# Nothing Phone 3 Review: They Lied!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KbrxIpQgkM
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/4KbrxIpQgkM
Generated: 2025-07-10T04:01:50.753+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The Nothing Phone 3 is marketed as a flagship phone at $799, but it employs a strategy of using slightly less premium components like the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip and Gorilla Glass 7i to cut costs while maintaining a premium feel and unique design, making it an upper mid-range device priced like a flagship.

## Summary

**Key Points:**
- Nothing Phone 3 is priced at $799 USD, positioning it against true flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9.
- The phone uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, which is a powerful upper mid-range chip, not the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite found in true flagships.
- Its display is a large, bright, high-refresh-rate AMOLED, but it uses LTPO technology, which is less power-efficient than LTPO.
- The phone features a massive 5500mAh silicon-carbon battery, offering genuinely two-day battery life and fast 65W charging.
- The triple 50MP camera setup is good but often produces slightly soft images, especially with the main sensor, indicating it's a notch below mainstream flagships.
- The unique Glyph Interface has been replaced by a smaller Glyph Matrix display on the back, offering limited but customizable notifications and gimmicky "Glyph Toys."
- Nothing OS 3.5 (soon 4.0) provides a clean, smooth, and responsive Android experience with useful features like a universal AI-powered search box.

![Screenshot at 00:18: Nothing Phone 3 transparent back design](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-00-18.png)

**Context:** Nothing, a tech company known for its unique transparent designs and Glyph Interface, has released the Nothing Phone 3, positioning it as their first "true flagship" phone. This review by MKBHD examines whether the phone's hardware and features justify its $799 price tag, comparing it to established flagship devices and Nothing's previous mid-range offerings.

## Detailed Analysis

The Nothing Phone 3, priced at $799, is presented by Nothing as its first true flagship, a claim the reviewer largely disputes. While the phone boasts a premium aesthetic with its unique transparent back and no camera bump (achieved by engineering a hole in the PCB for the telephoto lens), its internal components reveal a strategic cost-cutting approach. It features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, which offers significant performance improvements over previous Nothing phones (40% better CPU, 90% better GPU than Phone 2) but is still an upper mid-range chip, not the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite found in competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or Pixel 9. The large 6.67-inch AMOLED display is bright (1600 nits outdoor, 4500 nits peak HDR) and smooth with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, but it uses LTPO technology, which is less power-efficient than the LTPO panels in true flagships. Despite this, the phone's massive 5500mAh silicon-carbon battery provides excellent two-day battery life and supports 65W fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The triple 50MP camera system, while featuring Nothing's largest main sensor yet (1/1.3 inches), often produces slightly soft images, suggesting tuning issues, though the ultrawide and selfie cameras are more consistent. The signature Glyph Interface has been replaced by a smaller, pixelated Glyph Matrix display on the back, offering limited utility for notifications and gimmicky "Glyph Toys" like a timer or Magic 8-ball. However, Nothing OS 3.5 (soon 4.0) remains a highlight, offering a clean, smooth, and responsive Android experience with useful additions like a universal AI-powered search box. Ultimately, the Phone 3 prioritizes its distinctive design and software experience over raw, bleeding-edge specifications, making it a unique choice for those who value aesthetics and a refined user interface over absolute top-tier performance.

### Design & Aesthetics

- Unique transparent back with layered glass
- Functional red record light
- No camera bump achieved by internal PCB engineering
- Glyph Interface replaced by smaller Glyph Matrix display

### Performance & Hardware

- Powered by Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip (upper mid-range)
- Offers 40% better CPU and 90% better GPU than Phone 2
- Features up to 16GB RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
- Smooth and zippy performance for daily tasks

### Display Quality

- Large 6.67-inch AMOLED display
- Super bright (1600 nits outdoor, 4500 nits peak HDR)
- 120Hz dynamic refresh rate (LTPO)
- Gorilla Glass 7i protection (mid-range glass)

### Battery & Charging

- Massive 5500mAh silicon-carbon battery
- Provides genuinely two-day battery life
- Supports 65W fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging

### Camera System

- Triple 50MP cameras (main, telephoto, ultrawide)
- Main sensor is Nothing's largest (1/1.3 inches)
- Photos can be frequently soft, indicating tuning issues
- Telephoto is 3x optical zoom, also sometimes soft
- Ultrawide and selfie cameras are more consistent

### Software Experience

- Nothing OS 3.5 (soon 4.0) offers a clean, smooth, and responsive Android experience
- Includes useful features like a universal AI-powered search box (Gemini integration)
- Promises 5 years of major software updates

### Glyph Matrix & Gimmicks

- Small pixelated display on the back replaces Glyph lights
- Offers customizable essential notifications (e.g., mom calls)
- Includes "Glyph Toys" like a timer, spin the bottle, and Magic 8-ball (limited utility)

![Screenshot at 00:18: Nothing Phone 3 transparent back design](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-00-18.png)
![Screenshot at 00:59: Various crab species showing convergent evolution](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-00-59.png)
![Screenshot at 01:10: Comparison of iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phone backs](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-01-10.png)
![Screenshot at 01:55: Nothing Phone 3 held with price overlay ($799)](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-01-55.png)
![Screenshot at 03:52: Nothing Phone 3 "About Phone" screen showing Snapdragon 8s Gen 4](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-03-52.png)
![Screenshot at 05:39: Phone playing video showing 2160p quality option](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-05-39.png)
![Screenshot at 07:52: Example photo of a fire hydrant taken with Phone 3](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-07-52.png)
![Screenshot at 08:20: Selfie photo taken with Phone 3](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-08-20.png)
![Screenshot at 10:02: Close-up of Glyph Matrix display on Phone 3 back](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-10-02.png)
![Screenshot at 13:52: Nothing OS app drawer with universal search bar](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/4KbrxIpQgkM/00-13-52.png)