Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing great.
I’ve been using the Nothing Phone 3 as my daily driver for the past one month, and here’s my honest experience with it.
Design
Initially, I was skeptical about the design of the Phone 3, but once I started using it, it grew on me. The design is asymmetric and unique, typical of Nothing’s identity. This time, Nothing has removed the traditional glyph lights and introduced a circular glyph matrix: a small circular screen with micro LEDs. Honestly, I don’t use it much now, except for quickly checking the time when I’m in my clinic. There’s also the Glyph Mirror feature, which allows you to take high-quality selfies using the rear camera by showing a preview on the dot-matrix display- a nice touch for photography lovers.
The phone is IP68 dust and water resistant, adding peace of mind for everyday use. The front screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i, while the back glass uses Gorilla Glass Victus, making it more durable against scratches and drops. I do wish the front screen was also Gorilla Glass Victus, which would have made the protection uniform on both sides. The phone feels premium to hold and looks premium as well, with a fit and finish that stands out from the crowd.
Display
The display is crisp, vibrant and has excellent outdoor visibility. I haven’t faced any issues using it under bright sunlight. However, I feel the display should have been LTPO for better power efficiency and smoother adaptive refresh rates. I honestly don’t know why Nothing skipped this, especially at this price range.
Performance
When it comes to performance, I haven’t faced any hiccups. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which sits in the mid-range flagship category. While it may not be the absolute top-tier chip, it’s powerful enough to handle everything from multitasking to gaming without any stutters.
Camera
The camera setup is genuinely impressive- especially for macro photography. The 3x telephoto lens doubles as a macro lens, offering a minimum focus distance of just 10 cm, which lets you capture incredibly detailed close-up shots without distortion. The colours from the lenses are natural and the details are crisp.
For videos, it supports 4K recording at 60fps with both OIS and EIS, resulting in smooth and stable footage even when moving. Nothing seems to have tuned its processing well, avoiding the overly saturated look many brands push. Whether it’s landscapes, portraits, telephoto shots, close-up macros or videos, the results are consistently pleasing.
Battery
The Nothing Phone 3 packs a 5500 mAh battery, which comfortably lasts a full day even with heavy use. It supports 65 W fast charging, so you can top it up quickly when needed. The only downside is that Nothing didn’t include a charger in the box, which feels like a missed opportunity, especially at this price point.
Software (Nothing OS 3.0)
Nothing OS 3.0 is a delight- smooth animations, clean visuals, and a bloatware-free experience. The minimalism and attention to detail make it stand out in the Android space.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Best-in-class telephoto lens with tele-macro support
- Bloatware-free experience
- Great sounding stereo speakers
Cons:
Should You Buy It?
Yes and no.
Yes- If you’re getting it around ₹50K, this is a great phone with a unique design, excellent cameras and clean software.
No- At ₹80K, there are better options from other manufacturers that might offer more raw performance and additional features.
