Nothing’s founder and CEO, Carl Pei, introduced the Nothing Phone 3, declaring its Glyph interface “not a gimmick.” This statement arrived moments before he unveiled a “spin the bottle” game playable on the phone’s back, a move that created some mixed messaging.
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Despite the playful Glyph feature, Nothing is serious about the Phone 3. The company is marketing it as their “first true flagship phone,” emphasizing its flagship chip, camera, and, notably, its flagship price. This commitment is underscored by a dedicated US launch, a first for Nothing’s premium phones since 2023’s Phone 2.
Priced at $799, the Phone 3 is set to compete directly with high-end devices like the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9. Pei states that Nothing feels ready “to compete with products in that price level.” Pre-orders begin on July 4th, with the general sale starting July 15th on Nothing’s online store and Amazon in the US. The Phone 3 offers full compatibility with T-Mobile and AT&T, with more limited 5G support on Verizon.
As Nothing’s most expensive phone to date, the Phone 3 boasts impressive specs. It features a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chip, which, while not the absolute fastest, should handle all but the most demanding mobile games, especially when paired with up to 16GB of RAM. Storage options start at 256GB, with a 512GB version available for an additional $100.
The Phone 3 utilizes a silicon-carbon battery, a new technology that allows for a generous 5,150mAh capacity in a compact design. It supports 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The 6.67-inch OLED screen is more than twice as bright as its predecessor, and the device introduces an IP68 water- and dust-resistance rating, a first for Nothing. All four cameras (three rear, one front) are 50 megapixels, though their actual performance remains to be seen, as Nothing’s camera processing has historically lagged behind competitors.
What makes the Phone 3 distinctly “Nothing” is its new, “gimmick-free” Glyph design. Previous Nothing phones featured an array of light strips, but these have been replaced by a small dot-matrix LED display called the Glyph Matrix in one corner on the phone’s back. This new design is less visually striking and unique than older models, with Asus having used similar dot-matrix displays on its ROG gaming phones for years. Pei claims the Glyph Matrix offers “much more immediate” custom notifications, allowing users to tie easily recognizable images or emojis to specific apps and contacts, rather than abstract animations.
Adding a touch of fun that Pei believes is “severely lacking in the space right now,” the Phone 3 introduces Glyph Toys. These include games like spin the bottle and rock paper scissors, along with practical tools such as a stopwatch and battery indicator. Users can cycle through these features using a haptic button hidden on the semi-transparent rear. Pei suggests playful uses like using spin the bottle to decide how to split a dinner bill. He also emphasized the “expandability” of the Glyph Matrix, citing community-developed Glyph Toys like a magic eight ball and expressing anticipation for “novel use cases” from their fans.
The Phone 3 also marks the return of the Essential Key, a customizable side button first seen on the Phone 3A and 3A Pro. By default, it launches Essential Space, an AI-powered app that analyzes screenshots to provide reminders for events or travel. New to this phone are features like transcribing and summarizing meeting audio, along with a universal search bar that can find contacts and photos, and answer basic factual queries.
The Phone 3 represents a significant leap for Nothing, marking its entry into the flagship market and its first serious push into the US in two years. This ambition is reflected in the more conservative, yet still distinctive, Glyph design. While playing it safe in some aspects, Nothing has managed to produce a phone that is arguably bolder and more divisive than recent offerings from Samsung or Apple. Just don’t call it a gimmick.
