Latest news with #Phone3
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Nothing Phone 3 review: a quirky, slick Android alternative
The Phone 3 is London-based Nothing's latest attempt to get people to ditch Samsung or Apple phones for something a bit different, a little quirky and more fun. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. As the firm's first high-end Android in several years, it has most of what you'd expect a flagship phone to have. But where it tries to set itself apart is with slick, dot-matrix-inspired software and a design on the back that includes a small, unique LED screen. Costing from £799 (€799/$799/A$1,509) the Phone 3 is double the price of the company's great mid-range efforts, making it a direct challenger to the Samsung Galaxy S25, Google's Pixel 9 and the iPhone 16. Nothing first introduced its semi-transparent design with earbuds and then followed up with the Phone 1 in 2022, which added 'glyph' LEDs on the back that flashed in fancy patterns for notifications. For the Phone 3 those glyph lights have morphed into a small round matrix of LEDs in the top right of its back displaying icons, animations and patterns. It is used for more than simple notifications and can now display various gimmicky 'toys' such as a magic eight ball, a stopwatch or, cringingly, a spin the bottle game that can be triggered by a touch-sensitive button the back. More useful is the ability to show the time, the volume, charge status or a persistent icon for a notification or app of your choice. The rest of the back of the device divides opinion with a quirky arrangement of shapes and elements. Those who crave symmetry will hate it. The front screen is, at least, a regular 6.7in OLED display with slim bezels and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It is crisp, colourful and bright, though a little subject to glare on very sunny days. Screen: 6.7in 120Hz QHD+ OLED (460ppi) Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 RAM: 12 or 16GB Storage: 256 or 512GB Operating system: Nothing OS 3.5 (Android 15) Camera: 50MP main, 50MP 3x tele and 50MP ultrawide, 50MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 6 and GNSS Water resistance: IP68 Dimensions: 160.6 x 75.6 x 9mm Weight: 218g The Phone 3 has Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, which is a step down from the latest top Snapdragon 8 Elite processor used in most flagship Android competitors. Its slightly weaker performance isn't noticeable in day-to-day usage and it simply flies along. It can even handle games pretty well, though those seeking the absolute best performance should look elsewhere as the phone got uncomfortably hot with demanding graphics tests. The battery life is a solid, though not class-leading, 40 hours between charges with plenty of 5G usage. Most people will need to charge it every other day, or less if used more sparingly. That matches the two-year-old Phone 2 and is a little behind similar rivals. The battery fully charges in about 55 minutes using a 65W or greater USB-C power adaptor (not included), hitting 50% in just 19 minutes. The phone also has 15W wireless charging. The phone ships with Nothing's take on last year's Android 15, which is highly stylised with a dot-matrix look and is easily customisable. A more regular Android style is available for those who need colour to identify their apps. Otherwise the software is slick and clutter-free, with all the usual services from Google available, plus a few Nothing apps such as the weather or voice recorder. The Essential Space app, first launched with the Phone 3a Pro, now includes the ability to voice-record while face down with an animation on the glyph screen and transcription using a cloud service. Essential Search is an AI-powered search of content across your phone and data, plus the ability to answer simple queries. Nothing is promising an upgrade to Android 16 in the third quarter of 2025 and will provide five years of Android version updates and a total of seven years of security updates. That's a couple of years short of the best from Google and Samsung. Also note that media apps such as Netflix currently do not support HDR content playback on the Phone 3 due to certification restricting it to SDR video. The Nothing has three 50-megapixel cameras on the back and a 50MP selfie camera on the front. The main camera is the best of the bunch, shooting detailed and solid images, while the 3x optical zoom camera is almost as good, maintaining great detail and sharpness in bright scenes. The in-sensor zoom to 6x is OK, as is the digital zoom to 10x in good light, but the image degrades as you magnify further. The ultrawide camera is the weakest of the three, producing photos that look great in full view but lack detail when zoomed in and with obvious warping around the edges of the frame. