The Nothing Phone (3) has certainly made a lot of noise, but much of it hasn’t been good. As much as enthusiasts have been won over by its unconventional design and what it offers, others have roundly panned the price, specs and value proposition. Has the Nothing Phone (3) really bitten the dust? Or maybe it’s an easy to hate, hard to love genre-bending masterpiece that was intuitively crafted for a niche audience. This article takes a deep dive into the fundamental causes for the backlash. It looks at the merit of those criticisms and offers other views about whether the phone is likely to succeed.

Design and Build: A Polarizing Aesthetic

The Nothing Phone (3)’s design is probably its most unique aspect. Its fully transparent back — featuring the device’s personalized internal components and its groundbreaking Glyph Interface — makes it stand out from the portfolio. This bold design isn't for everyone. People are split on whether it’s beautiful and forward-thinking, or dumb and a waste of taxpayer money.

The Nothing Phone (3) takes a bold stance on design when compared to its other competitors like the OnePlus 13. Dimensions The Nothing Phone (3) comes in at 160.6 x 75.6 x 9 mm and feels considerable at 218g. It is indeed thicker and heavier, but narrower and shorter. It features a Gorilla Glass back. The OnePlus 13 is noticeably slimmer at only 8.5 mm and lighter at 210g. It’s taller at 162.9 mm and wider at 76.5 mm. It provides a glass or fake natural leather back. Notification system Nothing pioneered an unusual notification system with the Glyph Interface of the Nothing Phone (3). The OnePlus 13 opts for a subtle, elegant approach without those unique touches. A sleek matte aluminum frame and clear Gorilla Glass (5) backplate make the Nothing Phone (3) feel premium. OnePlus still goes with a glass or faux leather back on the 13.

The display of the Nothing Phone (3) is a 6.67-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4500 nits. It’s 1260 x 2800 pixels resolution. Even though the OnePlus 13 has a much bigger, 6.8in OLED panel, Nothing’s phone pretty much matches it pixel for pixel.

Performance and Features: Is It Worth the Price?

The Nothing Phone (3) comes with a top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset. It is available with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. These specs leave it pretty squarely in upper-mid-range territory. Its starting price of $799 puts it directly in the crosshairs of flagship devices. It competes directly with established heavyweights such as Samsung and Google.

Camera and Battery

The camera setup includes a 50MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. It has a 50MP selfie camera. It can record video at up to 4K 30/60Hz. The Nothing Phone (3) has some flagship specs to impress. Included is a huge new silicon-carbon battery, a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and a periscope zoom lens with macro photography support.

Battery capacity varies depending on region. For the international model a 5150 mAh battery is listed, with the Indian model getting a 5500 mAh battery. Both devices offer 65W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging.

Software and Updates

The Nothing Phone (3) is running Android 15 with Nothing’s improved Nothing OS 3.5. The company guarantees releases of up to 5 important Android versions, meaning more long-term software support.

The question then becomes: does the Nothing Phone (3) offer enough to justify its price tag compared to these established competitors? It has a distinctive design and provides a very clean, simple software experience. Yet critics say it feels inadequate in performance and features next to competitors’ flagship devices in the same price range.

Target Audience: Who Is This Phone For?

Regardless of the above critiques, the Nothing Phone (3) will likely be a success with defined target audiences. These groups may value the phone's unique aspects and be willing to overlook its shortcomings:

  • Tech enthusiasts: Individuals who value innovative design, unique features, and cutting-edge technology may still be interested in the Nothing Phone (3) despite its criticisms.
  • Fans of minimalist design: The Nothing Phone (3)'s focus on simplicity and minimalism could appeal to users who appreciate clean design and a clutter-free interface.
  • Early adopters: People who enjoy trying new and experimental technology may be drawn to the Nothing Phone (3) and its distinctive features, such as the Glyph Matrix.
  • Customization enthusiasts: Users who value customization options and want a phone that allows them to personalize their experience may appreciate the Nothing Phone (3)'s features, such as the Essential Key.
  • Budget-conscious buyers: Although the Nothing Phone (3) is priced at $799, which is relatively high, it may still be attractive to buyers who want a premium device without the hefty price tag of a flagship phone from a major brand.

The Nothing Phone (3) takes a decidedly extreme approach to pricing. It goes toe-to-toe with flagship heavyweights including the Google Pixel 9 and the Samsung Galaxy S25. That price, though a substantial increase over the Nothing Phone 2’s $600 launch price, feels reasonable given what we’re getting. A similarly specced 256GB Galaxy S25 costs $860, which makes the Nothing Phone 3 look impressive value.

Conclusion: A Niche Player with Potential

The Nothing Phone (3) is far from perfect. While many might enjoy its new design, not everyone will be enamored. Adding to that appeal is its aggressive pricing, which pits it directly against more tried and true flagship heavyweights. It doesn’t, wholeheartedly, and that’s the thing — it serves a unique design-inflected cocktail of design, features and software experience that just might click with certain target audiences. Whether or not it’s a huge miss or a hidden genius comes down to personal taste and what you value most. The firm is on a mission to bring software updates to all. Their distinctive features, such as the Glyph Interface, might let them position the phone in a crowded smartphone market.