android 15-based Nothing OS and is promised to get Android 16 later this year. It comes with my favorite AI feature, Essential Space, which houses everything that you record with the Essential Key and more. There's also a new feature called Flip to Record, which records and transcribes audio recordings when you put the phone face down. Also: The best phones to buy in 2025 Based on my early impressions, the Nothing Phone 3 seems like a solid phone for $799, despite the absence of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Going by my past experiences, I like Nothing's software tuning and animations. If the Phone 3 can deliver the same fluid software experience alongside improving camera performance, it'll likely be contending with the best phones on the market throughout the rest of 2025.

Nothing Phone (3) Arrives With Glyph Matrix, Sharper Cameras, and Faster Processor

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics content, overseeing an experienced team of reviewers and product testers. I've been covering tech for more than 22 years. Prior to PCMag, I worked at outlets such as Android Authority, Fortune, InformationWeek, and Phonescoop. Nothing has unveiled its first true flagship smartphone, the Nothing Phone (3), at an event in London. The Phone (3) carries the company's unique design aesthetic forward while pushing it in a new direction at the same time. It swaps out the old rear-mounted Glyph lights for a smaller Glyph Matrix, a micro-LED display for visual notifications. The phone still comes in only black and white, but it improves the processor, battery, and camera to make it more competitive with devices from Google and Samsung. A New Glyph The light-up Glyph user interface has long separated Nothing's phones from the crowded field of me-too slabs. The Glyph employs different blinking light patterns to let you know when you have a missed call, new text message, or other notification. With the Phone (3), the Glyph Matrix replaces the old Glyph. The Matrix is a smaller LED tucked into the upper-right corner of the rear and uses dot-matrix-style animations to convey information. The idea behind the Glyph Matrix is to provide you with basic details -- Hey, you got a message! -- without forcing you to unlock your device or look at the screen. "Glyph Matrix lets you stay informed at a glance, without getting pulled into endless scrolling," says the company. You can also play games; Glyph Toys adds quick tools and micro games to the phone's rear panel. The tools include a Glyph mirror, digital clock, stopwatch, battery indicator, and solar clock, while the games include Spin the Bottle and Magic 8 Ball. Nothing says a caller ID feature is on deck for later this year. Nothing OS 3.5 Adds to Essential Space Nothing continues to refine its user interface. Built on Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 introduces three key features: Essential Search, Flip to Record, and Essential Space. The first tool is a "universal smart search bar" that's just a swipe away from the home screen. It allows you to search through contacts, files, and photos from one spot, as well as see calendar entries and local weather notifications. Flip to Record does just what the name implies. If you long-press the Essential Key and turn your phone face down, it will record and transcribe audio, such as that taken during meetings. Last, Essential Space is one spot to store your ideas, notes, and content. Nothing uses AI to help sort through the Essential Space to make it easier for you to find your musings when desired. Nothing says Android 16 and OS 4.0 will arrive during the third quarter. Better yet, the phone will receive five years of major Android upgrades and seven years of security updates. Flagship Hardware Nothing knows it competes with the best phones in the market, so it stepped up its hardware game to make Phone (3) more appealing. To start, it has a richer, brighter display. The flexible AMOLED panel measures 6.7 inches with a 1.5K resolution. It pushes out 1,600 nits of brightness in normal use but can reach 4,500 nits at peak when viewing HDR content. The company says Ultra HDR support means a better media-viewing experience. Further, the phone has a 30 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a 1,000Hz touch sampling rate, and a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio for a nearly bezelless experience. This marks the first time Nothing has selected a top chip to run its main device. The Phone (3) uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, which is based on 4nm technology. The 8s Gen 4 includes a Kryo CPU, an Adreno GPU, and an improved ISP that deliver 36% more power, 88% quicker graphics, and 60% improved AI task handling when compared with the Nothing Phone (2). The phone ships in two configurations: 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage. The Phone (3) packs a 5,500mAh battery, the largest yet for a Nothing phone. Nothing says it supports up to 65W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging for quicker power-ups. It's a silicon-carbon cell that the company claims "comfortably lasts beyond a full day." The cameras take a big leap forward. The device has three 50MP cameras with a 1/1.3-inch main sensor that can capture sharp shots in low light. Video capture tops out at 4K60 across all three lenses with full optical image stabilization. The company worked with professional photographers to create a number of presets to let you capture cinematic looks. Last, the phone carries an IP67 rating for protection against dust and water. The company didn't provide specifics on the radios, such as the versions of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or 5G that will be on board. When and Where to Buy Nothing's phones are often hard to come by. The recently released Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, for example, is only available through the company's developer program. The company says the Phone (3) will be more broadly available. Priced at $799 for the 12GB/256GB model and $899 for the 16GB/512GB model, it will be sold through Nothing's website as well as several third-party online retailers, including Amazon. Those who preorder the phone will get the Nothing Ear free, and also receive an extra year of warranty protection (up to 24 months). It goes on sale July 15.

The $799 Nothing Phone 3 has four 50MP cameras and a secondary micro-LED display

The wait is over. Nothing has officially announced the Phone 3, its first flagship smartphone since entering the market in 2022. Nothing CEO Carl Pei said the company would go "all-in" on the Phone 3 with "premium materials, major performance upgrades and software that really levels things up," and the device Nothing showed off at its launch event in London certainly seems like it will be competitive with the best from Samsung and other Android OEMs. In a departure from the company's previous handsets, the Phone 3 has a new "Glyph Matrix" instead of the usual Glyph Interface. The Glyph Matrix trades the bright LEDs of its predecessors for a small, micro-LED screen that occupies the top right corner of the phone. Nothing says it designed the feature to reduce user screen time. The idea here is that you'll be able to see app alerts, contact notifications and real-time progress indicators from the back of your phone, without the need to wake the Phone 3's primary display. The Glyph Matrix also comes with a software feature Nothing is calling Glyph Toys. These essentially act like widgets. For instance, the micro-LED can act as as a digital clock, stopwatch or battery indicator. It's also possible to play simple games like Spin the Bottle on the display with the help of a dedicated button on the back of the handset. Nothing is releasing a public SDK to allow people to create their own widgets and games for the Glyph Matrix. In the near future, the company also plans to release a caller ID feature that will allow people to long-press on Glyph Button to show the name of a contact or a phone number during calls. As for the primary display, it's a 6.67-inch AMOLED with a 1.5K resolution and 4,500 nits of peak brightness on tap. It also offers a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Those specs make it the brightest and sharpest screen Nothing has shipped on one of its phones. For photos and video, the Phone 3 comes with a triple rear camera setup and a single selfie camera. All four cameras come with 50-megapixel sensors, and there's optical image stabilization on the main and periscope cameras too. For video nerds, it's possible to shoot footage at 4K and 60FPS across all of the Phone 3's lenses. Internally, the phone comes with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 system-on-a-chip that includes a eight-core CPU capable of running at 3.21GHz. The processor is 36 percent faster than the one found inside the Phone 2's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. GPU performance is also improved, with Nothing promising a 88 percent uplift over the Phone 2's graphics processor. For memory, Nothing plans to offer two configurations of the Phone 3, with the base model offering 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For those who want more storage, the 512GB model also comes with 16GB of RAM. Powering everything is a 5,150mAh battery that supports 65W wired and 15W wireless charging. Nothing claims people will be able to get up to 80 hours of uptime out of the battery, and with the right power adapter, it's possible to charge the phone to full in under an hour. Like the Phone 3a and 3a Pro, the Phone 3 comes with a button Nothing calls the Essential Key, which you can use to launch the company's Essential Space app. Think of it as a notes app that comes with a few nifty AI features. With the Phone 3, Nothing is adding a few new features to the software, including a shortcut called "Flip to Record." When you long press the Essential Key and turn your phone over, it will start recording and later transcribe what was said so you have a summary for later use. Out of the box, the Phone 3 comes with Android 15. Nothing plans to support the phone with five years of platform updates and seven years of security patches. Pre-orders for the Nothing Phone 3 open on July 4, with global availability to follow on July 15. In the US, the 12GB model will cost $799, while the 16GB variant will set you back $899. That puts the Phone 3 in same price range as a the Galaxy S25. This time around, Nothing plans to sell its new handset through Amazon, in addition to its own website.

