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Android Authority
03-08-2025
- Android Authority
More is less: I can't make myself use Nothing's Glyph Matrix
Nothing's original Glyph Interface was the perfect level of gimmick — it added a bit of flair to the back of its first few phones, but always felt like it had a purpose. I trusted it for everything from following the charge of my battery to watching for an incoming phone call, and it was one cool thing I could always show off to my iPhone-toting friends. Unfortunately, the Nothing Phone 3 took everything I loved about the original Glyph Interface and sent it back to the drawing board. It replaced the simple LED bars with a circular Glyph Matrix, and it's made me stop using the light-up feature altogether. Here's what I think Nothing got wrong by fixing what wasn't broken. It's not a substitute for screen time Prakhar Khanna / Android Authority I know I just finished calling the Glyph Interface a gimmick — and it is, I stand by that — but at least it's a gimmick that knew what it wanted to be. Its purpose was to complement the overall experience by making it so you didn't always have to look at your phone screen. You could get a general idea of incoming notifications and countdown timers without boosting your daily screen time. And yet, you could just as easily go a whole day without using it. The Glyph Matrix… isn't so simple. It's more detailed than the Glyph Interface, so you have to pay more attention to it than the Glyph Interface, ultimately pushing you to use your phone more than you might have wanted. Yes, sometimes it's helpful as a way to check the current time without flipping your phone over, but because you already have to press the button on the back panel to activate the Matrix (which I don't like, either), it makes the whole process take just as long as picking up your phone to check in the first place. Unfortunately, as soon as I have my Phone 3 in my hand, I'll probably check it. It's kind of like the children's book 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,' in that it's a slippery slope for me to start out checking my remaining battery on the back of my phone and very, very quickly end up scrolling the day away on Instagram or Reddit. With the Glyph Interface? Not a chance. It automatically kicked on for timers, notifications, and charging indicators, which meant I could leave my phone sit face down while I worked my way around the kitchen. Nothing's 'toys' don't add to the experience Ryan Haines / Android Authority If, in theory, you can get me to use the Glyph Matrix without being distracted by my phone, I think you'll quickly find that I don't know what to do with it. See, outside of the digital clock, every little feature, which Nothing calls Toys, feels useless. I like to be able to glance at the time, but I can also do that from my watch, which is always, always, always going to be on my wrist, so I rarely toggle the Matrix to show the time. And, when I need to set it to something besides the time, I usually end up on the battery indicator. Unfortunately, Nothing's original decision to make the battery indicator look like a glass half full (or empty, take your pick) made it very hard to know the remaining charge. I could press the Glyph button to light it up, but then I'm left guessing whether my phone is at 25% or 40%, and then I flip it over to light up the display and find out. Thankfully, a recent update (to Nothing OS 3.5) made this better by adding a visible percentage to the Matrix, but you've given this mouse his cookie, and now he wants to scroll social media. Unless it's a timer or a clock, I have no need for it on the back of my phone. That update to Nothing OS 3.5 also added a bunch of other Glyph Matrix toys to explore, but I'm not sure they're better. They're mostly childhood games like spin the bottle and a magic eight ball that feel like they're just kind of there. I haven't found a situation where I've seriously wanted to use any of them, so I've mostly pulled them from the rotation. Cleaning up my active toys has made it easier to cycle through them with the Matrix Button, but also feels like it's pulled out any remaining functionality from the feature itself. I suppose a toy or two is cool, like the solar clock that can help you find the sunset, but again, it's not quite precise enough. Nothing's Glyph Mirror is a neat idea, too, unless you want to use it as a mirror. The idea is pretty simple: it uses your camera to project a black and white live image of yourself, but there's not enough detail to use as a mirror. I tried it for about 30 seconds before I decided it was probably using more battery life than it was worth. Also, if you're the official @nothingindia account on Instagram, you turn the rock, paper, scissors toy into… well, just the grossest joke. If you don't get it, consider yourself lucky. Yes, seriously, this was from the official account. Can I really expect other developers to give this a try? Prakhar Khanna / Android Authority The one thing that still gives me a little bit of hope for the Glyph Matrix is third-party support. Like the original Glyph Interface, Nothing has opened up the freedom to create new toys and integrate app capabilities through a Glyph Developer Kit, which you can explore through GitHub. In theory, it's a great idea, but if it's anything like the third-party support on the Phone 1 and 2, I won't hold my breath. The problem is that Nothing's Glyph