When the Nothing Phone (3) was announced in May 2026, I was intrigued but skeptical. The company, founded by Carl Pei (former OnePlus co-founder), has a reputation for hype. The Phone (1) was stylish but underpowered. The Phone (2) was better but still not flagship. The Phone (3), launching on June 2nd at $699, promised to be different. Three cameras. A Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. 12GB of RAM. And that memorable transparent design with the glowing 'Glyph' lights. I pre-ordered one, used it as my daily driver for a week, and here's the honest truth: I'm not going back to my iPhone.
First Impressions: This Thing Is Gorgeous
I unboxed it on June 2nd. The packaging is minimal — just the phone, a USB-C cable, and a SIM ejector tool. No charger, no case. The phone itself is a work of art. The back is transparent, showing the wireless charging coil, the screws, and the tiny components. The Glyph lights are arranged in a pattern around the camera module. When you get a notification, they light up in a customizable sequence. It's not just a gimmick — you can set different light patterns for different contacts. I set my girlfriend's to a heart shape. She loved it. The phone is also thin (8.3mm) and light (199g). It feels premium in the hand.
The Display: OLED Perfection
The 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display is stunning. 120Hz refresh rate, 1440p resolution, and peak brightness of 2000 nits. I watched 'Dune: Part Two' on it, and the blacks were inky, the colors lively. The iPhone 16 Pro has a slightly better display, but honestly, I couldn't tell the difference in daily use. The under-display fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate. Face unlock works with the selfie camera, but it's not as secure as Face ID. Fine by me.
Performance: Flagship-Level Speed
The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is a beast. Everything was smooth — scrolling Twitter, playing Genshin Impact, editing 4K video. The 12GB of RAM means apps stay open in memory for hours. I didn't experience a single stutter or lag all week. The iPhone 16 Pro has the A19 Bionic, which is technically faster, but in real-world use, I couldn't tell. The Nothing Phone (3) is fast enough for anyone.
The Cameras: Finally Good Enough
Previous Nothing phones had mediocre cameras. The Phone (3) has three 50MP sensors: main, ultrawide, and telephoto (2x optical zoom). I took photos in various conditions — bright daylight, dim restaurants, and night cityscapes. The main sensor is excellent. Detail is sharp, colors are natural (not oversaturated like Samsung), and low-light performance is impressive. The ultrawide is decent but has some distortion at the edges. The telephoto is limited to 2x, which is fine for portraits but not for zooming into distant objects. The iPhone 16 Pro has better telephoto (5x) and more consistent video stabilization. But for photos, the Nothing Phone (3) is 90% as good. That's a huge improvement from before.