Nothing Phone 3 hands-on: A tiny, playful dot-matrix screen in the company's most expensive phone yet

With the third generation of its smartphone series, Nothing made the unusual move to launch the cheaper 'a' line first, unveiling . Now, it's time for its latest flagship. The Nothing Phone 3, starting at $799 (with a $899 option with 16GB of RAM) goes up against giants like the Google and -- a competitive slice of the smartphone world. Once again, though, there's nothing in the market that quite resembles a Nothing, as the company attempts to balance distinctive design with flagship (and some not-quite-flagship) components. The big change this time around is that Nothing is swapping the flashing lights of its Glyph Interface for a tiny dot-matrix display on the rear of the device and is calling it the Glyph Matrix. It's the shiny design lynchpin of Nothing's Phone 3. The matrix is made of 489 LEDs, and offers more utility than a light show. Nothing says it's an evolution of the flashing lights of the Glyph Interface into something more practical. With that aim, there's a Glyph button that sits under the glass back. Another benefit of this shift, Adam Bates, is that removing the Glyph lights freed up more space within the phone. Instead of having the lights on the back flash in patterns to indicate when certain contacts are calling, the Phone 3's new tiny screen can display monochromatic images instead. At first, these will be preset shapes, but eventually, you'll be able to customize your own animation (or static dot-matrix image -- it's unclear) for each of your contacts. Ahead of launch, Nothing shared a that lets people take photos and turn them into Glyph patterns, but it's like a very, very small Gameboy camera (but worse). The one I took kinda looks like my head? I guess? At least there's a contrast, and gives a glimpse of what users might be able to show on the matrix screen Alongside Glyph-style notifications, the matrix will be able to display simple widgets, such as weather and battery levels. It can be a stopwatch, and even a low-res mirror (more on that later). It can also be used as a visual countdown when using a timer with the camera, too. And there will even be games, like rock-paper-scissors and er, spin the bottle. Thankfully, Nothing didn't make the assembled media test this at its big global launch. You'll be able to make your own Glyphs through an SDK being released by Nothing. It'll be interesting to see how difficult it is to program your own glyphs. You know what I want, already? A . My first impression is that it's a little more restrained than the light show of the Glyph Interface on previous phones. Additionally, a dot-matrix design really aligns with the era of design inspirations that Nothing is drawing from. You can lightly interact with the matrix through the Glyph button, which is intriguingly built under the rear cover of the Nothing Phone 3. It's a single button, so learning the quirks of a long-press and a short-press, especially when there's no tactile response, takes a bit of time. Flanked by other eager photographers, YouTubers and media, I took a little too much time making the Glyph mirror work. Weirdly, you can't use it as a selfie guide with the primary cameras, or at least I didn't figure out how to during my hands-on. Elsewhere, the design is inspired by the lines and shapes of the New York City subway map, while the see-through back of the Phone 3 has a three-column design that divides the component curves, camera modules and glyph matrix. The Phone 3 is Nothing's thinnest phone yet and is 18 percent thinner than the Phone 2. The new Nothing flagship also lacks the chonky camera unit that's on the Phone 3a Pro. This is because, this time, Nothing has the budget to do so: the Phone 3 costs $350 more, so it can use smaller (even custom-made) components to shrink the footprint. Instead, the three-camera layout reminds me a lot of the latest Galaxy S24 Ultra, with only slightly protruding camera lenses. It's not flush, but perhaps I'm asking for too much -- the only contemporary smartphone with an entirely flat camera unit is the Pixel 9a. Despite its slimmer profile, the device still features a periscope zoom on a 50-megapixel sensor. It goes up to 3x optical zoom, 6x digital zoom and a 60x AI Super Res Zoom. (Yes, we all blame Google and Samsung for this nonsense.) This will also serve as a macro camera, allowing for clearer close-up shots. The main camera is also 50MP, with an f/1.68 aperture (Nothing says it's 70 percent faster at capture than the Phone 2) and even includes a lossless 1.5x zoom. There's also an ultrawide camera with a 114-degree field of view and, you might have guessed, a 50MP sensor. Even the front-facing camera is 50MP. Expect the usual Android array of shooting features across the camera system, including Auto Tone, Portrait Optimizer, Night Mode Macro Mode and Action Mode. There are also several shooting presets to browse for your favorite shooting aesthetic, which I enjoyed playing with on a demo unit. I'm hopeful that the Phone 3 will be a capable enough smartphone camera. Taking some early shots, during a hectic hands-on session at the launch event, the camera app seemed faster than past Nothing devices and low-light processing seemed pretty close to the likes of Google's Pixel. Imaging has typically been the weakest part of Nothing's phone strategy, but each iteration it gets better. It's something I'm looking forward to putting to the test. Nothing has added an LED light that flashes red to indicate video recording. This can still be disabled in settings, but it's a nice touch that taps into the red splashes you'll see throughout Nothing's hardware and software. The Phone 3 also packs the company's brightest display yet, reaching up to 1600 nits at its maximum brightness settings, peaking at 4,500 nits with compatible HDR content, The 6.67-inch screen has a higher 1.5K resolution than the Phone 2. There's also IP68-rated protection against dust and water. Rounding out the spec sheet, the phone has a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, marking the biggest compromise this year. Nothing told me that the Phone 3 wasn't chasing specs like phones that cost several hundred dollars more. However, the Galaxy S25 has the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite, and it's also $800. The good news is that the Phone 3 shouldn't be perceptibly slow or laggy -- the company says it's five times faster than the Phone 3a. Nothing added there should be a 60 percent improvement on AI performance compared to the Phone 2. I'm intrigued to see how battery life fares, but not too worried. The OnePlus 13 Pro had the same processor and performed very well in our battery rundown test. The 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery can be charged to 50 percent in 20 minutes with a compatible 65W charger, and up to 100 percent in under an hour. It's one of the first phones to arrive in the West with a silicon-carbon cell, adding further intrigue to how well the battery life will perform. There's also 15W wireless charging, which Nothing seems to be keeping exclusive to its most premium phones. The Phone 3 runs Android 15 out of the box, but with Nothing's spin on things, featuring custom icons and native apps. That includes Essential Space, which works with a hardware button launcher first introduced on the 3a. While there were rumors that Nothing might fold the feature into a subscription, it'll be free for the foreseeable future. However, Smart Collections, which was meant to collate screenshots and other files is still being worked on and won't be available at launch. The focus, software-wise, may be the new Glyph Matrix, but you can expect some of the typical AI-assisted features like natural language search that Nothing calls Essential search. It will be able to tap into everything on the Nothing Phone 3. Nothing's cheaper 3a devices leaned into software too, but with the Phone 3 there's more importance on the specs. The question is: Is this flagship enough? The Phone 3 is priced at $799 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. An $899 model will also launch with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage. Both black and white versions will be available to pre-order on July 4, with sales starting July 15 on its own store at . The company plans to launch its own drops in select physical locations on July 10.