Developer Kit has been available for over a year now, but it's barely been used. If I open the Glyph Interface settings on my Phone 2 and look for third-party options, I get two: Google Calendar and Uber. The former gives me a five-minute countdown until the start of an event, while the latter can show the progress of my ride. I wouldn't mind a five-minute timer for a Zoom meeting, but it's not so helpful for a dinner reservation, a concert, or an appointment — if I'm running that late, five minutes won't save me. Nothing has a third-party developer kit... but nobody uses it. Other integrations? Yeah, there aren't any. There's Zomato for food delivery, but I don't use it with GrubHub and Doordash being so much more popular in the US. Maybe the slightly more complex interface of the Glyph Matrix will drive developers to support it — it would be easier to follow the status of a meal delivery, display current Spotify information, or get a more in-depth look at a Slack message — but I won't hold my breath. After all, Samsung's beloved notification LED died off after a few underserved years. Why shouldn't I expect the same from a gimmick that uses a hardware button and makes it hard to buy a phone case? Nothing Phone 3 Nothing Phone 3 MSRP: $799.99 Nothing's first 'true flagship.' The Phone 3 is a stylish reinvention of Nothing's Android phone series, now with flagship specs, including a large silicon-carbon battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and a periscope zoom lens with macro photography support. See price at Amazon Follow
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Time of India
Nothing Phone (3) review: An ambitious experiment with mixed results
The Nothing Phone (3) is perhaps the brand's most daring device yet a smartphone that wears its ambition on its transparent sleeve. With its head-turning design, including an interactive rear display and the evolving Glyph Interface, Nothing is clearly chasing a future where your phone looks and feels unlike anything else on the market. But in its pursuit of standing out, has it delivered a truly cohesive flagship experience? We took our time with this review, cutting through both the hype and the criticism to evaluate the Phone (3) with a clear head especially from the perspective of the Indian smartphone buyer. Price & Availability Variant (RAM + Storage) Price 12GB RAM + 256GB Storage ₹79,999 16GB RAM + 512GB Storage ₹89,999 Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Artificial Intelligence PGDM Cybersecurity Technology Design Thinking Finance Management CXO Digital Marketing Operations Management MBA Leadership Project Management Product Management others Others Healthcare healthcare Data Analytics Data Science Data Science Public Policy MCA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Design The Nothing Phone (3) arrives with a design that undeniably pushes boundaries, yet our assessment is that the design team may have ventured a step too far in their pursuit of a distinct aesthetic. Building upon the much-lauded and now recognizable Glyph Interface, Nothing has introduced a secondary, interactive display on the phone's rear. While this new element certainly offers intriguing possibilities, such as glanceable notifications (incoming calls, messages, app alerts without flipping the phone), enhanced camera previews for high-quality main camera selfies, quick access to widget-like information (time, weather, battery), customizable visual flair, and a clear charging status indicator, its integration comes with a significant caveat. The absence of a clear, intuitive guide for understanding and utilizing this new display creates a steep learning curve for users, leaving much to be discovered through trial and error. This design direction is, without question, polarizing for a significant portion of potential buyers. The blend of the established Glyph lights with an additional rear screen feels less like a seamless evolution and more like an attempt to layer innovation for innovation's sake. This audacious approach makes the Nothing Phone (3) a challenging recommendation, particularly when considering its price point in the competitive smartphone market. While the enthusiastic side of our professional perspective commends Nothing for its unwavering commitment to its unique design philosophy and willingness to experiment, the rational, pragmatic voice holds us back from a wholehearted endorsement. Despite these reservations, it must be stated that the build quality of the Nothing Phone (3) is unequivocally solid. The device feels remarkably premium in hand, exuding a sense of robust craftsmanship that belies some of the more experimental design choices. It's a testament to Nothing's manufacturing capabilities, even if the overall design might not resonate with everyone. The Nothing Phone (3) feels premium and well-built, despite its bold design. The Nothing Phone (3) introduces an "Essential Key," a dedicated physical button on the frame, a feature also seen on the Phone (3a), (3a) Pro, and CMF Phone (2) Pro. While it serves as a customizable shortcut for basic actions, our opinion is that it feels notably half-baked; its true potential remains untapped, with many advanced functionalities yet to be integrated across this broader lineup. Display The display on the Nothing Phone (3) immediately makes a strong impression, delivering a palpably premium and interactive feel. With a generous 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, it