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Outdoors in bright light they capture great photos, but switching between the three cameras can result in different colour balances and tones, which isn't ideal. They can also be oddly grey when shooting indoors, with inconsistent tone, sometimes shooting great photos but at other times coming out dull with repeated shots. The selfie camera is pretty good and captures a lot of detail. The 3x telephoto camera has a macro mode for closeup shots from about 10cm away, which is always fun. Overall, the Phone 3's camera can be good but inconsistency keeps it from being as great as rivals at this price. The battery will maintain at least 80% of its original capacity for at least 1,400 full charge cycles. The phone is generally repairable in the UK. The device is made of recycled aluminium, copper, plastic, steel, tin and other materials accounting for 17.6% of the weight. It has a carbon footprint of 53.2kg CO2 equivalent. The company publishes sustainability reports. The Nothing Phone 3 costs from £799 (€799/$799/A$1,509) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. For comparison, the Phone 3a Pro costs £394, the Google Pixel 9 Pro costs £999, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ costs £999, the Samsung S25 Edge costs £1,099 and the OnePlus 13 costs £899. The Phone 3 is a good but not great Android from Nothing. It is more interesting than rivals, but you have to actively want something different for it to make sense as you can easily get better-performing and longer-lasting handsets at about this price. Nothing's software is a strong point. It's slick, customisable and well optimised. Seven years of security updates is good, even if isn't launching on the latest Android version and you only get five years of upgrades. The glyph screen on the back is certainly novel, and the back's semi-transparent design is eye-catching, even if it divides opinion. It is well made if a little on the heavy side, while the phone's performance and battery life are solid if unremarkable. The inconsistent camera shows there's still work to be done from Nothing, while its Essential Space AI tools show some merit, even if they're a little basic at the moment. If you want a something a bit quirky-looking then the Nothing Phone 3 is it. Pros: great software, eye-catching back design with dot-matrix screen, solid performance, 3x telephoto camera, good screen, solid fingerprint scanner, fast charging, sub-£1,000, seven years of security updates. Cons: camera is inconsistent and can't match the best, battery life could be better, AI features still a work in progress, not the latest version of Android and only five years of upgrades, lack of symmetry not to everyone's taste.
India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Headphone 1 now selling in India, bank offers sweeten the deal
The recently-launched Nothing Phone 3 and the Nothing Headphone 1 are now on sale in India, across online and offline stores. The two devices were launched globally as well as in India on July 1. Until now they were on pre-orders but from today both devices are going on open sale in India. While the Headphone 1 has a price of Rs 19,999, the Phone 3 is going on sale with a starting price of Rs 79, starting price is for the 12GB variant of the phone. This one also has 256GB storage. The phone with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage is priced at Rs 89,999. Although, says that with bank offers and other promotions on the sale day means that the Phone 3 with 12GB RAM could be purchased for as low as Rs 62,999, including exchange offer, while the price of the 16GB variant could be as low as Rs 72,999. It is worth noting that Nothing calculates these lower prices by including the exchange value of the device you are exchanging and only select phones could be part of this exchange offer. Nothing Headphone 1 Compared to the previous Nothing Phone 2, the Phone 3 is a big leap for the company in terms of the capabilities and feature set of the device, as well as aspirations of Nothing as a company. It calls the Phone 3 its first true flagship phone. The phone comes with a three-camera setup — which excels at macro in particular as we are finding while we use the device as part of its review — and a new notification system called Glyph Matrix, which replaces the Glyph Lights we have so far seen on Nothing phones. Just like previous Nothing phones, the Phone 3 also uses techno-industrial design with a transparent back and etched patterns under it. Inside the phone houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and a 5500 mAh battery, which is unique to India because the global variant has a smaller Headphone 1, meanwhile, is the company's full-size pair of cans aimed at similar headphones offered by companies like Bose, Sennheiser, and Sony. It undercuts its competitors with price of Rs 19,999 and yet offers fairly capable sound quality and noise cancellation. In India Today Tech review of the Headphone 1 we found that its sound profile, which is tuned by well-regarded audio company KEF, offered refined and detailed audio with just the right amount of bass. In the same review, we also found the buttons of the Headphone 1 precise, imaginative and intuitive.- Ends