Nothing’s Phone 3 Really Goes Full-On Anti-iPhone, Huh?

After a seemingly never-ending drip of leaks and teases, Nothing's Phone 3 is finally here, along with what's shaping up to be a divisive new aesthetic. The eye-catching Android phone, which was unveiled during a London launch event on Tuesday, will cost $799 and is being billed as the company's "first true flagship." To sell its premium package, Nothing is leaning into a new triple camera system, a refreshed design, and a circular Glyph "Matrix" display that, honestly, looks pretty damn fun. Let's start with the thing that sells almost every flagship phone out there: the camera system. The Phone 3, as you may have noticed, includes three different sensors this time around. All three of the rear camerasâ€"main, ultrawide, and periscope zoomâ€"are 50 megapixels. The most notable addition here is the periscope zoom camera, which was also included in the Phone 3a Pro. Luckily, unlike the Phone 3a Proâ€"which weirdly released before the Phone 3â€"the inclusion of a periscope camera doesn't necessitate a huge, annoying camera bump. Don't get me wrong, the lens still protrudes a bit, but nowhere near the amount of its predecessor. If you're unfamiliar with periscope cameras, all you need to know is that these puppies can zoom. Specifically, you can get up to 6x lossless zoom or 60x zoom with the help of AI. I haven't used the Phone 3 yet, but probably the biggest hangup I have on the surface is that the periscope camera is misaligned, which makes it look a little, uh, odd on the back of the phone. I suspect this will piss some people off, but others won't really care that much. I guess if Nothing's camera system works well for the price, then it'll be easy to forgive any design weirdness. Beyond the camera, I think the most notable feature is the Glyph Interfaceâ€"er, sorry, the Glyph Matrix aka that big ol' circle at the top-right of the phone that can display all sorts of fun stuff. It's like the Glyph Interface but in dot matrix form, and it looks like a fun gimmick. According to Nothing, the Glyph Matrix does a lot of the same stuff as the Glyph Interface (the LED light strips on the back of the Phone 1 and 2) and some additional stuff, too. Nothing says that the Glyph Matrix is made up of 489 "individually firing LEDs" and can display all sorts of information, including caller ID, volume levels, and camera countdown. It also still does regular timers, a solar clock, and (my favorite) a couple of fun games that include rock, paper, scissors, and spin the bottle. To cycle through all those functions, Nothing also included a dedicated button on the back of the phone that it aptly calls the "Glyph Button." I love buttons, but I hope it works more smoothly than the buttons on its also brand-new Headphone 1. Nothing also said in its announcement video of the Phone 3 that it's opening up SDKs to developers, so the use of the Glyph Matrix may also expand in the future (if anyone actually cares enough to build stuff for it, that is). Inside the Phone 3 is also an almost flagship-level processorâ€"Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8S Gen 4. That's the same chip found inside phones like Poco's F7 5G and Xiaomi's Redmi Turbo 4 Pro. It's a step up from the chips used in the Phone 3a and 3a Pro, which both come with Snapdragon 7S Gen 3. I've said it before, and I'll probably say it 1,000 times, but phone chips are at a point whereâ€"unless you're a hardcore mobile gamer or somethingâ€"the newest generation isn't always super critical. If you're browsing the web, taking photos, and streaming video, like most of us, then you're probably not going to notice a huge difference with gen-over-gen chips. I use an iPhone 13 on a daily basis, and it still works... fine. I'm going to assume that the Phone 3 is the same story, but I won't know until I try it for myself. The design may be the most controversial part of the Phone 3. Instead of the kind of smooth, easy-going look of the Phone 1 and Phone 2, the Phone 3 opts for a rigid, block-like vibe on its backplate. I'm still on the fence and am suspending judgment until I see this thing in person, but it definitely looks very similar to the Phone 3a. For the first time, I think I actually prefer the black version of this phone, but again, I want to see it IRL before I jump to conclusions. On paper, the Phone 3 looks like a solid upgrade over the Phone 2 and, to no one's surprise, pushes new AI features like Essential Space, which is now out of early access. Whether the phone rises to the "true flagship" positioning remains to be seen. Just like with the Headphone 1, the Phone 3 takes a shot at something different. Nothing has so far succeeded in shaking things up just enough to justify its mission of "making tech fun again." If you're all-in, you can preorder the Phone 3 starting July 4, and open availability starts on July 15. Orders will be available through nothing.tech and "select partpartners,cording to Nothing.

Nothing Phone 3 hands-on: The ultimate expression of Nothingness

I've spent a short time playing with the Nothing Phone 3 and wholeheartedly agree with Nothing's decision to call it the brand's first true flagship. However, it's not a "flagship" in the way most other manufacturers interpret the word. It's a Nothing flagship because it's the ultimate expression of "Nothingness," which I mean in a very good way, and you're going to need to think a little differently to "get" it. Here's why I think it's worth the effort. Related Nothing's Glyph Matrix redesign could either save or sink the Phone 3 The Nothing Phone 3 will feature a new take on the brand's popular Glyph Interface lights, and it needs to be careful not to alienate fans Posts Made for enjoyment It's not about big numbers, but big fun The wonderful thing about the Nothing Phone 3 is there are a lot of cute, fun, and engaging things to discover the more you use it, and it feels fresh due to them. Whether those things will be used more than once doesn't matter, because they're all so lovingly designed they don't feel like gimmicks, or features just for journalists to try out at the launch. Take the square red marker on the back of the phone, a design element seen on previous Nothing phones, as an example. It was always just for show, but it's now a video light that blinks red when you're recording. Useful? A bit. Fun? Absolutely. But the star of the show is the new Glyph Matrix, which replaces the old Glyph Interface on phones like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and while I was initially worried about it being a disappointment, it's actually shaping up to be really exciting. The multi-function window still shows all the usual Glyph Interface tools, such as alerting you about notifications, timers, and battery, but through the new Glyph Toys feature, it has become a lot more fun. These mini-tools include a visualization of the weather, a stopwatch, a game of Magic 8-Ball, and even spin-the-bottle. You operate the Glyph Matrix with a button on the back of the phone, which is accompanied by some neat haptic feedback. It's so well implemented and so tactile, it makes you smile while using it. Not many other "flagships" can claim to do that these days. Cracking hardware Up to Nothing's already high standards Close Nothing has opened up the API for its Glyph Matrix, allowing developers to come up with their own Glyph Games, and given how engaged Nothing's community is, we anticipate plenty coming in the future. Not all Glyph Toys are a success so far though, and while the Matrix can be used as a selfie mirror, the nature of the monochrome, pixelated display makes it rather pointless. It's also a shame the caller ID feature is coming soon and not available at launch. The Glyph Matrix and its special button make you want to touch and interact with the Nothing Phone 3, and it's a joy when you do. It's 218 grams and nearly 9mm thick, so it's a chunky thing, but the balance feels spot-on. It comes in a choice of white or black colors and with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. The triple-lane design motif visible through the transparent back of the phone looks futuristic without relying on messy components or cabling, keeping it clean and neat. The camera array isn't as jarring as the Nothing Phone 3a Pro's, and I love the way the Glyph Matrix and each lens draws your eye across the back of the phone, leading to a little path down the rear panel. It's visually cohesive, and genuinely attractive. Nothing's Essential Space key is on the side of the phone, which opens the company's AI feature of the same name, where you store screenshots and voice notes, ready for the phone to organize them, and for you to recall when needed. Nothing has further integrated its AI into the phone's global search, and typing a question you'd usually use a browser search for brings up results right there in the app search bar, no other app needed. It was fast and informative when I tried it. Not all about the specs The Phone 3 is more than the sum of its parts The Essential Space and the way AI has been integrated into the global search feature are further great examples of what makes the Phone 3 so full of Nothingness. These are "flagship" features, but added in a way which doesn't require explaining or thinking about to use. I'm not questioning when I'll travel next and if I'll have the opportunity to try my phone's translation features, as the AI is more tailored to things I do with my phone every day, and are usable without any hassle or much forethought on my part. Related 3 battery technologies that could change smartphones as we know them (and 2 that surely won't) Safer, smaller, longer-lasting batteries could be in our phones in a few years Posts 4 A further very welcome flagship feature is the silicone carbon battery, making it possible to squeeze a 5,150mAh cell into the phone, complete with charging, which takes less than an hour to reach 100%. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 with 12GB or 16GB of RAM. This may disappoint some as it's not the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but choosing this chip has still allowed Nothing to meet its performance and efficiency targets, with an eye on the final price too. Elsewhere, the 6.67-inch AMOLED looked really bright in the test space where I spent time with the phone, it has a 120Hz refresh rate, and is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The back of the phone is covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, the chassis is aluminum, and the phone is protected by an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. On the back are three cameras - a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50MP periscope telephoto for a 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP wide-angle. On the front is another 50MP camera with 4K video recording. All in the name of fun There's a joy to the Nothing Phone 3 missing from some other phones The Phone 3's striking hardware feels solid and high quality, while the NothingOS software is quick to respond, logical to use, and highly customizable. Nothing will support it for five years, and promised an upgrade to Android 16 in the near future. I enjoyed every moment playing around with the Nothing Phone 3, appreciate the thought that has gone into the extra features, and love the fact it looks like no other phone you can buy. The Nothing Phone 3 is a fresh take on the flagship phone, where vision and identity are just as important as specification, carefully considered AI features take precedence over rarely used ones, and flashing lights and rear displays go beyond gimmicks to become useful and entertaining. It's the most "Nothing" phone yet, and we as phone fans and buyers should welcome it with open arms. The Nothing Phone 3 will be available for pre-order from July 4 and released on July 15. The 12GB/256GB version costs $799 and the 16GB/512GB version is $899.