provides ample screen real estate, while the quality of the panel is indeed top-notch, rendering vibrant colors, incredibly deep blacks, and sharp detail that makes content consumption a pleasure. Its 120Hz refresh rate contributes to smooth scrolling and a fluid user experience, living up to modern flagship expectations in terms of responsiveness. Furthermore, the display boasts a high peak brightness of around 1600 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in challenging bright outdoor conditions. However, a technical choice within this premium panel raises questions, particularly when considering the device's price point. While the display offers adaptive refresh rates, it utilizes LTPS technology rather than LTPO. In everyday use, a regular user might not explicitly notice the nuanced difference in power efficiency between these two. Yet, the very debate surrounding LTPS versus LTPO is ignited by the phone's premium positioning, as many competitors in this price bracket do incorporate the more advanced and typically more power-efficient LTPO panels. This decision feels like a conscious trade-off that, while not impacting visual quality, hints at underlying cost considerations. The most notable point where the display package falls short, particularly for a device aiming at a flagship experience, is the in-display fingerprint sensor. The Phone (3) relies on an optical unit, diverging from the more robust ultrasonic technology prevalent in most high-end flagship devices. While the optical sensor generally functions, it is slower compared to the ultrasonic units on Samsung Galaxy S series devices. In essence, the Nothing Phone (3)'s display delivers a visually excellent and responsive experience across its 6.7-inch panel with impressive brightness. However, while its core features are strong, certain underlying technological choices and the implementation of the optical fingerprint sensor introduce points of contention that temper its overall appeal, especially when weighed against its cost and the expectations set by competing devices. Software The software experience on the Nothing Phone (3), driven by Nothing OS atop Android 16, remains, in our opinion, the brand's most significant strength. It's a strength that, unfortunately, Nothing itself doesn't seem to leverage enough in its marketing efforts. The clean, uncluttered nature of Nothing OS is genuinely easy on the eyes, offering a refreshing departure from heavily skinned Android interfaces. Coupled with superbly smooth animations, the user experience feels fluid and responsive. Crucially, the ad-free environment contributes significantly to a premium, flagship-tier feel, a distinction that truly enhances daily usage. The Nothing Phone (3) runs a clean, ad-free Android 16 with smooth, minimal Nothing OS. Nothing has committed to providing 5 years of Android OS updates and 7 years of security updates for the Phone (3), a commendable policy that offers long-term software longevity, aligning it more closely with Google's own Pixel flagships. Performance The Nothing Phone (3) for the Indian market comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, paired with robust RAM and storage configurations, including 12GB and 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. These storage options are certainly generous, ensuring users have ample space without complaint. In everyday use, the device performs admirably across all tasks. For general navigation, app usage, and even moderate multitasking, the Phone (3) feels consistently fluid and responsive. Indeed, in daily scenarios, one would rarely discern that it isn't running the absolute top-tier, 'Elite' version of a flagship processor. However, when pushed to its limits—such as during extended, demanding gaming sessions or when handling heavier, sustained workloads—there is a tendency for some minor stutters or slowdowns to emerge. While not debilitating for average use, this nuance distinguishes it from the most unyielding performers in the segment. Battery life is a notable strength. With a substantial 5,500mAh battery, the Phone (3) comfortably delivers over 6 hours of screen-on time with ease, making it a reliable companion for a full day of moderate to heavy usage. Furthermore, it does support 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging, adding convenient flexibility to its power management. That being said, the wired charging speed remains a significant point of contention. In a market where many flagship devices, including some sporting the very same Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, now offer blistering 100W or even higher wired charging speeds, Nothing's choice to stick with 65W wired charging for the Indian variant is a notable miss. For a device positioned as a premium flagship, this feels like a compromise that simply doesn't align with current industry expectations and the rapid charging capabilities offered by its direct competitors. One decision that stood out to us was Nothing's bold move to exclude a charging brick from the box especially in the Indian market. While many premium smartphones have adopted this trend, Nothing recently went the opposite route with the CMF Phone (2) Pro, which did include a charger. That contrast makes this choice feel more deliberate. Yes, it's fair to assume that flagship buyers may already have compatible chargers or can afford one, but brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi still include them. At this price point, offering a charger with the Indian variant could've made a more compelling case. Camera The Nothing Phone (3) presents an ambitious camera system, featuring a triple 50MP rear setup and a high-resolution 50MP selfie camera. On the rear, we have a 50MP main wide-angle camera (reportedly utilizing an OmniVision OV50H sensor with OIS), a 50MP ultrawide lens (likely a Samsung ISOCELL JN1 sensor), and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens (with a Samsung ISOCELL JN5 sensor, offering 3x optical zoom and up to 60x digital zoom, also with OIS). In everyday photography, the Phone (3) performs commendably. The main 50MP sensor consistently captures detailed, vibrant images with good dynamic range. Colors tend to be natural, avoiding the overly saturated look some competitors adopt. This makes it reliable for general snaps in well-lit conditions. The ultrawide camera provides a broad perspective, useful for landscapes and group shots, and its high megapixel count helps retain detail, though some edge distortion is occasionally present. The telephoto lens is a welcome addition, delivering crisp 3x optical zoom shots that are genuinely usable, providing versatility for distant subjects or tighter compositions. The Nothing Phone (3) features a triple 50MP rear camera system, comprising a main, ultrawide, and periscope telephoto lens. When it comes to low-light photography, the main sensor, aided by OIS and Nothing's computational photography, manages to pull in a good amount of light, preserving shadow detail and producing images with acceptable noise levels. However, while good, it doesn't quite reach the benchmark set by the very best in class, which often leverage larger sensors or more aggressive processing for truly stunning night shots. The ultrawide and telephoto, as expected, see a more noticeable drop in quality in challenging low-light scenarios, though they remain usable. The 50MP selfie camera is a highlight. It consistently delivers sharp, detailed self-portraits with pleasing skin tones. Even in less-than-ideal lighting, the large megapixel count and Nothing's processing help maintain quality. It's a strong performer for both individual and group selfies. For video capabilities, both the front and rear cameras are well-equipped. The rear setup can record up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps) across all three lenses, a significant achievement for versatility. Stabilization (OIS and EIS) is generally effective, producing stable footage for most casual shooting. The front selfie camera also supports 4K at 60fps video recording, which is excellent for vlogging or high-quality video calls. While the video quality is strong overall, some competitive flagships might offer slightly better low-light video performance or more advanced cinematic modes. In summary, the Nothing Phone (3)'s camera system is a versatile and generally capable package. The inclusion of three 50MP sensors across the board, including a dedicated telephoto, makes it a highly flexible tool for photography and videography. While its low-light performance doesn't always break new ground, and some computational aspects could see further refinement, it delivers a robust and enjoyable camera experience for the everyday user, and a particularly strong showing for video creators. Verdict The Nothing Phone (3) is bold, beautiful, and brimming with ideas but not all of them land. Its standout design, secondary rear display, and clean software offer genuine appeal, but key compromises in performance tuning, charging speeds, and the learning curve of its rear UI hold it back. While its cameras, display, and battery life perform solidly, the overall experience leans more experimental than polished. For those who prioritize aesthetics and uniqueness, it's a compelling option. But if you're seeking a well-rounded flagship with no major caveats, there are more balanced choices at this price point.
The Verge
19-07-2025
- The Verge
Nothing Phone 3 review: flagship-ish
Nothing says that the Phone 3 is its 'first true flagship phone,' and it has put its money where its mouth is. The phone is getting a full US launch, and at $799, it costs exactly the same as a Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, or iPhone 16. That makes reviewing the Phone 3 refreshingly simple, because there are only two real questions that matter: is this as good as those three? And will it be as good as what we're expecting from the new Pixel and iPhone models that are right around the corner? The answer is going to come down to how much you like its unique look. The bad news for Nothing is that the Phone 3's design is more divisive than any out there, even among Nothing's biggest fans. 6 Verge Score The Phone 3 is the first Nothing phone to ditch the Glyph interface, an abstract pattern of LED dots and strips that became Nothing's design trademark when the Phone 1 launched in 2022. In its place is something smaller and subtler: a circular dot matrix display dubbed the Glyph Matrix. The Glyph Matrix can display pictures and icons, so instead of trying to remember which light show you programmed for phone calls from your mom, you can set an emoji to represent her (you could even use a photo, but these are just as illegible as the old lights when rendered on the dot matrix). You can use Nothing's preselected designs or generate your own from an image, but if you want to use