Tatler Asia
a day ago
- Tatler Asia
Nothing Phone 3 is a bold redesign of a flagship smartphone
Flagship-level power for serious performance Above Nothing Phone maintains a single pricing for US, UK and European markets (Photo: Nothing) As the brand's latest flagship, the Nothing Phone 3 is built for gaming, image processing and AI-intensive tasks. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, a major upgrade built on cutting-edge 4nm technology. This enables smoother multitasking and seamless performance across demanding applications. The phone packs a 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery offering up to 80 hours of uptime. Wired charging supports 65W fast charging, topping up the battery in under an hour, while wireless charging caps at 15W. Nothing is offering two configurations of the Phone 3: a 256GB model with 12GB RAM priced at US$799, and a 512GB model with 16GB RAM at US$899. An IP68 rating ensures durability against water and dust. Don't miss: Everything to know about the Google Pixel 10 Enhanced photography experience Above The Nothing Phone 3 as a total for four 50MP cameras with three at the back and one for selfies (Photo: Nothing) The Nothing Phone 3 features a professional-grade camera system, headlined by a 1/1.3-inch main sensor that captures detailed 50MP low-light images and sharp 4K video at 60fps with full optical image stabilisation. The rear camera setup includes a 3x periscope optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The front-facing selfie camera also supports 50MP shots. Designed for both professionals and enthusiasts, the camera includes pro-designed presets developed in collaboration with photographers. These enable cinematic video and high-quality photos without the need for advanced technical skills, making pro-level photography accessible to casual and serious users alike. Nothing OS evolution Above The Glyph Matrix can display image avatars (Photo: Nothing) The Phone 3 runs on Nothing OS 3.5, optimised for peak performance. At launch, the phone features Android 15, with planned updates to Android 16 and Nothing OS 4.0 in Q3 2025. Nothing guarantees five years of major Android updates and seven years of security patches. Users can enable a minimalist monochrome theme with simplified app labels to reduce visual clutter. The OS takes a thoughtful approach to AI integration, embedding smart features where they add real value. Key tools include Essential Search—a universal smart search accessible via a swipe from the home screen—Essential Space for AI-organised notes and ideas, and Flip to Record, which transcribes and summarises meetings when the phone is placed face down. The final verdict? With its bold new design, powerful performance and thoughtfully integrated smart features, the Nothing Phone 3 cements the brand's reputation as one of the most distinctive players in today's smartphone market. By blending modular transparency with flagship-grade hardware, it offers a fresh alternative for users seeking style, functionality and a different approach to mobile innovation.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Nothing Phone 3 review: Flagship aspirations, but is it worth the price?
By now, we have come to expect the unexpected from Nothing. Whether it is earbuds with transparent stems or phones that flash and beep like they are from a cooler, more minimalist future. The new Nothing Phone 3 is no exception. It builds on the familiar transparent aesthetic that the company has proudly owned, but takes bolder risks this time, especially with the rear camera layout and the new Glyph Matrix display. Nothing is also pitching this as its first 'true flagship' device. On paper, it checks many of the right boxes: high-refresh AMOLED display, large battery with fast charging, wireless charging, a periscope telephoto lens, and a splash of AI to keep things trendy. But the flagship label brings with it a higher price tag, but more importantly expectations to match. So, does the Phone 3 bring enough to justify its Rs 79,999 asking price? Let us find out: Design and Glyph Matrix As with every Nothing device, the story of the Phone 3 largely revolves around its design. The company has doubled down on its now-signature transparent aesthetic, and this time, it is not just transparent, but also confidently bold. Where the Phone 1 and Phone 2 kept things relatively grounded with more familiar camera layouts, the Phone 3 throws symmetry out the window. If you thought the unusual placement on the Phone 3a Pro hinted at design rebellion, the Phone 3 feels like a full-blown protest. The camera modules on the back are arranged with a kind of chaos that defies