Nothing Phone (3) goes official with 'Glyph Matrix' for $799, available July 15

The Nothing Phone (3) has arrived as the company's first high-end device since 2023, and with its highest price yet at $799. Here's what you need to know. Nothing is calling the Phone (3) a "true flagship," so let's start with the specs. The device is powered by Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. There's a 6.67-inch AMOLED display at 2800×1260 which Nothing calls "1.5K resolution." The panel is 120Hz and hits 4,500 nits of peak brightness while using Gorilla Glass 7i on the front, and Victus on the back. Under the hood there's a 5,150 mAh battery (5,500 in India) using silicon-carbide tech. Nothing says charging hits 65W over USB-C while wireless charging (no Qi2) is at 15W. Android 15 with Nothing OS 3.5 powers the experience with 5 years of major Android updates and 7 years of security updates. This latest update to Nothing's experience builds on Essential Space with a new "Flip to Record" option for AI summaries of real-life recordings, as well as adding in the new "Glyph Matrix" features. The "Glyph Matrix" replaces the lighting found on the back of prior Nothing phones, with the dot matrix display being able to show new information such as the time, as well as including "Toys." These mini-apps include a spin the bottle game. Developers can create their own "Toys," with Nothing having already launched Magic 8 Ball and Leveler apps that were made by its community. Nothing says that a Caller ID will also be coming to the Matrix "soon." To interact with the Glyph Matrix, there's a touch-sensitive area on the back of the device that acts as a button. Nothing OS 3.5 also brings some other key improvements, such as a new Smart Search feature that can open apps, Google, or AI search depending on what you type in. Lastly, the cameras include four 50MP sensors in total. There's a main rear camera, 3x telephoto lens which can double for macro photography, as well as an ultrawide lens. The front-facing sensor is also 50MP, and all four can shoot in 4K with 60fps video. Nothing Phone (3) will be available in black and white color variants and will sell for $799 in the US, with availability on Nothing's website and Amazon. Pricing in Europe and the UK will also be €799/£799. Pre-orders will open on July 4 with availability starting on July 15.

I just went hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3 -- and it's the most unique flagship of 2025