a specific emoji or app icon, then you'll need to get a hold of the image file yourself to convert it. This all needs to be enabled manually, contact by contact, app by app, so it's a fair bit of work to set up. The Glyph Matrix can also do sensible things like display the time or remaining battery, stranger things like run a solar clock or frame a selfie using the rear camera, and downright weird stuff like play rock, paper, scissors or spin the bottle. Practical or not, these are collectively dubbed Glyph Toys, and you can cycle through them using a hidden haptic button on the phone's rear. You can set the clocks or battery indicator to run perpetually as a form of always-on display, too, which is a boring use case but the best part of it for me. The end result is a system that's a little more practical than it used to be — though it doesn't do a whole lot to dispel accusations that it's a gimmick — but feels less unique, following in the wake of several years of Asus ROG phones that have similar second screens. It also leaves the rest of the phone's rear oddly bare. Lots has been written already about the phone's asymmetric camera placement, but it's the barren white space that bothers me more. Nothing's design language is all about details and doohickeys that draw the eye and hint at the hardware underneath. But here, there's a cramped cluster of cameras and other details at the phone's top, and at the bottom there's a whole lot of, well, nothing. I love the look of the company's other hardware, but the Phone 3 is its first design dud — too busy at the top and too empty everywhere else. Nothing's distinct design language runs through the software. Nothing OS 3.5, based on Android 15, is minimalist and monochrome, with plenty of customizability — right down to details like the layout of the quick settings menu. The grayscale looks great, though it's a little unhelpful when you're trying to find an app icon in a rush, but you can always switch to Android's standard colorful icons if you prefer. A new AI-powered global search bar helps, too, pulling up apps, contacts, settings, and more. The other big AI features are found in the returning Essential Space, triggered by a dedicated hardware key to save screenshots and voice notes, which the AI will analyze to give you reminders about events or tasks, with a new option to add events to Google Calendar. It can also summarize audio recordings, though you're limited to 300 minutes a month, with no option to buy more, and you only get a summary, not a full transcript. But there's more to being a flagship than just looking the part. Nothing angered some fans by boasting about the Phone 3's 'flagship' Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, which is also found in the $399 Poco F7. And sure, this is a chip for the lower end of the flagship space, less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite you'll find in the Galaxy S25. But Google's Pixel line has delivered less pure power ever since the company switched to in-house Tensor chips, and the 8S Gen 4 is competitive with that. It hasn't lagged or stuttered over my couple weeks with the phone, photo processing is fast enough, and it handles gaming comfortably. Some specs are strong: 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are great for the base model, delivering double the space of rivals. The 5,150mAh battery is larger than the alternatives and lasts the day comfortably, while 65W wired charging is the fastest of the lot. The bright 120Hz OLED display doesn't stand apart from the competition outside of being bigger at 6.67 inches. Nothing's earlier cameras were competent, but that doesn't cut it for a flagship. Nothing upgraded the Phone 3's hardware with a triple rear camera that uses 50-megapixel sensors across the board — including the selfie camera — outpacing all its rivals on resolution. It says it's made software tweaks, too, prioritizing richer shadows and natural highlights. The main camera works well in good light through dusk. Some shots have the flat sheen of excessive HDR effects, removing the contrast and detail, though Nothing's post-processing is more restrained than some. Results drop off once it gets dark, though, and the camera overexposes highlights and crushes blacks in the process. The telephoto is the best feature this camera has going for it, partly because the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 don't have one. The color tuning differs from the main lens, being flatter and colder, but it takes photos with an attractive, natural bokeh effect, especially in macro mode. Overall, the cameras lag a little behind the competition, but this telephoto might be a tempting reason to consider it — though with the Pixel 10 rumored to jump to three cameras, that advantage might disappear. Back to the big question: should you buy this over other flagships? The Phone 3 comes with more storage, a bigger battery, and faster charging. It's likely to beat the upcoming Pixel and iPhone models on those fronts. But neither the chipset nor the cameras keep up, and there's a risk that those gaps grow over the next few months. Still, none of those other flagships look like this. Depending on your taste, that may be a point in their favor. I don't love the Phone 3's design. But it's distinctive, and the Glyph Matrix could be powerful if you take the time to customize it. If that appeals, then the Nothing Phone 3 is a unique flagship. Just make sure you're happy with putting form over function. Photos by Dominic Preston / The Verge
