Nothing’s Telephone 3 Actually Goes Full-On Anti-iPhone, Huh?

After a seemingly unending drip of leaks and teases, Nothing’s Phone 3 is finally here, together with what’s shaping as much as be a divisive new aesthetic. The attention-catching Android cellphone, which was unveiled during a London launch event on Tuesday, will price $799 and is being billed as the corporate’s “first true flagship.” To promote its premium bundle, Nothing is leaning into a brand new triple digicam system, a refreshed design, and a round Glyph “Matrix” show that, actually, appears to be like fairly rattling enjoyable.

Let’s begin with the factor that sells virtually each flagship cellphone on the market: the digicam system. The Telephone 3, as you will have seen, contains three totally different sensors this time round. All three of the rear cameras—major, ultrawide, and periscope zoom—are 50 megapixels. Essentially the most notable addition right here is the periscope zoom digicam, which was additionally included within the Phone 3a Pro. Fortunately, in contrast to the Telephone 3a Professional—which weirdly launched earlier than the Telephone 3—the inclusion of a periscope digicam doesn’t necessitate an enormous, annoying digicam bump. Don’t get me unsuitable, the lens nonetheless protrudes a bit, however nowhere close to the quantity of its predecessor. If you happen to’re unfamiliar with periscope cameras, all you could know is that these puppies can zoom. Particularly, you may rise up to 6x lossless zoom or 60x zoom with the assistance of AI.

I haven’t used the Telephone 3 but, however most likely the largest hangup I’ve on the floor is that the periscope digicam is misaligned, which makes it look slightly, uh, odd on the again of the cellphone. I think this may piss some folks off, however others gained’t actually care that a lot. I assume if Nothing’s digicam system works nicely for the value, then it’ll be straightforward to forgive any design weirdness.

Past the digicam, I feel essentially the most notable function is the Glyph Interface—er, sorry, the Glyph Matrix aka that massive ol’ circle on the top-right of the cellphone that may show all types of enjoyable stuff. It’s just like the Glyph Interface however in dot matrix kind, and it appears to be like like a enjoyable gimmick. In response to Nothing, the Glyph Matrix does quite a lot of the identical stuff because the Glyph Interface (the LED mild strips on the again of the Phone 1 and 2) and a few further stuff, too.

Nothing says that the Glyph Matrix is made up of 489 “individually firing LEDs” and may show all types of data, together with caller ID, quantity ranges, and digicam countdown. It additionally nonetheless does common timers, a photo voltaic clock, and (my favourite) a few enjoyable video games that embody rock, paper, scissors, and spin the bottle. To cycle by all these features, Nothing additionally included a devoted button on the again of the cellphone that it aptly calls the “Glyph Button.” I really like buttons, however I hope it really works extra easily than the buttons on its additionally brand-new Headphone 1. Nothing additionally mentioned in its announcement video of the Telephone 3 that it’s opening up SDKs to builders, so using the Glyph Matrix may broaden sooner or later (if anybody really cares sufficient to construct stuff for it, that’s).

Contained in the Telephone 3 can be an virtually flagship-level processor—Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8S Gen 4. That’s the identical chip discovered inside telephones like Poco’s F7 5G and Xiaomi’s Redmi Turbo 4 Professional. It’s a step up from the chips used within the Telephone 3a and 3a Professional, which each include Snapdragon 7S Gen 3. I’ve mentioned it earlier than, and I’ll most likely say it 1,000 occasions, however cellphone chips are at some extent the place—until you’re a hardcore cell gamer or one thing—the most recent technology isn’t all the time tremendous essential. If you happen to’re looking the online, taking photographs, and streaming video, like most of us, then you definately’re most likely not going to note an enormous distinction with gen-over-gen chips. I take advantage of an iPhone 13 each day, and it nonetheless works… superb. I’m going to imagine that the Telephone 3 is identical story, however I gained’t know till I attempt it for myself.

Telephone (3) is right here. Come to Play.

Pre-order yours. 4 July. pic.twitter.com/k92AZBO7lf

— Nothing (@nothing) July 1, 2025

The design could be the most controversial a part of the Telephone 3. As a substitute of the sort of easy, easy-going look of the Telephone 1 and Telephone 2, the Telephone 3 opts for a inflexible, block-like vibe on its backplate. I’m nonetheless on the fence and am suspending judgment till I see this factor in individual, nevertheless it undoubtedly appears to be like similar to the Telephone 3a. For the primary time, I feel I really choose the black model of this cellphone, however once more, I need to see it IRL earlier than I leap to conclusions.

On paper, the Telephone 3 appears to be like like a strong improve over the Telephone 2 and, to nobody’s shock, pushes new AI options like Important Area, which is now out of early entry. Whether or not the cellphone rises to the “true flagship” positioning stays to be seen. Similar to with the Headphone 1, the Telephone 3 takes a shot at one thing totally different. Nothing has thus far succeeded in shaking issues up simply sufficient to justify its mission of “making tech enjoyable once more.”

If you happen to’re all-in, you may preorder the Telephone 3 beginning July 4, and open availability begins on July 15. Orders will likely be out there by nothing.tech and “choose partpartners,cording to Nothing.