logic. At best, it resembles a modern art take on a board game: square housings holding random circular elements that do not quite align. The two main camera sensors, both sitting on the top left and nearly aligned, are especially confounding. That said, love it or hate it, the Phone 3's design draws attention. Whether it is admiration or confusion, that is up to the observer, but it is unmistakably distinct. In-hand, the phone feels premium. The flat, metallic frame has a solid grip, and the glossy glass back adds just the right amount of sheen. While it carries some heft, the weight is well distributed, making extended use surprisingly comfortable. The practical downsides to this bold aesthetic start to show when the phone leaves your hand. The misaligned camera rings are prone to catching on your pocket contents with keychains being a frequent offender. And on flat surfaces, expect the phone to wobble unpredictably thanks to the varying heights of the camera islands. It is a multi-directional teeter that makes casual table-top use a mild challenge. But then comes the twist: flipping the phone over offers more than just a solution to the wobble. The Phone 3 replaces the familiar Glyph light bars with something more ambitious, the 'Glyph Matrix.' This dot-matrix LED display is like a secondary, low-res screen on the back. While it sacrifices the clean minimalist layout of the older Glyph interface, it brings in new tricks. You still get notification-based animations and app-specific glyph cues. But now, you also get quirky additions like emoji-based alerts, mini-games like Spin the Bottle and Rock Paper Scissors, and a stopwatch. Nothing calls these 'Glyph Toys' and while they are a fun novelty at first, they may wear thin over time. Still, they add an undeniably playful touch. There is also actual utility in features like the 'Glyph Mirror,' which turns the matrix display into a basic viewfinder for taking selfies with the rear camera. No, it is not sharp enough to actually frame your shot, but it helps with alignment and positioning. Navigating through all this is made possible by a small pressure-sensitive button on the back. A light press cycles through glyph toys, while a long press lets you interact with the current one. Surprisingly, the button rarely misfires even when you are gripping the phone tightly, which speaks to thoughtful hardware execution despite the phone's wild design choices. Display The front of the Nothing Phone 3 looks relatively normal. There is less room here for experimental flourishes, which might explain why Nothing kept it clean and conventional. And it works. The sleek, minimal bezels surrounding the 6.67-inch AMOLED panel make for a modern flagship-worthy appearance, fully in line with Nothing's claim that the Phone 3 belongs in that tier. Thankfully, the panel is not just about looks. It delivers where it counts. With a resolution of 1260 x 2800, visuals appear sharp and vibrant. Colours are punchy without being overdone, and the display maintains excellent clarity and brightness across various lighting conditions. Nothing claims a peak outdoor brightness of 1600 nits. While I was not able to confirm the exact figure, I had no trouble using the phone in direct sunlight. The panel's brightness held up well in all kinds of environments, and viewing angles are equally impressive, with very little colour shift when viewed off-axis. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures fluid scrolling and slick animations, which pairs nicely with the Phone 3's zippy interface. While the panel is not LTPO, it does support dynamic refresh rate adjustments with LTPS technology. In line with its 'flagship' positioning, Nothing has also added a few more display customisation options this time. You get two screen colour modes: Alive and Standard, as well as a manual slider to fine-tune colour temperature. There is also a toggle in the Settings app for enabling or disabling 'HDR display,' which can help optimise power usage by adjusting brightness during HDR playback. Speaking of which, the Phone 3's display supports Widevine L1, allowing full-resolution streaming on services like Netflix. While HDR playback does not appear to be supported on Netflix just yet, it does work on compatible YouTube videos. Camera While the display checks almost every box for a device being positioned as a 'flagship,' the Nothing Phone 3's camera performance is a bit trickier to pin down. Let is get the specs out of the way first. The Phone 3 features a triple 50MP setup on the rear: a primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), a periscopic telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS, and an ultra-wide angle lens with a 114-degree field of view. Autofocus is present on the primary and telephoto lenses. On the front, you get yet another 50MP sensor, this time with electronic image stabilisation (EIS). In use, the primary camera delivers