Nothing says that the Cellphone 3 is its “first true flagship telephone,” and it has put its cash the place its mouth is. The telephone is getting a full US launch, and at $799, it prices precisely the identical as a Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, or iPhone 16.
That makes reviewing the Cellphone 3 refreshingly easy, as a result of there are solely two actual questions that matter: is that this nearly as good as these three? And can or not it’s nearly as good as what we’re anticipating from the brand new Pixel and iPhone fashions which can be proper across the nook?
The reply goes to come back all the way down to how a lot you want its distinctive look. The unhealthy information for Nothing is that the Cellphone 3’s design is extra divisive than any on the market, even amongst Nothing’s largest followers.
$799
The Good
- Distinctive design
- Huge battery and quick charging
- Loads of storage
The Dangerous
- Weak chipset for the worth
- Flagship rivals have higher cameras
- No extra Glyph lights
The Cellphone 3 is the primary Nothing telephone to ditch the Glyph interface, an summary sample of LED dots and strips that grew to become Nothing’s design trademark when the Cellphone 1 launched in 2022. As a substitute is one thing smaller and subtler: a round dot matrix show dubbed the Glyph Matrix.
The Glyph Matrix performs spin the bottle, however don’t you dare name it a gimmick.
Nothing says the Glyph Toy vary will broaden with new community-developed apps.
Nothing consists of some notification icons of its personal design, like this one I used for WhatsApp.
The Glyph Matrix can show footage and icons, so as a substitute of attempting to recollect which mild present you programmed for telephone calls out of your mother, you’ll be able to set an emoji to signify her (you can even use a photograph, however these are simply as illegible because the previous lights when rendered on the dot matrix). You should utilize Nothing’s preselected designs or generate your individual from a picture, however if you wish to use a particular emoji or app icon, then you definitely’ll have to come up with the picture file your self to transform it. This all must be enabled manually, contact by contact, app by app, so it’s a good bit of labor to arrange.
The Glyph Matrix also can do wise issues like show the time or remaining battery, stranger issues like run a photo voltaic clock or body a selfie utilizing the rear digital camera, and downright bizarre stuff like play rock, paper, scissors or spin the bottle. Sensible or not, these are collectively dubbed Glyph Toys, and you may cycle by means of them utilizing a hidden haptic button on the telephone’s rear. You possibly can set the clocks or battery indicator to run perpetually as a type of always-on show, too, which is a boring use case however the very best a part of it for me.
The top result’s a system that’s somewhat extra sensible than it was once — although it doesn’t do an entire lot to dispel accusations that it’s a gimmick — however feels much less distinctive, following within the wake of a number of years of Asus ROG telephones which have comparable second screens.
It additionally leaves the remainder of the telephone’s rear oddly naked. Heaps has been written already concerning the telephone’s uneven digital camera placement, but it surely’s the barren white area that bothers me extra. Nothing’s design language is all about particulars and doohickeys that draw the attention and trace on the {hardware} beneath. However right here, there’s a cramped cluster of cameras and different particulars on the telephone’s prime, and on the backside there’s an entire lot of, nicely, nothing. I really like the look of the corporate’s different {hardware}, however the Cellphone 3 is its first design dud — too busy on the prime and too empty in all places else.
Nothing OS is nice, however grey, which may make it laborious to make use of.
This can be a beta “good” structure of the app drawer, with automated classes.
You should utilize Important Area to take screenshots of occasion invitations…
…that are summarized and will be synced with Google Calendar.
Nothing’s distinct design language runs by means of the software program. Nothing OS 3.5, based mostly on Android 15, is minimalist and monochrome, with loads of customizability — proper all the way down to particulars just like the structure of the short settings menu. The grayscale seems nice, although it’s somewhat unhelpful while you’re looking for an app icon in a rush, however you’ll be able to at all times swap to Android’s normal colourful icons in the event you want. A brand new AI-powered international search bar helps, too, pulling up apps, contacts, settings, and extra.
The opposite large AI options are discovered within the returning Important Area, triggered by a devoted {hardware} key to avoid wasting screenshots and voice notes, which the AI will analyze to present you reminders about occasions or duties, with a brand new choice so as to add occasions to Google Calendar. It will possibly additionally summarize audio recordings, although you’re restricted to 300 minutes a month, with no choice to purchase extra, and also you solely get a abstract, not a full transcript.
The decrease half of the Cellphone 3 is naked in comparison with the highest.
However there’s extra to being a flagship than simply wanting the half. Nothing angered some followers by boasting concerning the Cellphone 3’s “flagship” Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, which can be discovered within the $399 Poco F7. And certain, this can be a chip for the decrease finish of the flagship area, much less highly effective than the Snapdragon 8 Elite you’ll discover within the Galaxy S25. However Google’s Pixel line has delivered much less pure energy ever because the firm switched to in-house Tensor chips, and the 8S Gen 4 is aggressive with that. It hasn’t lagged or stuttered over my couple weeks with the telephone, photograph processing is quick sufficient, and it handles gaming comfortably.
Some specs are sturdy: 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are nice for the bottom mannequin, delivering double the area of rivals. The 5,150mAh battery is bigger than the alternate options and lasts the day comfortably, whereas 65W wired charging is the quickest of the lot. The intense 120Hz OLED show doesn’t stand aside from the competitors outdoors of being larger at 6.67 inches.
Nothing’s earlier cameras have been competent, however that doesn’t reduce it for a flagship. Nothing upgraded the Cellphone 3’s {hardware} with a triple rear digital camera that makes use of 50-megapixel sensors throughout the board — together with the selfie digital camera — outpacing all its rivals on decision. It says it’s made software program tweaks, too, prioritizing richer shadows and pure highlights.
1/19The Cellphone 3’s fundamental digital camera produces enticing leads to good lighting.
The principle digital camera works nicely in good mild by means of nightfall. Some pictures have the flat sheen of extreme HDR results, eradicating the distinction and element, although Nothing’s post-processing is extra restrained than some. Outcomes drop off as soon as it will get darkish, although, and the digital camera overexposes highlights and crushes blacks within the course of.
The telephoto is the very best function this digital camera has going for it, partly as a result of the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 don’t have one. The colour tuning differs from the principle lens, being flatter and colder, but it surely takes images with a gorgeous, pure bokeh impact, particularly in macro mode.
Total, the cameras lag somewhat behind the competitors, however this telephoto is likely to be a tempting cause to think about it — although with the Pixel 10 rumored to leap to a few cameras, that benefit may disappear.
Adore it or hate it, no different telephone seems like this.
Again to the large query: do you have to purchase this over different flagships? The Cellphone 3 comes with extra storage, an even bigger battery, and quicker charging. It’s more likely to beat the upcoming Pixel and iPhone fashions on these fronts. However neither the chipset nor the cameras sustain, and there’s a threat that these gaps develop over the subsequent few months.
Nonetheless, none of these different flagships appear like this. Relying in your style, that could be a degree of their favor. I don’t love the Cellphone 3’s design. However it’s distinctive, and the Glyph Matrix might be highly effective in the event you take the time to customise it. If that appeals, then the Nothing Cellphone 3 is a singular flagship. Simply ensure you’re pleased with placing kind over perform.
Photographs by Dominic Preston / The Verge
