Name: Nothing Phone (3)
Brand: Nothing

Our verdict

The Phone (3) is Nothing’s flagship, sold in the UK in white or black with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, a 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen and four 50MP cameras, including a 3x periscope zoom. On the back, the Glyph Matrix, a small dot display with its own button, shows the time, notifications and simple “Glyph Toys”. TechRadar called it “one of the best Android phones I’ve tested recently”, and Expert Reviews praised its “excellent cameras”. GSMArena found it throttles heavily under sustained load, and reviewers split on its design and battery life. Its UK RRP is £799. We have not tested it ourselves: this review draws on Nothing’s specifications and hands-on reviews by TechRadar, Expert Reviews and GSMArena.

Buy it if

You want an Android phone that looks and feels different from the rest
You take lots of photos and want a proper zoom camera
You like clean, uncluttered software with optional AI features

Skip it if

You play demanding games for long sessions
You want a slim, light phone
You need reliable two-day battery life

Everyday use

Everyday photography

The 3x periscope zoom adds useful reach and, TechRadar found, improves portraits and close-ups. All three reviewers rated the main camera well in good light.

Glancing at notifications

The Glyph Matrix can show the time and alerts on the back, though TechRadar often found it easier simply to flip the phone over and check the screen.

Saving ideas on the go

The Essential Key saves what is on screen to Essential Space with a press and starts a recording with a hold. TechRadar found it useful, though easy to press by accident.

The details, in plain English

Design and Glyph Matrix

The see-through design is the phone’s defining feature, GSMArena said, and Expert Reviews found the Glyph Matrix “fun”. Both Expert Reviews and TechRadar found it chunky, and TechRadar called the design “divisive”. The rear display runs small Glyph Toys picked with the Glyph button, and what it can show depends on Nothing’s software support. The phone is IP68 rated, which covers dust and submersion in water, and has Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.

Screen

The 6.67-inch OLED runs at up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling. Expert Reviews measured an average Delta E of 1.29, a measure of colour accuracy where lower is better, plus 840 nits with adaptive brightness and 1,204 nits peak in HDR. GSMArena measured 1,507 nits with auto brightness and praised its sharpness, but noted it lacks LTPO, the technology that lets premium screens drop very low refresh rates to save power.

Performance

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 handled games at maximum settings for TechRadar and ran Genshin Impact well for Expert Reviews. GSMArena found burst performance “impressive”, but the phone throttles aggressively under sustained load and the frame became uncomfortably hot. TechRadar also noticed it heating up during some games. Expert Reviews found it trails the Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13 on processor speed and listed underperformance for the price as a con.

Battery and charging

Nothing’s support FAQ lists a 5,150mAh battery. Expert Reviews recorded 27 hours 17 minutes in its battery test and called life decent. GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of 12 hours 56 minutes and judged it only average for the price. TechRadar got through a full day but would not rely on two. Charging is rated at 65W wired: Expert Reviews reached 50% in 19 minutes, while GSMArena saw it peak nearer 40W. Nothing recommends a PPS charger, a fast-charging standard most modern USB-C chargers support.

Cameras and software

The four 50MP cameras cover main, 3x periscope telephoto, ultra-wide and selfie, with up to 4K video at 60fps. TechRadar liked the main camera but found the ultra-wide less detailed and the camera app occasionally slow. Expert Reviews found night mode needed manual selection in its tested software. The phone launched on Android 15. Nothing’s own sustainability report promises five years of Android system updates and seven years of security patches from launch; this is a support commitment, not confirmation of software on a newly purchased unit.

Strengths and drawbacks

What it does well

Versatile cameras: four 50MP sensors including a 3x periscope zoom, praised by all three reviewers
Bright, accurate 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED screen: Expert Reviews measured an average Delta E of 1.29
Fast 65W wired charging: GSMArena reached 63% in 30 minutes and full in an hour
IP68 water and dust resistance, 15W wireless charging and eSIM support
Clean software with useful extras such as the Essential Key (TechRadar)

What to watch out for

Runs hot: GSMArena saw heavy throttling and a very hot frame under sustained load
Battery life divides reviewers, and GSMArena called it only average for the price
Chunky and heavy at 218g, and the design divides opinion
No charger in the box
Some Glyph features lose their novelty quickly, TechRadar found

Expert Reviews and GSMArena considered rivals such as Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and OnePlus models stronger in some areas at the original review price. The Nothing’s design and software are its distinctive appeal. These are attributed review-era comparisons, not current-price savings or UKTechExpert side-by-side tests.

Alternatives we have reviewed

Product	Our verdict	Price	Buy
Nothing Phone (3) (this one)	A distinctive, well-made Android flagship with versatile cameras, a bright screen and thoughtful software.	£799RRP · 12GB/256GB, RRP recorded 31 Oct 2026	Check price
Nothing Phone 4a Pro	One of the most distinctive value phones of 2026, if its large size and missing wireless charging do not bother you.	£499RRP · 128GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price
Apple iPhone 15	Still a good iPhone, but only when its 128GB price is clearly below the iPhone 16's.	£799RRP · 128GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Read the review
Apple iPhone 16	An excellent everyday iPhone for anyone who wants a manageable 6.1-inch phone with a dependable camera, when the price is properly below the iPhone 17.	£799RRP · 128GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price

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Where our findings come from

This research-based review uses Nothing’s UK product page, original UK launch terms, UK/EU warranty table, Phone (3) Sustainability Report and support FAQ, plus the cited original reviews by TechRadar (Tom Bedford, 26 November 2025), Expert Reviews (Ben Johnston, updated 8 July 2025) and GSMArena (15 July 2025). TechRadar tested 16GB/512GB; Expert Reviews lists both capacities without clearly establishing its sample memory in the passages checked. Their shared hardware findings are attributed, and their performance must not be promised for the selected 12GB/256GB configuration. GSMArena’s international battery is 5,150mAh rather than the larger India version. Primary warranty, support, launch RRP and the UK shop option were checked on 31 October 2026. The buying button links directly to the named UK seller and is not an affiliate link. We have not tested this product ourselves. Measurements and listening or camera findings belong to the named reviewers.

Nothing Phone (3) review