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. The Nothing Phone 3 has now launched, a little later than anticipated but with more to shout about than you might expect. After launching two "flagship-killer" phones like last year's impressive Phone 2, plus some cheaper models and a handful of audio peripherals, the Phone 3 is here to show what Nothing considers a real flagship phone, and a statement on its future direction as a company. No pressure then. Seemingly aimed at the lower end of the flagship bracket, alongside phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13 and Google Pixel 9, the Phone 3 takes a few cues like the basic size, camera offering and display, but then veers off to deliver typically weird (but loveable) Nothing features. Things like a rear dot matrix display, a lower-powered chipset, a bigger battery and a bunch of unique software and AI abilities. A full review will be coming in due course, but for now here's what I make of the Nothing Phone 3, a premium phone determined to stand out. Nothing is charging £799/$799 for the standard, 256GB storage edition of the Phone 3. If you'd like 512GB storage, then you'll be paying £899/$899 instead. Up from the $599/£579 that the Nothing Phone 2 started at, but it makes sense given Nothing's mission of making a flagship phone - that includes a flagship price. Pre-orders start on the 4th of July at Nothing and select partners, and open sales will begin on July 15th. But in typical Nothing fashion, it's offering limited drops from July 12th for fans who are determined to try out the phone before anyone else. The color choice for the Nothing Phone 3 may be a stark black or white, but Nothing's aiming to cultivate a sense of "technical warmth" with its new device. In plain English, that means attempting to recapture the nostalgia of universally beloved tech products like the Game Boy, PlayStation 2 or original iPod. This comes in the form of a new "tri-column design", splitting the phone in three long segments which looks quite different compared to the previous Nothing phones' rounder designs. Familiar elements like the semi-transparent back and the Essential Key AI feature shortcut return, but gone is the Glyph Interface, the most distinctive part of the Nothing Phone 2. In its place appears the Glyph Matrix. This turns the light strips into a small 25 x 25 circular pixel grid that can display a lot more than the previous light bars ever could. As well as alerting you to notifications when the Phone 3 is face-down, the Glyph Matrix can also act as a digital spirit level, a timer or stopwatch, a clock or a battery indicator. There are also "Glyph Toys," fun little functions to play with such as Spin the Bottle, a Magic 8 Ball and Rock Paper Scissors. Nothing hopes its community and other developers will get involved too, launching a software development kit (SDK) for the Glyph system to let those outside Nothing contribute their own ideas. For the display, Nothing's stuck with the 6.67-inch AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate of previous models, although now with a higher pixel density, 1.5K resolution and slimmer 1.87mm bezels on all sides for a more premium look. The durability has been upgraded too, using Gorilla Glass Victus to protect the display and bearing an IP68 water/dust resistance rating. A quartet of 50MP cameras graces the front and back of the Nothing Phone 3. On the back you'll find the main camera, a 114-degree ultrawide camera and the 3x telephoto camera (which maxes out at 60x digital zoom and is also capable of macro photos at up to 10cm), and on the front, the usual selfie camera. All four cameras are capable of 4K video at 60 frames per second And, perhaps the most exciting upgrade of all, the red square that's been present on the back of all Nothing phones since the beginning now has a job as a flashing recording indicator while you're capturing video. Enhancing the quality of images is Nothing's new True Lens Engine 4 processing. This apparently combines even more frames together to make the optimal HDR image. Action mode, portrait mode and more are all available in the Camera app, along with pro Design Presets to apply unique and artistic filters. More editing options are available in the Nothing Gallery app, including color grading. Nothing elected to use the Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset in the Phone 3, a lower-spec chip than the Snapdragon 8 Elite found in most Android flagship phones this year, but still a potent and efficient one. Manufactured on a 4nm process, the chip apparently gives the Phone 3 a 36% faster CPU, 88% faster GPU and up to 125% faster AI processing compared to the Phone 2 and its Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1. RAM and storage come in two different versions. The basic model has 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, while the more expensive version gets you 16GB/512GB. The Phone 3 contains Nothing's largest phone battery to date - a 5,150 mAh silicon carbon cell that apparently provides up to 80 hours of battery life according to internal testing. Refuelling is delivered by up to 65W fast charging, which can apparently fill the phone from 0 - 50% full in just 19 minutes. Compared to phones in the same model year and price category, the Nothing Phone 2 had exceptionally good battery life. But now Nothing's playing in the flagship leagues, the Nothing Phone 3 may struggle to excel, even with its larger battery and more efficient chipset. Nothing OS 3.5, an Android 15 skin, comes preinstalled on the Nothing Phone 3. Nothing OS 4.0 with Android 16 is apparently coming later in the year, but there's no specific timing given for that yet. The update schedule is given as five years of OS updates and seven years of security updates, which should see you getting full updates up to Android 20, and safety from software issues until 2032. Google and Samsung offer seven years of full updates, the best offer of any smartphone manufacturer so far, but Nothing isn't far behind fortunately. Aside from its unique-looking interface, Nothing OS stands out with features like the Essential Space, as we saw on the Nothing Phone 2a series that launched earlier this year. This houses screenshots, voice notes and more to help you keep track of everything you'd like to remember. Specifically for the Phone 3, Essential Space has been improved with a new Flip to Record feature. With a press of the Essential Key, you can now easily start a voice note from anywhere. The recording then ends up in Essential Space, where you can check out a transcript and summarized points from whatever you recorded. Also new for this model is Essential Search, a universal search bar accessible with just a swipe up on the home screen. It's capable of finding apps and contacts like you'd expect, but can also tackle less concrete questions, such as queries about Saturn, as one demo showed. Nothing promises that Essential Search will gain personalized suggestions over time. implying that you'll be able to see relevant photos and notes appended to contacts as you search for them. The Phone 3 is willfully different to its rivals, eschewing some standard features in favor of its own "fun" ideas for what users need on their phone. So while the Phone 3 is promoted as a flagship, the specs are a lot less standardized than other phones you'd give that label to. When you look at the price, and the Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13 and Pixel 9, that all cost about as much, the Phone 3 barely looks related, which could be all some people need to see to be convinced. I want to take a closer look at the camera, chipset and battery performance before I offer a proper recommendation, but you'll have to wait a bit longer for that. For now, I can say that the Nothing Phone 3 is a bold and assertive entrance into the flagship phone world. And it looks to do enough differently that any small discrepancies in power or ability compared to rival Android phones won't matter too much. Stay tuned for a full review in the not-too-distant future.

'We're not just chasing whatever competitors are doing': Nothing's AI chief explains why the Phone 3 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, not the 8 Elite

Exclusive: Nothing doesn't want you to stress about the chipset Two weeks ahead of the Nothing Phone 3's launch on July 1, Nothing announced that its "first true flagship" would be using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, not the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is by all accounts the fastest Android chipset in 2025. Negative headlines abounded ("the Nothing Phone 3 chipset has been confirmed and I'm concerned," wrote Trusted Reviews), but in hindsight, Nothing was smart to clear the decks for a slew of much more positive Phone 3 coverage on launch day. Does the lack of a Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Phone 3 really matter? Personally, I don't think so, since we've arguably reached a saturation point when it comes to the speed of flagship phones. But now, Nothing itself has shed more light on the decision to opt for the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 over the Snapdragon 8 Elite. "From a product perspective, I think we can give the experiences that we want to give with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and [more generally] the spec sheet of the Phone 3," Nothing's AI lead, Sélim Benayat, explained to me in an exclusive interview. "Obviously, it's also helpful from a price perspective [the Phone 3 costs $799 / £799 / AU$1,509]. But generally, we were more focused on what [kind of] experience we wanted to create, and therefore on what specs we needed [to facilitate that experience]." With the Phone 3, the type of flagship "experience" Nothing wants to create is one that encourages human-centric interaction through both hardware and software. For a separate article, Sélim told me how the new Glyph Matrix display helps users "be more in the present moment," and Nothing's approach to AI revolves around the same goal. "At Nothing, the way we look at AI internally is - we rarely call it AI, but rather a software tool that allows us to make more personal, adaptive features that put you, the human, into the center of the experience," Sélim explained. "Every time there's a debate over what should be prioritized, we go back to that principle. We're not just chasing whatever competitors are doing - we have this philosophy of, 'What should the interface between tech and humans look like?' And that's where we're ultimately going, because we believe that, at the end of the day, [this approach will result in] features that people actually want to use." I asked Sélim to elaborate on what makes Nothing's approach to AI different from its competitors': "AI was always a big theme at Nothing, specifically from a fundamental perspective. I think that's the big advantage that we as a company have [over our competitors] - it's a young team, it's a young function, and so are our OS ambitions, right? "And so the way we think about the OS today is to have an underlying framework that is driven completely by AI, which will then start to allow us to build the experiences that put you at the centre of it again. AI has always been a consideration architecturally as well as philosophically." As ambitious as this AI-led approach to smartphone software sounds, it's one that has - in a strange twist of fate - allowed Nothing to operate at a fraction of the scale of competitors like Apple and Google. "I think we're experiencing a sort of platform shift right now - a shift away from, let's say, a static environment to a more probabilistic environment. You don't need as many hands or fingers to create experiences that truly matter, which is obviously helpful if you're a smaller team," Sélim told me. "Some competitors really believe in controlling everything from the smallest pixel to the touch of your thumb - but they're finite experiences. Now, for AI, what needs to be done [instead] - because AI is a probabilistic technology - is that you need to guide the experience, meaning a truly finite UI or UX is not that important anymore. You literally need fewer designers; you need fewer engineers to create that experience." It's clear, then, that Nothing is turning the industry-wide pivot towards AI to its advantage. The company is using smaller teams and cheaper chipsets to bring a new type of smartphone experience to users, and it's confident that the Phone 3 will live up to its flagship billing. The Nothing Phone 3 is available to pre-order now from Nothing directly, starting at $799 / £799 / AU$1,509. We're currently putting the new device through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.