solid results in good lighting. Detail retention is strong, and colours are generally accurate without being overly punchy or boosted. Dynamic range is decent too. However, the Phone 3 struggles in challenging lighting, occasionally blowing out highlights or crushing shadows, leading to loss of detail in darker or brighter parts of the image. It takes good photos overall, but colour accuracy and light handling still need polishing to bring it closer to what other flagship phones are doing. The periscopic telephoto is capable of 3x optical zoom (70mm equivalent), and it performs well. Colours remain consistent with the main sensor, and details are crisp. What is especially nice is that this telephoto lens can double as a macro camera – you can capture close-ups without needing to physically get closer, and thanks to OIS and autofocus, it stays sharp even with small hand movements. Portrait shots, however, are a bit hit or miss. Whether taken from the primary or telephoto lens, subject separation can feel off, with edge detection occasionally failing or creating uneven blur. Oddly enough, I found myself preferring the portrait output from the more affordable Phone 3a Pro. Moving to the ultra-wide, the colour profile noticeably shifts as it pushes vibrancy more aggressively, especially in daylight. Detail retention is still solid, but the ultra-wide also brings with it a more dramatic fisheye effect that can distort crowded or geometric scenes like buildings and streets. It is fun, but not always usable. On the front, the camera produces decent shots with natural-looking skin tones and facial detail, even in low light. That said, the absence of autofocus here feels like a missed opportunity at this price point. For video, all four cameras, including the front, support 4K recording at up to 60fps, which is a nice touch. However, there is no option for 4K slo-mo capture, which might disappoint some content creators. Performance There has been plenty of chatter about Nothing opting for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite for its first 'true flagship.' In day-to-day use, the decision does not feel like a downgrade. The Phone 3 handles multitasking with ease, switching between apps without breaking a sweat. Graphic-intensive games like Real Racing 3 run smoothly at the highest settings, with no visible stutter or frame drops. Even during extended gaming sessions or prolonged 4K video recordings, performance remains steady. Yes, the back of the phone does get warm, especially around the camera module, but it never crosses into uncomfortable territory, nor does it impact overall performance. For most users, this chipset choice will feel more than adequate, unless you are specifically chasing benchmark records. From price-to-performance optics, Snapdragon 8 Elite would have been a better fit for the Phone 3. Software and AI The Android-based Nothing OS has consistently been one of the most enjoyable aspects of using a Nothing phone, and the Phone 3 carries forward that legacy. The interface remains clean, responsive, and highly customisable, letting users switch between a stock Android feel or lean into Nothing's signature dot-matrix aesthetics. While the core software experience aligns with what you would find on recent Nothing devices, the Phone 3 introduces a few new AI tricks up its sleeve. Nothing's customisable hardware key, the Essential Key, which debuted with the Phone 3a and 3a Pro, returns on the Phone 3. Pressing it launches the Essential Space app, a sort of digital hub where you can save screenshots, voice notes, text, and more. It also integrates smart features like automatic categorisation and reminder prompts based on saved content. Another fresh addition is Essential Search, a global search bar embedded into the app drawer. It allows you to search for local content like files and images using keywords. It does not stop there, you can also type general queries such as 'Who won the FIFA Club World Cup 2025,' and the phone will pull concise web results directly into the interface. It even handles quick tasks like solving equations without the need to open a separate calculator app. A particularly noteworthy AI feature is Flip to Record, which acts as a contextual meeting notes tool. By holding the Essential Key and flipping the phone, you can initiate a smart transcription tool that records your meeting and generates a summarised breakdown. Double-pressing the Essential Key also records voice snippets with transcription. In my usage, transcriptions were accurate and the feature worked consistently as intended. Battery The Nothing Phone 3 packs a sizeable 5500mAh battery, and it comfortably delivers a full day of usage, often stretching into a second day with moderate use. Battery anxiety is not something you will be dealing with much here. Charging has also seen a meaningful upgrade, with support for 65W wired charging. While a charger is not included in the box, using a 67W charger I had, I was able to go from 2 per cent to a full charge in just under an hour. What is also good to see is 15W wireless charging support, which adds flexibility and brings the Phone 3 closer in line with other flagships. Verdict The Nothing Phone 3 continues Nothing's tradition of making phones that stand out, not just with their designs, but with their attitude. It is bold, quirky, and not afraid to embrace eccentricity, whether it is the Glyph Matrix pulling notification duty with dot animations or the chaotic rear camera layout that looks like a board game gone rogue. Underneath all that flair, the Phone 3 does feel and perform like a flagship in most day-to-day scenarios. