Nothing Phone (3) First Impressions: Goes beyond the bold look

Nothing Phone (3)

Nothing has always leaned into the idea of design-first tech, and with the Phone (3), it continues to push that narrative — this time with a more refined, performance-heavy flagship that feels less like a statement piece and more like a serious daily driver. I’ve spent a short while with the device, and here’s what stands out — both visually and functionally.

Nothing Phone (3)

Distinct yet mature design

At first glance, the Phone (3) feels unmistakably Nothing. The transparent back, aluminium accents, and layered materials give it that signature industrial feel. But unlike the earlier phones that tried to shout their uniqueness, this one does it with more subtlety. The asymmetrical design language is still present, but balanced by a structured three-column grid and a symmetrical 1.87mm bezel — an 18% trim from Phone (2), and it shows.

The Glyph Interface has matured too. The new Glyph Matrix — made up of 489 LEDs — now feels more than just a gimmick. It can show contact-based notifications, volume indicators, and even playful additions like a Magic 8 Ball and Solar Clock. Tied with the new Glyph Button, it offers quick access to tools without ever turning the phone around. It’s novel, yes, but finally starting to feel useful.

Nothing Phone (3)

All four cameras on the Phone (3) — yes, even the front — shoot at 50MP and 4K at 60fps. The main sensor captures significantly more light than its predecessor and early tests in low-light conditions seemed promising. The periscope camera delivers crisp 6x lossless zoom and a whopping 60x digital zoom, while the macro focus, enabled by a seven-element lens, allows surprisingly good close-ups. Whether these hold up consistently across real-world use remains to be seen, but the intent is clear: Nothing wants creators to take this phone seriously.

Flagship grade performance

Under the hood is the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, paired with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. In my brief usage, the phone seemed fast and without any visible stutter. The 4nm chip brings major gains in AI and graphics, which reflects in the fast app launches and camera responsiveness.

The 6.67-inch AMOLED display is crisp, bright, and smooth. With 4500 nits of peak brightness and support for HDR10+. The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate keeps interactions fluid, and the 2160Hz PWM dimming helps reduce eye fatigue — something you might appreciate during long use.

Powering all this is a 5150mAh silicon-carbon battery, which Nothing claims will last two full days. While it’s too early to confirm that, the 65W fast charging and support for wireless and reverse wireless charging tick all the right boxes.

Nothing Phone (3)

With a starting price of Rs 79,999 (12GB/256GB) and going up to Rs 89,999 (16GB/512GB), the Nothing Phone (3) isn’t trying to be “affordable flagship” anymore. It’s staking its place in the premium tier. The hardware seems up to the task. Now the real question is — can the software, camera consistency, and overall polish justify that price tag over time? Watch out for our review to find out more.