'Our relationship with phones has grown unhealthy': Nothing's AI chief explains how the Nothing Phone 3 will 'help you be more human'

Exclusive: Sélim Benayat on Glyph Matrix, Essential Space, and more The recent hype around low-key AI companions like the Rabbit R1, screen time apps like One Sec, and pop culture warning signs like Netflix's Adolescence prove that we, as a society, fully recognize the dangers of excessive smartphone use. But are we really ready to leave our pocket computers at the door? The answer, for most of us, is still 'no', yet this tension between person and product is something that big-name smartphone brands are beginning to recognize and respond to. Nothing, for its part, knows that you want to spend less time on your phone, so how can it convince you to buy its "first true flagship," the Nothing Phone 3? After getting hands-on with the new device at its London-based launch event, I spoke with Nothing's AI lead, Sélim Benayat, who explained how the Phone 3 will help you "regain focus" and "be more human." "As for why we're calling Phone 3 a 'flagship', I think it has a lot to do with it being a representation of everything we believe in as a company: clarity, calmness - this more human experience," Sélim says. "And the feature that speaks most to [those values] is the new Glyph Matrix on the back." "This is a feature that, quite literally, [forces you] to put the phone face down onto a table to experience it. That helps you, as a human, gain more control again, right? You're not constantly looking at your screen. You're not constantly getting the notifications. It puts you more in the present moment." A reimagining of the Glyph Interface from previous Nothing phones, Glyph Matrix is a small dot-matrix display that sits in the top-right corner of the Phone 3's rear panel. It's capable of displaying several different types of content - from person-specific notifications to monochromatic 'Glyph Toys' (read: party games) like Spin the Bottle. "Then, when you look at the more software-driven innovation," Sélim continues, "the Phone 3 has Essential Search, which helps you get to whatever's important to you quicker, with more intention, which obviously helps you regain focus. "And there's also Essential Space [introduced on the Phone 3a Pro], which for us is a big one, because it helps you remember what matters to you - again, so you can be present in a conversation with your friends, or get back into the flow [of whatever you were doing]." In other words, Nothing is actively focusing on delivering features that limit the amount of time its users spend on its phones. Is this a strange situation to be in as a developer? I put the question to Sélim. "I think it's really [about] reimagining what the interface [of a smartphone] should look like," he explains. "At Nothing, our philosophy is to, yes, on the one side, make tech fun again and inspire that innate creativity that we all have. But on the other side, I think we're also keenly aware that our relationship with phones has grown unhealthy. "Your phone doesn't help you be more human. It's not a 'bicycle for the mind' anymore, right? There's almost a slight resentment [towards our phones]. And so we believe that if you create an experience where people feel more themselves, it's actually healthy, and people like it. Hopefully, that will drive higher retention as well." It remains to be seen whether the Phone 3's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, triple-lens 50MP camera setup, and 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery will tempt buyers to fork out for its $799 / £799 / AU$1,509 price tag. But it's certainly refreshing to hear a brand talk about smartphones in such wellbeing-conscious terms. The Nothing Phone 3 is available to pre-order now from Nothing directly, with open sales set to begin globally on July 15. We're currently putting the new device through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.

The Nothing Phone 3 gives you something you never seen before

If you put the best phones side by side on a table, could you tell them apart? As smartphones have become increasingly homogenous, companies are searching for different ways to ensure their products stand out, and chief amongst these is Nothing. The nascent London-based company has made design a key staple of its product portfolio, and the result has been some of the most unique designs in tech, including the Nothing Phone 3a Pro earlier this year. Key to the Nothing experience has been the Glyph Interface, a series of programmable light bars that are designed to notify you when your phone is face down on a table. Recommended Videos Like every phone maker, designs evolve, and today, Nothing has unveiled the Nothing Phone 3 with a key feature that will be new to most smartphone users. I went hands-on with the Phone 3 -- complete with its polarizing design -- and this is why it's better than I first expected. Polarizing design and the evolution of the Glyph Nothing's most recent smartphones have often delivered excellent core specs and functionality paired with a polarizing design. The result is that, while it may not be for everyone, you can easily spot a Nothing phone while walking down the street. The Phone 3 continues this trend with a polarizing design, but it looks far nicer in person than it did in the previously leaked renders. Yes, the cameras aren't uniformly spaced like other smartphone makers, but they are uniform within the context of Nothing's new three-column layout on the rear. Next to the cameras, you'll find the new Glyph interface. This evolves the Glyph lights feature into a micro-LED display that offers far more functionality and utility than the previous light bars. The result is a feature that makes the Phone 3 truly stand out from the competition. Meet the new Glyph Matrix interface Had you told me that Nothing was going to drop the glyphs in favor of a micro-LED display, I would have said that I thought it was a bad idea. Having now used the Phone 3, I take that back: the glyph interface is the natural next step for the Glyph interface, especially combined with Nothing's new Glyph toys. These are essentially mini apps that can run on the small Glyph Matrix display. Some of these provide obvious utility -- for example, being able to see the remaining timer and your notifications -- but others will come in handy when you least expect it. Want to decide who pays the bill at dinner, or just have some fun with friends? The spin the bottle glyph toy is ideal and will replace the need to spin an actual bottle. Seeking inspiration or the wisdom of a magic 8-ball? Nothing also has you covered there. Building something and need a spirit level in a pinch? There's also a glyph toy for that. Beneath the glyph matrix, you'll find two design features that look like buttons. Only one of these is an actual button, and as it's beneath the Gorilla Glass Victus rear, it's somewhat hard to press. However, it's core to the Glyph Matrix experience as you press it to cycle through the different AI toys and, in the case of features like spin-the-bottle or the magic 8-ball, you press and hold the button to activate the feature. More than just glyphs, with four 50MP cameras While the Glyph Matrix is one of the highlights of the Phone 3, the other is likely to be the cameras. The Phone 3 features a triple-camera array on the rear, and all three cameras offer 50MP resolution. This is paired with a further 50MP camera on the front, and this setup is the best we've seen on a Nothing Phone yet. The 50MP main camera features a 1/1.3" sensor that takes in 44% more light than the Nothing Phone 2. Like every smartphone maker, Nothing is also utilizing in-sensor cropping to achieve 1.5x and 2x lossless zoom. Additionally, there's the new 50MP telephoto camera, which features a 70mm focal length and offers 3x optical zoom and 6x in-sensor zoom. The telephoto lens also enables the Phone 3 to zoom up to 60x by combining information captured by the sensor with AI. The three rear cameras feature OIS, while the selfie camera uses electronic stabilization. Testing the Phone 3's camera briefly at Nothing's briefing this morning, I was impressed, and it's clear that this is the best camera in a Nothing phone yet. The rest of the flagship specs sheet Ahead of the Phone 3 launch, Nothing teased endlessly that the Phone 3 would be its first true flagship smartphone. Powering the whole package is the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, which is Qualcomm's latest processor, but one step below the Snapdragon 8 Elite used in the best Android phones. However, the Phone 3 is fast and smooth thanks to the 12GB or 16GB of RAM. The Phone 3 features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display that is vibrant and looks outstanding, as well as an IP68 rating for dust and water protection. The display features a 1.5K resolution and offers up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness. The display features a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz and also supports the HDR10+ standard. To keep the Phone 3 going for a whole day and more, it is equipped with a 5,150 mAh battery that uses Silicon Carbon technology for the first time. This is paired with 65W charging and 15W fast wireless charging. Nothing claims that this enables the Phone 3 to charge to 50% in around 20 minutes, but we'll test this as part of our upcoming review. A true flagship without the price I've used many smartphones over the past few years, but the Nothing Phone 3 has one of the most unique phone designs I've used in years. It feels premium and has all the features you would want from a flagship phone. Crucially, the Phone 3 also follows Nothing's model of offering excellent value for money. Available to pre-order from July 4, the Phone 3 is launching on July 12. The 256GB model will cost $799 in the US (£799 / €799 in the UK and Europe), while the 512GB model costs $100 more. As far as specs and value for money are concerned, the Phone 3 offers a lot of bang for your buck. Unlike previous Nothing phones, it'll also be more broadly available in the US through Nothing's store and other partners.

