By someone who never expected to get a Gift from Nothing.

This is going to be a long one, so sit tight and buckle up.

First Impressions

I still remember seeing the leaked photos of the Phone 3. My first reaction? “What an awkward design.” It didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. But then it hit me, that’s Nothing. That’s the whole point. The brand thrives on bold, unconventional choices. And for that alone, I admire the sheer guts the team has. Salute to them, no matter what the rest of the world says.

Right before my vacation, I received a surprising message from Natalie about a review unit. I’m not a tech influencer. I’m not a reviewer. I’m just someone who’s curious and I was planning to test it at Sharaf DG or a nearby mall anyway. So I said, “Sure, why not. Let’s do it when I’m back.”

Fast-forward to my return: I messaged Natalie, and within three days, the device was in my hand.

A Gift I Secretly Wished For

Now, I knew it was a review unit. I expected to return it. But the moment I unboxed it… I wanted it to be mine. Even my friends were like, “You have to keep it!” Out of curiosity, I asked Natalie if I had to send it back. Her reply?

“It’s yours forever. You deserve it.”

I felt like a kid getting their dream gift on Christmas morning. I ran around my office bragging about the camera and showing off the phone like it was a trophy. So thank you, Natalie and the Nothing team. You made my week. Maybe even my year.

Unboxing & Hardware

The unboxing experience? Pure joy. The box art is unique, and I was thrilled to receive the black variant even better, the 16GB + 512GB model.

The phone itself feels premium in hand, heavier and slightly thicker than the Phone 2, but in a reassuring way. The glass back, as usual, is slippery, but the included case saved the day. I’m not a fan of the asymmetric camera setup (still not), but here’s the thing, everyone who saw it found it cool and kept asking what phone it was. So…
Ali – 0, Nothing Engineers – 1.

Camera: A Cinematic Upgrade

As a photography enthusiast, I dove straight into testing the cameras - portraits, macros, landscapes. The results? Insanely crisp. Cinematic. Nothing has made serious strides since Phone 2. The details in every shot, the color science, and the LUT filters - such an innovative touch. They’ve made editing a breeze, especially for someone like me who uses photos professionally.

However, it’s not perfect. Edge detection in portrait mode needs refining, and sometimes after AI processing, an image randomly turns completely black. That’s a bug. Hopefully, a patch can fix it. But when it works (which is most of the time), it really works.

Some samples:

Dot Matrix Display: Unexpected Joy

Let’s talk about the Dot Matrix Glyph Toys, absolute fun. What started as a gimmick quickly became our Friday tradition at the office. “Spin the Bottle” now decides who’s ordering chai and samosas. And when there’s a deadlock in a decision? 8 Ball saves the day.

Kudos to whoever on the Nothing team thought of these little games. They’re lighthearted, clever, and bring surprising joy to everyday moments. This is the kind of delightful detail you don’t expect, but you end up loving. Make tech fun again at its best!

Performance: Daily Beast

Nothing OS is still “smooth like butter.” I initially had a few jitters after updating to the latest version, but a quick restart fixed everything.

The new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip is no joke. I threw everything at it. Call of Duty Mobile, Thronefall, PPSSPP emulation — and it didn’t flinch. Phone 2 was already my go-to gaming device; Phone 3 is a solid step up.

Battery Life: Room for Improvement

Battery life is… okay. After medium daily use, I’m often left with 20–30% at night. Honestly, I expected better, especially since Phone 2 felt more optimized. That said, idle drain is fantastic, just 2–3% overnight (11 PM to 7 AM). Still, I wish they had gone beyond the 5500 mAh mark.

Display: Bright, Smooth, Snappy

One word: Stunning. The display is brighter than Phone 2, easily viewable under direct sunlight. Its refresh rate, animations, and dynamic responsiveness make Nothing OS feel ultra-smooth.

I’m not one to test durability (I don’t toss my phones around), but the Always-On Display deserves a shoutout, clean, useful, and customizable.

Audio: Not the Loudest, But Clear

Speakers? Good. Not earth-shattering, but clear, crisp, and pleasant, whether you’re listening to music or taking calls. They won’t win any volume wars, but they absolutely get the job done.

The Big Question: Should You Buy It?

Here’s the catch: In the UAE, the Phone 3 is priced at AED 3000, while the Samsung S25 Ultra is only AED 3150 on Noon.com.

At that point, it’s a no-brainer for Samsung. No hate to Nothing, but that’s just how it stacks up in value.

Would I have bought the Phone 3? Honestly, no.

I already own the Phone 2, which still runs flawlessly.
Spending AED 3000 for such a jump didn’t feel justified. Only if it were AED 2200 or somthing.

But that’s just me. If you’re in India, ignore the hate, noise and hype. Go see it for yourself. Experience the phone in-store, hold it, use it, then decide.

Final Thoughts

The Phone 3 is a sign that Nothing is growing up. The product feels global, not India-specific. The price, the hardware, the ambition, all reflect a brand stepping into bigger shoes.

For me? It’s now my primary phone, and I’m loving every minute. I’m testing all my go-to apps (like N Dial, Noting, and others), and I’m excited to see how Nothing OS 4 evolves.

Once again, thank you to Natalie and the team for this early Christmas gift.
This device might just be the book people judged too quickly.