Could the Nothing Phone (3) be the most unconventional smartphone on the market?

Let's get straight to the point. The Nothing Phone (3) has been an extremely contentious device. Its unconventional design with off-centred cameras and the flagship price for non-flagship specs undoubtedly has caused this divide.

But is it truly as divisive as people say it is? I got hands-on with the Nothing Phone (3) for (3) weeks, and here are my honest thoughts.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.

Nothing Phone (3) at a glance...

Was $1509, now $999

An iPhone feeling with a Samsung experience

It was my first thought when using this phone. The unboxing experience felt very premium and personable, and you even get a freebie case – awesome!

Upon booting up the phone, you're greeted with the outstanding software of the Nothing OS 3.5 mixed with Android 15. There's a recurring digital design motif across the entire OS, plus its minimalistic approach keeps the phone feeling fresh and sleek. The widgets are fun to play with, customisability is easy, and there's an app drawer that you can scroll through to easily access your needs. This all gets a tick from me.

So what gives it the iPhone feeling? Two things. The physical design, weighing in at 218g, felt like my predecessor iPhone 15 Pro, but bigger (like the Pro Max). Second, the swipe-up to control is the default setting for the phone. If you're more into the three-button controls like most Android phones, you can opt for that too.

So what makes it a Samsung experience? The easiest answer is that it runs on Android. The long answer is that many of the deep customisation options I once sought after when using Samsung were already seamlessly integrated into the default look and feel of the Nothing OS.

The Picasso of modern phones

You either hate it or love it. The Nothing Phone (3) on the front features a vibrant 6.67-inch, 120Hz OLED display that can reach an impressive 4500 nits peak brightness. It also comes with a sleek 50MP front camera. The side includes volume buttons on the left, a power button on the right, along with a new Essential Space button (more on that later).

The true artsy Picasso stuff is on the back. The transparent glass reveals an asymmetrically designed backing with misplaced cameras. The unique design also has a cute red square that doubles as a flashing video recorder indicator – something I like a lot, which is a minor detail.

The supposed ground-breaking identity of the Nothing Phone (3) is the Glyph matrix, which is a micro-LED digital display on the back. It's gimmicky, and there's a customisable haptic button on the back that changes the display.

It seems the internet's immediate impressions of the Gylph Matrix have been overshadowed by its unnecessary games like Spin the Bottle or Rock, Paper, Scissors. But for me, I came to like it. When the phone is face down, it can display the time, show you incoming notifications, and even serve as a volume indicator.

The whole point of this is to give, at a glance, information without having to unlock the phone. It's a unique feature that has been a core part of Nothing's design philosophy, which was formerly Glyph Lighting. With the new matrix, you can change the patterns depending on who's calling or messaging. I loved this!

Design first, specs second

The Nothing Phone (3) demands a pretty steep price for what it offers as the best in its line-up. It seems to be a deliberate choice where they prioritise user experience over raw performance.

The phone uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen4, which is a powerful processor but not the absolute best on the market. Take the Galaxy S25 for example, released in February this year. The S25 has the Snapdragon 8 Elite and many other fantastic features, all for $1199 if you buy today. That's a huge bargain!

Although in my three weeks of use, this was not an issue at all. The phone felt consistently fluid and handled my everyday use, aside from heating up a little bit from overuse. For users who judge a phone purely on benchmark scores, this is an understandable point of contention.

Another small detail is the use of a USB-C 2.0 port. This is clearly outdated compared to the standard USB-C 3.2 that the majority of modern phones use. This doesn't affect charging, but could be a noticeable inconvenience if you frequently transfer large photos and videos from your phone to a computer via cable.

Battery, camera and the apparent Essential Space

Beyond the divisive design and standout software, the Nothing Phone (3) actually excels in core performance areas that matter.

The massive 5150mAh battery was a game-changer that comfortably lasted me two days with general usage. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5000mAh capacity, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 4685mAh battery. The phone also supports an incredibly fast 65W wired charging and offers the standard 15W wireless charging.

The cameras are also a pleasant surprise. Nothing has stepped up the game with its wonky, triple 50MP camera setup, including a main, ultrawide and a new periscope telephoto lens. The photos produced were pretty good, although they felt a bit flat and unfocused upon first use. Again, the Nothing OS shines through as the camera app itself feels great.

Finally, there is a new Essential Space feature. With its dedicated button, this is Nothing's own take on an AI-powered central hub for notes, screenshots and voice memos. Although I can see the appeal, the habit of tapping the button to capture a note didn't really prove any use to me. You have to make a conscious effort to integrate it into your daily workflow.

All for Nothing?

Here's my final verdict. You should absolutely buy the Nothing Phone (3) if you're after a design-centric, minimalistic and sleek user experience with almost top-quality performance. Overall, I actually really enjoyed using the phone. It's fun!

I have nothing against the appeal. But if you're realistically looking for the best value phone or if you want a truly flagship experience, you should probably wait it out a bit longer before you make the switch.

READ MORE: Nothing Headphones are a must-see, but are they a must-buy?

The specs of the Nothing Phone (3)

Price: $1509 (256GB) $1689 (512GB) on the Nothing store

Colours: White and Black

Display: 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 4500 nits

Operating system: Nothing OS 3.5 and Android 15

Performance: Qualcomm SM8735 Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, 12GB–16GB RAM

Battery: 5150mAh capacity, supporting 65W charging and 15W wireless

Camera: 50MP main camera, 50MP periscope telephoto, 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP selfie camera

AI features: Essential Space, Essential Search, Gemini

Storage: 12GB memory with 256GB internal, 16GB memory with 512GB internal

Durability and weight: 218g, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, IP68, fully resistant to water and dust

What's in the box: Nothing Phone (3), Nothing Cable (USB-C to C), Phone (3) case, pre-applied Phone (3) screen protector, SIM tool, safety information and warranty card

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Nothing