I've seen the Nothing Phone 3 in person and I'm not sure you're ready for how it looks | Stuff

Deep breaths, folks: the Nothing Phone 3 really does look like that. The transparent tech pioneer has gone distinctive (some might say dissentient) for its first flagship smartphone, which ditches the signature glyph lights of previous entries for a more functional dot matrix display. Up for pre-order today in the US, UK and Europe for $799/£799/€799, Phone 3 open sales kick off from July 15. It's a big leap into premium territory for Nothing, which until now has majored on mid-range and value champs like the Phone 3a. Having now seen one in person at the firm's global launch event, I'm wondering how the radical design change will go down with returning fans and newcomers alike. The circular glyph matrix takes pride of place at the rear, next to an asymmetrical three-camera setup that's very like-it-or-hate-it. The white on black LEDs can flash up app notifications, countdown timers, and the current time when placed screen-down on a flat surface, as well as act as a pixellated selfie camera viewfinder. At launch it can play a bunch of micro-games, like rock-paper-scissors or spin-the bottle, by pressing the touch-sensitive dot built into the rear casing. Eventually you'll be able to assign glyph mirror portraits to your contacts for person-specific call notifications, with a long-press to show the contact name or number. Nothing is also unleashing a software development kit to community developers, so expect plenty of third-party tools and functions to appear later down the line. Those rear cameras alongside it all use 50MP sensors, with the lead lens getting optical image stabilisation and an f/1.68 aperture. The periscope telephoto also has OIS and is good for 3x optical zoom, 60x super res shots using AI upscaling, and macro focusing as close as 10cm from your subject. The ultrawide has a wide 114 degree field of view. All three can manage 4K/60fps video recording, with a red recording indicator lighting up on the rear of the phone. Nothing has updated its camera pipeline to make the most of the new hardware, promising 13 more frames captured per HDR image for more accurate contrast and colour. There's an action mode for fast-moving subjects and a smarter portrait mode to boot. The gallery app has its own set of editing tools now, too. I've been largely impressed by the firm's mature image processing in the past, but now it'll have to hold its own against top-tier handsets from the likes of Samsung and Google. Despite the controversial rear layout and lack of lights, Phone 3 is unmistakably Nothing from almost every angle. It's launching in your choice of white or black hues, with a similar flat metal mid-frame, flat screen and flush rear glass setup to the outgoing Phone 2. The firm has stepped up to Gorilla Glass 7i up front and Victus glass around back this time out. It also slimmed the screen bezel down to a barely-there 1.87mm, and sealed it all up tight enough for IP68 resistance against the elements. The screen is a palm-friendly 6.67in - a fair bit smaller than rival flagships like the OnePlus 13, but more substantial than the Samsung Galaxy S25 or Google Pixel 9. The 2800×1260 resolution, 30-120Hz dynamic AMOLED can crank up to 4500nits peak brightness, which bodes well for outdoor visibility. It looked plenty bright under the harsh lighting of Nothing's demo area. Underneath, a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset provides the power. While I didn't get to run any benchmarks, on paper that'll put it behind competing flagships with a Snapdragon 8 Elite, and might be a sticking point for anyone wanting maximum grunt for minimal outlay - especially when the Poco F7 has just arrived with the same silicon for less than half the price. Here it's paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and either 256 or 512GB of on-board storage. Nothing has gone with silicon carbide battery tech for Phone 3, but stayed conservative on capacity: you're getting a 5150mAh cell here, which should be good for all-day use. There's 65W wired charging for a 0-50% refuel in under 20 minutes, and there's 15W wireless charging too - even if the design on the rear doesn't incorporate the charging coil anymore. It'll arrive running the firm's monochrome, widget-filled NothingOS 3.5 software, with an update to Nothing OS 4.0 (and Android 16) expected towards the end of the year. Nothing has promised five years of new Android generations, and seven years of security updates - a decent showing for a top-tier phone, if a small step behind the likes of Samsung and Google. Essential Space remains one of the headline features, with a dedicated button at the side of the phone for launching the AI-assisted note taking tool. New for Phone 3 is a flip to record mode, which can record a conversation, transcribe and summarise it automatically, and file to Essential space with a press-and-hold. An AI-powered Essential Search also makes its debut. Accessed on the app drawer screen or picked to replace the stock homescreen's Google search bar, the system-wide search will eventually tap into your apps, contacts book, gallery images and the web. It seemed a bit WIP during my brief demo - perhaps it'll fill up with suggestions once you've used the phone for a few weeks. The bigger questions are whether the controversial styling will grow on you just as quickly; if there's enough CPU grunt to compare favourably with similarly-priced rivals; and if the battery can go the distance. Those will all have to wait for a full review.

No More Secrets: Nothing Phone (3) Completely Leaked!

The Nothing Phone (3) has emerged through detailed leaks, showcasing a significant evolution in both design and hardware. With its asymmetrical back, glyph matrix, and innovative specifications, the device aims to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience. However, its unconventional aesthetics have sparked diverse reactions, prompting potential buyers to weigh its innovative features against their personal preferences. The video below from Beebom gives us more details about the leaked Nothing Phone 3. The Nothing Phone (3) departs from the symmetrical design language of its predecessor, introducing an asymmetrical back panel that integrates a glyph matrix. This matrix replaces the earlier glyph lights and introduces practical functionalities such as: The removal of the red LED and the potential concealment of the wireless charging coil contribute to a sleeker and more refined aesthetic. Constructed with a combination of glass and metal, the phone balances durability with a premium feel. The inclusion of Gorilla Glass protection further enhances its resistance to scratches and everyday wear, making sure longevity. At its core, the Nothing Phone (3) is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, delivering robust performance for multitasking and demanding applications. Its hardware specifications are designed to meet the needs of modern users, featuring: These features make the device an excellent choice for gaming, media consumption, and other resource-intensive tasks, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience. The Nothing Phone (3) is equipped with a triple 50MP rear camera system, catering to photography enthusiasts. This setup includes a 3x periscope lens, which excels in capturing detailed macro shots. The 50MP front camera ensures high-quality selfies and video calls, making it a versatile option for content creators. All cameras support 4K 60fps video recording, allowing users to produce professional-grade content with ease. These advanced camera capabilities position the Nothing Phone (3) as a strong contender in the camera-centric smartphone market, appealing to users who prioritize photography and videography in their devices. The Nothing Phone (3) runs on Android 15, with the possibility of launching with Android 16, ensuring a future-proof software experience. The company has committed to: Additionally, the phone incorporates enhanced AI features, including improvements to the "essential space," which aim to deliver a more intuitive and personalized user experience. These updates reflect the brand's focus on long-term usability and customer satisfaction. Priced at approximately £800 (~₹50,000-60,000 in India), the Nothing Phone (3) enters the premium smartphone segment, directly competing with flagship models such as: While its specifications align closely with competitors, the phone's unique design and glyph matrix could influence its reception in the market. For users seeking a device that stands out visually while delivering top-tier performance, the Nothing Phone (3) presents a compelling option. Despite its innovative features, the Nothing Phone (3) may face challenges in gaining widespread acceptance due to its unconventional design. The asymmetrical back and glyph matrix, while distinctive, could polarize opinions among potential buyers. Some users may appreciate the bold approach, while others might prefer a more traditional design. However, for those who value uniqueness and innovative performance, the Nothing Phone (3) offers a refreshing alternative to conventional smartphones. Its success will ultimately depend on how well it resonates with its target audience in a competitive market. The Nothing Phone (3) represents a daring evolution in smartphone design and functionality. Its powerful specifications, advanced camera system, and long-term software support make it an attractive choice for tech-savvy users. However, its unconventional design could either set it apart as a trailblazer or limit its appeal to a niche audience. As it enters a crowded market, the Nothing Phone (3) challenges the status quo, offering a unique blend of innovation and practicality for those willing to embrace its bold vision. Uncover more insights about Android phones in the previous articles we have written.