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 may not be Qualcomm's top-tier chip, but Nothing has optimised it well enough that you likely will not notice performance drop. Battery life is excellent, the software remains delightfully minimal and fast, and the AI additions are smartly integrated rather than shoved in for the sake of a checklist. But for all its polish, the Phone 3 does not quite escape some flagship expectations. Camera performance, especially in portraits and low-light scenarios, lags behind similarly priced rivals. And at a starting price of Rs 79,999, that is not a small miss. You also start to notice that the flashy rear display and Glyph toys, while fun and functional in small bursts, may not hold long-term value for every user. Ultimately, the Phone 3 is a well-rounded and memorable device, but it walks a fine line between form and function. It is a phone that dares to be different, but at this price point, it also invites fair scrutiny where all the hype Nothing built around it lays bare and exposes more focus on style than on substance.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Nothing Phone 3 review: A bold bet on price, but is it a genuine flagship?
Nothing Phone 3 review: The UK-based smartphone brand, Nothing, has gained much popularity in the mid-range market with smartphones like Nothing Phone 2, Nothing Phone 3a models, and others. However, after two years, the brand has finally launched a flagship league phone, the Nothing Phone 3, powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip in the Indian market. While the smartphone itself comes with some promising features, its bold pricing of Rs. 79,999 and an unusual asymmetrical design put it in a confusing situation for the buyers. Is Nothing Phone 3 with Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 a great buy at Rs. 79999? Check the review to know.(Aishwarya Panda-HT) With the launch, Nothing Phone 3 has entered a league where it competes with powerful smartphones like the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13, and others at a similar price range. However, one difference you may notice is a 'non-flagship' chipset that powers the Phone 3. Well, as per Nothing CEO Carl Pei, the Indian market is obsessed with flagship chipsets like Snapdragon 8 Elite, and that the company emphasises more on factors like camera, Nothing OS, battery, and other crucial factors along with promising performance. Well, we can say that Nothing Phone 3, with a huge price tag, is a risky bet in the Indian market. But I have been using the device for the past 2 weeks, and I have some great deals to talk about. The Nothing Phone 3 comes with a clean and clutter-free user experience with NothingOS 3.5, a promising camera performance, never-ending battery life, and, of course, the new Glyph Matrix, which everyone has been talking about. Therefore, without further ado, let's get into the detailed review and see if Nothing's first 'true flagship' is worth the hype or not. Nothing Phone 3 design: An asymmetrical design that grows Nothing Phone 3 features a transparent back with the new Glyph Matrix(Aishwarya Panda-HT) The Nothing Phone 3 design has created much discussion in the tech industry. While people on social media have shown disagreement with the asymmetrical camera placement, I actually seem to like the design. With Phone 3, Nothing has made some intentional moves with the design, especially with the oddly placed periscope lens, but in real life, it does not look back. In my opinion, Nothing wants people to talk about its device, and this one single move is surely doing that. The Nothing Phone 3 design maintains the brand identity with a transparent glass design, and the insides are divided into three portions, which are smartly designed. Apart from the triple camera setup, we can see the new Glyph Matrix that replaces the iconic Glyph Interface for the Nothing Phone. As of now, I have mixed feelings about the new addition, but we will get back to it later in the review. Other new things you'll notice are the presence of the Essential key, similar to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro model, and the new square-shaped red recording light, which