Nothing Phone 3 The Nothing Phone 3 tries to be an Android flagship while skipping out on just a few key areas like the chipset and top-end materials. But, with new perks like faster wired charging, improved cameras, and official US carrier support, as well as that signature hardware and software design flair, this is the easiest Nothing Phone to recommend to date.
What even is a flagship Android phone these days? Sometimes, I think I know. Other times, I have to shrug and wonder. And yet, not being able to define a flagship phone isn’t always a bad thing. On the right occasion, it can be the highest possible praise for an excellent budget phone or even a rock-solid mid-ranger. I should know — I’ve called several great phones flagship-like over the years.
But what happens when the phone you’re describing as flagship-like is meant to be a true flagship? Does that mean it hit its goal? Or did it come up just a bit short? I’ve asked myself all these questions and more while exploring the Nothing Phone 3, and I’m not sure I have a good answer. It’s Nothing at its best, but is it what it aims to be? Let’s find out.
Business in the front, party in the back
Prakhar Khanna / Android Authority
When I found out that Nothing was on its way back into the flagship Android race (because yes, I consider the Phone 1 and Phone 2 to be, at the very least, flagship-ish), I thought it might signal a return to its original design language. After all, the Phone 1 and Phone 2 were practically twins, putting their dual cameras in an iPhone-like bump in the corner and using the Glyph Interface and wireless charging coil as the stars of the show. Of course, I couldn’t be sure, as the more recent Phone 2a and Phone 3a series swung differently, taking on Pixar-like designs that laid it on with the cute and the quirky.
Then, when the Phone 3 broke cover, it was anything but. Sure, all of the basic elements were there — the individually housed cameras, the semi-transparent back panel, and the LEDs that made the original Nothing launches so interesting — but it was as if they’d been sent through a teleporter and come back all sorts of jumbled up. At first, I thought the new design was jarring. It’s certainly like nothing I’ve ever seen before, but it’s taken several weeks with the Phone 3 to figure out whether I like the look… and whether anyone will ever make a case for this phone.
The Phone 3 is a classic Nothing design... but I've yet to find a half decent case for its untraditional cameras.
And, at long last, I think I do. I’m not sure I like the Glyph Matrix, because it makes it almost impossible to use the phone without a case, but the rest of Nothing’s updated design has grown on me. The unique camera placement isn’t that different from the layout on the OnePlus 13 — Nothing just shaved off the circular bump. Yes, I think the telephoto sensor might still be a little close to the edge for my liking, but I think it’s set just far enough that it’ll be okay. I thought I’d miss the look of the charging coil, too, but the broken up panels and semicircle on the side keep the refresh from coming out boring — besides, Nothing needed space for the physical Glyph Matrix trigger, I guess.
Since I’ve referenced Nothing’s updated LED setup twice, it’s time to dig deeper. Honestly, I miss the old Glyph Interface. The Glyph Matrix is neat, and it’s certainly more interactive with a series of toys like spin the bottle, a magic eight ball, and rock, paper, scissors, but it’s also more of a gimmick than it’s been in the past. On the Phone 1, 2, and the Phone A series, the simple LED bars felt like handy ways to make notifications more, well, noticeable, but by having a circular matrix full of games on the Phone 3, it feels like Nothing mostly wants me to use the back of my phone.
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