Nothing Phone (3) Arrives With Glyph Matrix, Sharper Cameras, and Faster Processor

Nothing Phone (3) Arrives With Glyph Matrix, Sharper Cameras, and Faster Processor

Nothing has unveiled its first true flagship smartphone, the Nothing Phone (3), at an event in London. The Phone (3) carries the company’s unique design aesthetic forward while pushing it in a new direction at the same time. It swaps out the old rear-mounted Glyph lights for a smaller Glyph Matrix, a micro-LED display for visual notifications. The phone still comes in only black and white, but it improves the processor, battery, and camera to make it more competitive with devices from Google and Samsung.


A New Glyph

The light-up Glyph user interface has long separated Nothing’s phones from the crowded field of me-too slabs. The Glyph employs different blinking light patterns to let you know when you have a missed call, new text message, or other notification. With the Phone (3), the Glyph Matrix replaces the old Glyph.

The Matrix is a smaller LED tucked into the upper-right corner of the rear and uses dot-matrix-style animations to convey information. The idea behind the Glyph Matrix is to provide you with basic details—Hey, you got a message!—without forcing you to unlock your device or look at the screen. “Glyph Matrix lets you stay informed at a glance, without getting pulled into endless scrolling,” says the company.

Nothing Phone (3a)

(Credit: Nothing)

You can also play games; Glyph Toys adds quick tools and micro games to the phone’s rear panel. The tools include a Glyph mirror, digital clock, stopwatch, battery indicator, and solar clock, while the games include Spin the Bottle and Magic 8 Ball. Nothing says a caller ID feature is on deck for later this year.


Nothing OS 3.5 Adds to Essential Space

Nothing continues to refine its user interface. Built on Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 introduces three key features: Essential Search, Flip to Record, and Essential Space.

The first tool is a “universal smart search bar” that’s just a swipe away from the home screen. It allows you to search through contacts, files, and photos from one spot, as well as see calendar entries and local weather notifications. Flip to Record does just what the name implies. If you long-press the Essential Key and turn your phone face down, it will record and transcribe audio, such as that taken during meetings. Last, Essential Space is one spot to store your ideas, notes, and content. Nothing uses AI to help sort through the Essential Space to make it easier for you to find your musings when desired.

Nothing Phone (3a)

(Credit: Nothing)

Nothing says Android 16 and OS 4.0 will arrive during the third quarter. Better yet, the phone will receive five years of major Android upgrades and seven years of security updates.


Flagship Hardware

Nothing knows it competes with the best phones in the market, so it stepped up its hardware game to make Phone (3) more appealing.

To start, it has a richer, brighter display. The flexible AMOLED panel measures 6.7 inches with a 1.5K resolution. It pushes out 1,600 nits of brightness in normal use but can reach 4,500 nits at peak when viewing HDR content. The company says Ultra HDR support means a better media-viewing experience. Further, the phone has a 30 to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a 1,000Hz touch sampling rate, and a 92.9% screen-to-body ratio for a nearly bezelless experience.



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Nothing Phone (3a)

(Credit: Nothing)

This marks the first time Nothing has selected a top chip to run its main device. The Phone (3) uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, which is based on 4nm technology. The 8s Gen 4 includes a Kryo CPU, an Adreno GPU, and an improved ISP that deliver 36% more power, 88% quicker graphics, and 60% improved AI task handling when compared with the Nothing Phone (2). The phone ships in two configurations: 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage.

The Phone (3) packs a 5,500mAh battery, the largest yet for a Nothing phone. Nothing says it supports up to 65W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging for quicker power-ups. It’s a silicon-carbon cell that the company claims “comfortably lasts beyond a full day.”

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The cameras take a big leap forward. The device has three 50MP cameras with a 1/1.3-inch main sensor that can capture sharp shots in low light. Video capture tops out at 4K60 across all three lenses with full optical image stabilization. The company worked with professional photographers to create a number of presets to let you capture cinematic looks.

Last, the phone carries an IP67 rating for protection against dust and water.

The company didn’t provide specifics on the radios, such as the versions of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or 5G that will be on board.


When and Where to Buy

Nothing’s phones are often hard to come by. The recently released Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, for example, is only available through the company’s developer program. The company says the Phone (3) will be more broadly available.

Priced at $799 for the 12GB/256GB model and $899 for the 16GB/512GB model, it will be sold through Nothing’s website as well as several third-party online retailers, including Amazon. Those who preorder the phone will get the Nothing Ear free, and also receive an extra year of warranty protection (up to 24 months). It goes on sale July 15.

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Nothing’s New Phones: A Big Bump, A New Button, and More Lights

About Eric Zeman

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Eric Zeman

I’m PCMag’s managing editor for consumer electronics content, overseeing an experienced team of reviewers and product testers. I’ve been covering tech for more than 22 years. Prior to PCMag, I worked at outlets such as Android Authority, Fortune, InformationWeek, and Phonescoop. 

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