I’m not here to hate — I’ve actually liked a lot of what Nothing has done in the past. But I have to be honest: the Phone (3) feels like a step in the wrong direction.
From what I understand, Nothing has been sitting on this design for around two years — it was supposedly originally considered for the Phone (2) or Phone (3). And while there’s nothing wrong with holding onto a design, that alone doesn’t make it good. Just because something’s been in the pipeline for a while doesn’t mean it’s the right choice now.
When you’re positioning the Phone (3) as a flagship and pricing it at £800, it’s naturally going to be compared to devices like the Samsung S25, iPhone, and OnePlus 13 — all of which offer much better specs. And if you’re looking for a clean UI and strong performance, the OnePlus 13 in particular seems like a better deal.
That’s where I struggle — the value just isn’t there this time.
That said, I still think Nothing is amazing when it comes to hardware design. For example, the Nothing Ear (1) were great — I loved the design, and even though I haven’t heard the new ones yet, I trust they’ll sound good based on their track record.
But something about their recent attitude — especially in their YouTube content — feels a bit off. It’s like they’re positioning themselves as being above criticism, or acting as if they know better than the rest of the market. And honestly, that’s been turning me off.
I’m not saying they’re not talented — they clearly are. But there’s a fine line between confidence and thinking you’re untouchable. Lately, it feels like Nothing is drifting toward the latter.
In terms of design rankings, I’d put them like this:
1. Phone (2) – still feels the most premium and flagship-like
2. Phone (3a) / Phone (3a Pro) – great value and clean aesthetics
3. Phone (3) – just doesn’t feel like it earned that flagship label
Anyway, that’s just my honest take. Not hate — just someone who used to be really excited about Nothing and wants to feel that way again.