Tom's Guide
06-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
I'm a Nothing Phone fan — but here's why the Phone 3 is a non-starter for me
One of my favorite things about using one of the best Android phones over an iPhone is that you can still root for an underdog. Sure, a Samsung or Pixel phone will always come with better specs but with a lesser-known brand you're more likely to get a unique feature that reminds you why you didn't just give in and get one of the best iPhones like everyone else. After Google ditched its more collaborative Nexus phones for the in-house-designed Pixel, I, like many other Android users, was left twisting in the wind for a bit. I eventually moved to OnePlus phones, which promise flagship-level specs for less. Things were good for a while there, until the company integrated Oppo's ColorOS with its own OxygenOS, at which point it felt like the magic was gone. I did consider just getting a Pixel for a brief moment since, for me, nothing (no pun intended) tops stock Android. Then I came across a new startup founded by OnePlus' co-founder, Carl Pei. This seemed like a return to the Nexus days, but with a twist. While Nothing's devices feel like they're running near-stock Android, Nothing OS takes things to a new level. It's fast, responsive and well thought out, so I've never felt the need to install a third-party launcher. I've now had my Nothing Phone 2 for almost two years, and while it has certainly served me well, I've been eagerly waiting to see what the company does next. Well, this week, I found out that the rumors and leaked renders of the Nothing Phone 3 were real. Though I was more than ready to hand over my hard-earned cash for Nothing's latest device, one big omission with its new design is holding me back. What immediately set the original Nothing phone and then its follow-up apart from the crowd was the distinct Glyph Interface on the back. Along with the company's trademark transparent designs, these strips of LED light serve as a constant reminder that in a sea of all too similar looking smartphones, Nothing is actually thinking differently. As the company has evolved, so too has the Glyph Interface on the back of its phones. Phone 1 debuted these one-of-a-kind lights and Phone 2 improved upon them by adding more lighting zones and giving you greater control over them. Even when Nothing decided to court the budget phone market with the Phone (2a) and then later with the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro, the Glyph Interface came along for the ride, albeit in a smaller and simpler way. While many people thought the next logical step would be to add RGB lighting to the Glyph Interface, Nothing clearly likes subverting expectations. I thought we might see more lighting zones, more customization options or something else entirely with the Phone 3. As it turns out, I was right. Just not in the way that I had hoped for. Instead of improving upon the company's now iconic Glyph Interface, it decided to ditch it entirely with the Nothing Phone 3. The only regular light that remains is actually a new one: a small red square underneath the phone's cameras which lets others know that you're currently recording a video. Instead, the Glyph Interface has been replaced with the new Glyph Matrix. The Phone 1 and Phone 2's light strips were featured prominently throughout the back of each device, but the Glyph Matrix is relegated to the top right corner. This tiny dot-matrix display does have a few tricks up its sleeve. It can show you the time, how much battery life you have left, and a number of other practical and entertaining widgets which Nothing is calling Glyph Toys. I have to admit, at first, I thought a dot-matrix style display on the back of my phone would be a cool feature to have. That was until I learned that this new addition would mean giving up what has become my favorite hardware feature of the Nothing Phone 2, one that I use every single day. I'm sure if you were out in public and someone caught a glimpse of the Phone 3's Glyph Matrix doing its thing, they'd be intrigued. From acting as a selfie mirror to flagging your notifications, there's already quite a lot it can do. Likewise, you can also play games on it with others or even with the phone itself. For instance, there's a Glyph Toy for Spin the Bottle that completely foregoes the potential for broken glass, along with a Magic 8 Ball one that can give you quick, albeit vague, answers to all your burning questions. Then there's Rock-Paper-Scissors where you and the Phone 3 go head to head in the zero-sum game. That's not all though, as Nothing has opened up its new Glyph Matrix to developers so that they can create their own custom Glyph Toys. While the Phone 2's Glyph Interface did have third-party support, it was only with the device's Glyph Progress feature which used one of the light bars to let you know when your Uber or food delivery from Zomato were arriving. I could easily see both seasoned and new developers alike creating some really cool Glyph Toys down the line. However, with what's available now, the Phone 3's Glyph Matrix feels more like a gimmick than a true replacement for Nothing's Glyph Interface. When I decided to buy the Phone 2, I thought that its Glyph Interface was a gimmick too. There's no party trick quite like turning on the lights on the back of your phone or even having them