From playful Glyph 'toys' to pro cameras - why the Nothing Phone (3) surprised me

The design, specs, and price - here's how Nothing's rethinking what a phone can be. The Nothing Phone (3) has been announced at a special reveal event in London, and once again, the UK-based design-first tech brand is pushing against the grain. The third-generation smartphone from Carl Pei's designer brand takes what worked before and evolves it, in form, function, and philosophy, with a focus on creativity, intelligence, and pure design joy. Now, it's no secret I like the Nothing brand and its approach. I reviewed the Nothing Phone (2) after buying it, and have been using it, on and off, with Nothing Phone 2a and 3a, ever since. The new Nothing Headphone (1) are a new obsession too. But why should you care as much as I do about the brand's new, and arguably first, true flagship smartphone? For starters, Nothing's attention to unique design continues, as CEO Carl Pei details in his keynote during launch, explaining how the rear of the Phone (3) features a tri-column grid based on three flexible PCBs, which provide the foundation of how the phone functions. "It brings rhythm and structure to the layout, giving the phone a calm and confident presence... We call it technical warmth, where structure meets soul," says Pei. Having now gone hands-on with the Nothing Phone (3), I can say it's a lovely smartphone, and goes some way to being that emotive hardware design Pei wants to make. Below I share the specs and details, and offer some hands-on opinion of how this all feels in the hand. The Phone (3) continues Nothing's now-iconic transparent aesthetic but introduces meaningful changes. Pei describes how the redesigned frame is inspired by modern architecture, with bold geometry and ergonomically curved edges. Uniform bezels (just 1.87mm thin) frame a 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED screen, Nothing's brightest to date with 4,500 nits peak HDR brightness. In the hand, Phone (3) feels nicer to hold; neater and more agile, even. Those slim bezels and vibrant display feel premium, while both black and white editions get close to that unique design philosophy Nothing aspires to. There's even room for some little touches of personality tech giants iron out - the little red square that's become a design aesthetic of recent Nothing Phones now lights and blinks red when video recording. But perhaps the boldest evolution is on the back. Rather than taking over the entire back of the phone, the new Glyph matrix sits in a circular display at the top-right of the phone, next to the cameras. Rather than a simple mix of LEDs, this is a functioning display designed to show new animated emotes, dot matrix camera effects, and more. "There's been a lot of discussion online, so I want to set the record straight," says Pei. "The Glyph is not a gimmick. Eight out of ten of our users have the Glyph interface enabled from day one." With the Phone (3), the Glyph evolves into the Glyph Matrix, a smarter, more expressive system that uses a grid of micro-LEDs. Notifications for contacts, apps and timers now appear visually, and include tools like a stopwatch, visual selfie countdowns, and a Flip to Record feature that auto-transcribes meetings when you place the phone face down. But it's the gamification of the Glyph system that will excite many users. "You can show a lot more content on a screen than on light strips," Pei explains. "And then there's the fun side, Glyph Toys are playful, ambient experiences that live on the back of your device... Rock Paper Scissors, even Spin the Bottle. Because fun deserves a place in tech too." Nothing has opened up a public SDK at nothing.community, and is already working with fans. "We worked with members of our community to bring two new Glyph Toys to life: the Magic 8 Ball and the Leveler. This is just the beginning." Leveler is just that, a dot matrix spirit level that uses the phone's gyros for measurements, and it's fun to see the little dot gloop about the display and settle when the phone is angled. I can't wait to see what people come up with for Glyph Toys, from Tamagochi-style characters to perhaps AR animations. Pei adds: "We believe smartphones should work for you and not the other way around. That's why we built the Glyph Matrix, to create a calmer and more expressive way for you to stay connected, letting you see what's important without turning on the screen." The Phone (3) is more than capable, too, and a technical step forward when compared to previous releases. A triple-lens system with a 1/1.3-inch sensor captures sharp, cinematic images in any light. There's lossless optical zoom, full-lens 4K 60fps video, and something I can't wait to try, professional presets crafted with working photographers to create stylised photos with a click. At the event, the specs were revealed: Snapdragon's latest 8s Gen 4 chip brings a 36% boost in CPU performance and a huge 88% increase in GPU power, making mobile gaming, multitasking, and real-time editing ultra-fluid. I'd need to spend more time with Phone (3) for a verdict, but it feels faster and more nimble than some recent smartphones I've used. While most tech brands rush to bolt AI onto legacy systems, Nothing is embedding intelligence where it matters. Nothing OS 3.5 includes Essential Space, a minimalist AI organiser that helps record and store notes, photos, and ideas in one calm hub that's already on older Nothing Phones. "Earlier this year, we previewed Essential Space, a new layer in Nothing OS - a calm and focused place, like a second memory," says Pei, reflecting: "Since launch... It's actually, to be honest, more than we expected." Phone (3) also introduces Flip to Record - just place the phone face-down in a meeting, and it'll begin recording and summarising the conversation into Essential Space automatically. As someone who regularly needs to use AI transcribers, this could become an essential tool. Another smart addition is Essential Search, a universal swipe-up bar that searches your contacts, content, and even answers questions in the UI - no need to switch apps. In practice, it looks like a faster way to search, and yet another reason why Google should be concerned. As more of us live and work on our phones, a tool like Essential Search could become invaluable. "Smartphone AI often feels surface level," Pei explains. "We're taking a different approach... Because smartphones already have scale, and no other device has better context on you. AI gives us a real shot to redefine the software experience - but it has to be useful." He continues: "To be successful here, you need three things: speed, which comes from being a nimble startup; taste, which we've proven through our design-first mindset; and community, which always helps us stay grounded to what people want." What's clear here is Nothing's approach to AI feels user-friendly and, indeed, bold. It's repositioning Nothing devices and its OS as a true alternative to other brands, with the aim to replace common search tools and organisers with its UI and UX (it makes me wish a Nothing tablet was in the works). Phone (3) packs a 5150mAh silicon-carbon battery - Nothing's largest yet - that comfortably lasts a day and beyond. Nothing boasts its new Phone (3) will charge from 0 to 100% in 54 minutes with 65W wired fast charging, and supports 15W wireless. It ships with Android 15 and Nothing OS 3.5, with Android 16 and OS 4.0 coming towards the end of 2025. Nothing promises five years of major Android updates and seven years of security support - an industry-leading pledge. So why does this matter? Maybe like me, you find many new tech releases too uniform, devices are, well... dull, and feature fatigue is a definite reality. Against this background, Nothing is carving its path by designing with feeling, function, and fun. As Pei puts it: "This new level of detail is more evolved and mature than the previous generations... It's an object that deserves to sit on your desk." Phone (3) might just be the most personal smartphone yet - designed not just to impress, but to express (and believe me, those Glyph Toys are going to become an obsession).