gives an indication of activated video recording. Well, it's quite a cool touch. The smartphone retains a boxy build with an aluminium frame, flat display, and curved edges. It measures 9 mm in thickness and weighs 218 grams, which is heavier and unusually thick, but it does not feel comfortable. The smartphone looks and feels quite premium and sturdy, which you should also expect from a smartphone priced Rs.80000. The Nothing Phone 3 offers an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, but I'm not so sure about the Gorilla Glass 7i protection in the display. Overall, the Nothing Phone 3 has a captivating and debatable design, but it surely looks attractive in person. Just as I said for Nothing Headphone 1, I would say for Phone 3 as well, that getting a real-life design experience from a retail store before giving a judgment, because it will surely change your mind. Nothing Phone 3: Glyph Matrix Nothing Phone 3 Glyph Interface.(Aishwarya Panda.) This Nothing killed its iconic Glyphic Interface, which included strips like LED listing, and was customisable for notification, live activities like cab status, delivery, and others. Now, the Nothing Phone 3 features a Glyph Matrix, which is a disc made up of 489 individually firing LEDs. It has a monochromatic display which provides essential information at a glance. This new addition aims to reduce interaction with the main screen by providing information like Caller ID and contact-based notifications, and different patterns for app notifications. Users can also assign custom icons in a dot-based system to specific contacts or apps. In my opinion, this is quite a fun addition, but again, I did not seem to interact with Glyph Matrix much unless the device was kept near me, with the rear panel facing me. To make the Glyph Matrix fun and intuitive, Nothing has also included Glyph toys like Spin the Bottle, Magic 8 Ball, and the rock, paper, and scissors game. Additionally, the Matrix also became a Digital Clock, Battery Indicator, Stopwatch, and the hyped Glyph Mirror. Users can easily switch between games and modes with the new Glyph Button, which also has haptic feedback. But, it required a very hard press to activate the button, making it harder to access the Glyph features. Additionally, these toys and features seem intuitive at first, but I do not see myself relying on them often or even playing with the Glyph toys. For me, it was more of a gimmick than a value addition, but Nothing also seems to have great plans for Glyph Matrix, which I'm quite curious about. Nothing Phone 3 display: A multimedia companion Nothing Phone 3 features a 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED display(Aishwarya Panda-HT) The Nothing Phone 3 features a 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED display that offers 1260 x 2800 pixels of resolution, 460 ppi pixel density, and support for HDR10+. Talking about the viewing experience, the Phone 3 surely is a multimedia companion as it provides crisp and dynamic visuals. It is a treat for OTT viewers due to Widevine L1 support, so you can stream content in HD. Additionally, gaming visuals are also promising and vibrant, making your overall viewing experience enjoyable. But it does fall short of competitors like Samsung and Apple, as they provide a slightly better display experience. The Phone 3 offers up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, providing smooth scrolling and navigation. It is quite responsive, and animations are also promising while playing games. Additionally, the smartphone claims to offer 4500nits peak brightness, offering adequate visibility outdoors or in direct sunlight conditions. During my time of usage, I mostly kept the brightness at 60% during the day, which is enough to get you going. However, the higher brightness does strain the eyes, especially when you're indoors. Nothing Phone 3 camera: Worth a click Nothing Phone 3 features a 50MP triple camera setup.(Aishwarya Panda-HT) The Nothing Phone 3 comes with a triple camera setup that includes a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope lens with 3x optical zoom. For a Rs. 80000 smartphone, the offerings look quite promising on paper, but the performance plays a key role. Images captured on the Phone 3 reveal crisp and incredible details in daylight. It beautifully captures accurate colours, where skin tones appear natural, the reds are accurate, and there is no major oversaturation. Coming to the low-light performance, I found the camera average, if not the best, in the segment. The night mode brings out a grainy effect, especially when a person is standing in front of the camera, but it can be fixed with upcoming updates. During low light conditions, the colours appear washed out and inaccurate. However, in well-lit conditions, the Nothing Phone 3 manages to capture crisp images. Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Nothing Phone 3 camera sample Another thing which bothered me about the smartphone was its portrait mode. The camera takes a few seconds to detect and lock focus on the subject. It gives an artificial background blur effect after processing, and the edge detection is not very accurate. The Nothong Phone 3 also features a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and well, I would just say that it was not very pleasing. Now, if we have a look at the new 50MP periscope lens, the Nothing Phone 3 is surely a beast. It captures distant objects within the 3x zoom beautifully, without blurring the scene. However, anything beyond 3x becomes a pixelated mess. Overall, the colours are bright, the details are crisp, and it meets expectations. But is it the best on the market? Well, I have seen better. Nothing Phone 3 performance and software: Everyday beast Nothing Phone 3 is powered by Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC.(Aishwarya Panda-HT) One of the most debatable concerns about the Nothing Phone 3 was its processor. Well, the smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which is not a flagship processor, but it surely is a reliable one. During my time of usage, Nothing Phone 3 provided smooth multitasking, extended gaming, and day-to-day performance. Since I am a heavy smartphone user, I juggle a lot between social media apps, browsers, and video editing tools, all while running OTT in a floating view, and I did not experience any stutter or lag. The smartphone is quick with actions and runs smoothly even with extended hours of usage. I also ran a few graphic-intensive games like BGMI and Genshin Impact on the device, and provided a stable performance. Even during extended hours with higher graphics settings, I did not experience any stutter or frame drops. However, after a continuous 45-minute gaming session, you will notice the device heating up, but it does not overheat, thanks to the VC cooling system. While the performance was smooth on Phone 3, it should be noted that several other brands are offering the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4-powered smartphone at under Rs. 50000, and in my opinion, the Rs. 79999 price tag is not justifiable, since it is not a flagship chipset. Coming to the software front, the Nothing Phone 3 runs on Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, which is one of the best I have experienced so far. Since it was my first time using a Nothing-branded smartphone, I quite liked the clean and clutter-free user experience. The Dot Engine design, first-party app interface, and app icon are too intuitive and easy to navigate. One of the major inclusions of the Phone 3 was the Essential Space and the Essential Key, which provide a quick shortcut for users to capture and store screenshots, voice recordings, and photos. While I did not see myself using the feature often, but it still adds a great and unique touch to the device. Overall, Nothing Phone 3 is a reliable device in terms of powerful performance and a clutter-free software experience. While the smartphone is not big on AI-powered features in comparison to competitors, it offers other seamless features like Essential Search, Gemini AI support, and more to get you going. Nothing Phone 3 battery: A major upgrade Nothing Phone 3 is backed by a 5500mAh battery(Aishwarya Panda-HT) The Nothing Phone 3 is backed by a 5500mAh battery in India, which is a massive upgrade from its predecessor. The smartphone offers more than 24 hours of battery life, despite heavy usage. My day-to-day usage with gaming, OTT, social, and browsing complies a screen time of about 8 hours, and I was still left with about 30 to 25 percent at the end of the day, which is quite impressive. The smartphone supports 65W fast charging, and with my 80W charging adapter, the device took about an hour to go from 1 to 100%, which is quick in my opinion. This is a noticeable upgrade, which will be welcomed by the customers. Nothing Phone 3 review: Verdict Now, is the Nothing Phone 3 worth paying Rs. 79999 in India? Well, the smartphone offers a great battery life, a clean user experience, promising camera performance, and a powerful performance despite missing out on the flagship chipset. The smartphone handles multitasking, gaming, and heavy-duty tasks seamlessly, and users will surely not miss having a processor like the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Nothing Phone 3's design also stands out from the crowd and gives a premium look and feel, but the Glyph Matrix is a pass for me. However, with a price tag as high as Rs. 80000, this puts the smartphone in a tough spot, and I will hesitate to suggest the device to buyers. There are plenty of better options available in the market at the given price or even less, which will offer similar or better performance to the Nothing Phone 3. Apart from the high pricing, the Nothing Phone 3 is a reliable device in all aspects.