sync to the music you're playing using Nothing's Music Visualization feature. As I got acquainted with my Phone 2 though, its light strips quickly became more than a gimmick and turned into an essential feature I rely on daily. Besides seeing the progress of your rideshare or your food delivery, you can also use the Phone 2's Glyph Progress feature with Google Calendar, though this integration did come quite a few months after the phone's release. As someone who works remotely and is constantly jumping from one video call to the next, this light that gets smaller as my next meeting approaches has really come in handy. I still get regular notifications from Google 10 minutes before each of my meetings, but seeing the light slowly get smaller on the back of my phone is less obtrusive and definitely a bit more fun. Using your phone's camera flash as a flashlight is something we've all grown accustomed to over the years, but through its Glyph Interface, Nothing gives you another way to quickly light up a dark room. You can still use the phone's flash to light your way, but you also get the option to use its Glyphs as a torch too. And yes, I do mean torch: Nothing is based in the UK, so we have to use the correct terminology. What I like about the Glyph torch is that it's a softer, less glaring light that I can quickly enable without blinding myself or others. As I'm a night owl by nature, I often find myself working late or doing other things around my house well after everyone else is asleep. Even with the best smart lights installed throughout my home, turning them off and on at night can be disruptive. This is why I've grown accustomed to using my Phone 2's Glyph torch to light up the kitchen or even the garage in a pinch. Before there was Music Visualization on the Phone 2, there was Glyph Composer. If you're the type that still uses ringtones instead of leaving your phone on vibrate at all times like I do, then you can have the Phone 2's Glyph Interface light up along with your ringtone. There are pre-set animations for the pre-installed ringtones, but with Glyph Composer, you can also make your own custom ones. Even though I don't personally use ringtones, I absolutely love Glyph Composer. Not only is it a great way to kill time while making your own music using a number of different sound packs, it's also the perfect way to distract an upset toddler as I've learned from experience. I don't let my son use or play with my phone normally but every now and then, I either show him the lights on the back of my phone as I try my best to play something close to a song, or if he's being really good, I let him have a go at it. In fact, while waiting to buy a SIM card during my recent trip to Taiwan for Computex 2025, I got incredibly bored in line. There was a little one a few people ahead of me and when I saw her getting fussy, I took out Glyph Composer and played for a bit. In a minute or so, she was giggling and soon enough I was up next at the sales counter. Is the Phone 3's polarizing design enough to make me abandon Nothing entirely? Absolutely not. However, my next phone upgrade is now more up in the air than I thought it would be just a few weeks ago. I get that Carl Pei and Nothing are trying to do something new with the Phone 3, but I don't understand why they dropped the Glyph Interface entirely in favor of the new Glyph Matrix. The smaller Glyph lights on the company's cheaper a-series phones show that you can still do quite a lot with only a few strips of light. If you look at the back of the Phone 3, there's still plenty of empty space where a smaller but just as capable Glyph Interface could have fit nicely. Besides the touch capacitive button on the center-right that you use to control its Glyph Toys or swap between them, the middle and entire bottom half of the phone's back is completely empty. I understand why the Glyph Matrix is in the top right corner for practical reasons, but given the device's unconventional camera array, I think things could have been shifted around to incorporate both this new dot-matrix display and some familiar Glyph lights. In addition to the lack of Nothing's iconic Glyph Interface, there's another elephant in the room with the Phone 3: its price. I expected to spend more for a phone that's inching closer to flagship territory, but like with the Nintendo Switch 2, the Phone 3 is priced a bit too high in my opinion. With a starting price of $799, you're at entry-level flagship pricing alongside phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9. However, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset that Nothing picked for the Phone 3 is less capable than the top-grade silicon used in these other phones. Waiting for a sale will take some of the sting out of the Phone 3's price, but if I'm paying more than I did for my Phone 2, I shouldn't be swapping a very useful feature for one that has yet to appear as more than a gimmick. Who knows, maybe we'll see a Phone 3 Pro with the best of both worlds that has the new Glyph Matrix and Nothing's Glyph Interface on the back. If not though, I might just hold out even longer to see what the company has in store for the Phone 4a or maybe even the Phone 4a Pro. I haven't lost hope in Nothing yet but ditching the Glyph Interface for the new Glyph Matrix is a decision that hasn't won me over so far. Only time will tell, though and until then, I'll be proudly rocking my Nothing Phone 2 until its last Android update.
Gizmodo
03-07-2025
- Gizmodo
Nothing Says the Phone 3 Isn't One Big Gimmick, but I'm Not So Sure
Nothing CEO Carl Pei wants you to know one thing: the startup's smartphones aren't just relying on a schtick. The Phone 3, which was finally unveiled this week after seemingly never-ending leaks and teasers, is being billed as the company's 'true flagship,' which means… to be honest, I don't know what the hell it means. But it's clear that Nothing sees it as its most premium phone yet, which is evident not just through its own messaging but also its starting price. The Phone 3 costs $800—more than any other Nothing phone before it, and as much as an iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S25. And to sell users on that flagship status, Nothing is turning to a few features, the most notable of which is a re-envisioned Glyph Interface that evolves from LED light strips on the back of the phone to the 'Glyph Matrix.' This little circular screen on the top-right of the Phone 3's backside is made of 489 'individually firing LEDs.' The result is a more condensed dot matrix-style interface that can display quite a few things, including caller ID information, timers, a volume indicator, and even weird little games like rock, paper, scissors, or spin the bottle. You might be reading this and thinking 'Aw, cute,' but just know that Pei's ears are likely ringing as a result. In Pei's own words, he's absolutely sick of everyone calling its phones' Glyph Interface, or Glyph Matrix in this case, a 'gimmick.' In a pre-recorded launch video, Pei said: 'Some people have been calling it a gimmick, and I just have to set the record straight; it's not a gimmick.' To back up his claims, Nothing even rolled out some stats about how many users have the Glyph Interface enabled on their devices. According to them? It's 8/10 users. That's good… I guess? Seems to me that a stat proving that users of your phone haven't rage quit a feature isn't exactly the best metric for judging whether or not it's actually useful or materially changing the smartphone experience. But hey, they didn't throw their phones in the trash! The thing is, Nothing has some big ambitions. The company wants to 'make tech fun again' on one hand, but with NothingOS (its custom skin over Android) and the Glyph Matrix, it's also made overtures to the idea of weaning you off your phone addiction and easing the scourge of attention-seeking apps. Those big ambitions are supposed to also be big, bold reasons to buy a Nothing phone over the many, many Android counterparts. And because of those ambitions, it's worth asking: is the Glyph Matrix changing your experience, or is it just a literally flashy way to make its phones look the part? I can't say for sure if the Glyph Matrix does that since I haven't used the Phone 3 yet, but what I can say is that Nothing has some work to do in proving its not-a-gimmick is actually a game changer—especially when you look at the rest of the Phone 3's specs. As much as Nothing has gone pretty hard on the 'true flagship' idea, the Phone 3 may only border on achieving that in some key areas. The chip, for example, is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8S Gen 4, which is new, to be sure, but powers devices that most would consider to be kind of flagships, like Poco's F7 5G and Xiaomi's Redmi Turbo 4 Pro. It's certainly not the 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite used in the Samsung Galaxy S25. But, whatever—having the newest chipset isn't the most important thing in the smartphone experience, anyway. OnePlus 13 vs Nothing Phone (3) Which TRUE Flagship would you pick? — OnePlus Club (@OnePlusClub) July 3, 2025So, what about cameras? There is a triple-camera system this time around with the addition of a periscope sensor, but as some have noted, that sensor is actually smaller than the one on the much cheaper Phone 3a Pro, which could mean a lesser image quality on zoomed shots. Again, I haven't used the Phone 3 yet, so I can't say for sure, but it's definitely something to keep in mind. There is some evidence that the cameras might actually end up being a point for Nothing in the flagship department, though. According to a hands-on from Mrwhosetheboss, the Phone 3 performs favorably against comparable Samsung camera systems. Finally, there's the screen, which uses an LTPS instead of LTPO. That means that the Phone 3's display can only dynamically adjust down to 30Hz as opposed to a lower 1Hz used in Samsung flagship phones. Phones with LTPO screens tend to have longer battery life as a result of using a barely on refresh rate when idling. It bears repeating: I can't say for sure how the Phone 3 performs in this department, but it is a noticeable downgrade from other flagship phones that use LTPO displays. The Phone 3's status as a bona fide flagship is still debatable on paper, especially when comparing meat-and-potatoes phone specs like the display, cameras, and chips. And with all of those areas firmly in contention, it makes the unique parts of the Phone 3 even more important. That's a lot of pressure to put on the Glyph Matrix, which is a fun, retro way to play silly games in some use cases, but as Pei said himself, the Glyphs aren't a gimmick, okay? And if they're not, Nothing better hope that all of those little pixels are worth their weight in real legal tender, because damn—$800 in this economy for a startup still figuring things out? That's almost two whole Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
