The third iteration of the Nothing Phone is finally here, and it’s already getting torched by users online. Not because it’s outright bad, but because the Nothing Phone (3) tries to play in the flagship space with what many are calling a sub-flagship core.
It uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the full-blown Snapdragon 8 Elite, sticks to its niche design aesthetic, and lands with a price tag that puts it head-to-head with some flagship phones.
Take last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra for example. It’s currently available for the same price as Phone (3) and offers better hardware specs on almost every front.
So what’s going on? Is the hate for the Phone (3) justified, or are people being too harsh on Carl Pei’s startup? And how does it really stack up against the S24 Ultra, especially now that both phones can be had for about the same price?
Let’s break it down.
1. Design
Nothing’s entire identity is built around standing out. The company has never played it safe, and with the Phone (3), it’s pushing even harder to be different. But this time, it might be trying a bit too hard. And the internet isn’t exactly buying it.
The Phone (3) keeps the brand’s signature transparent aesthetic but ditches the clean, symmetrical minimalism that defines Nothing.
In its place is a bold design with asymmetrical, mismatched camera lenses that vary in shape and size. There’s also a corner-mounted Glyph Matrix display that I feel makes the top look a bit chaotic. It’s different, sure. But is it good different?
When the company introduced Glyph Lights with the Phone (1), it was a novelty in the smartphone space. But it’s clear now that the feature has had very limited real-world use for users. So Nothing had to kill it.
We doubt the Glyph Matrix will fare any better. That’s because it’s a major part of the phone; the highlight feature Nothing is using to sell the Phone (3). This approach is very different from what brands like Asus do with their ROG Phone series, which also has a dot-matrix display on the back.
Asus sells its dot-matrix screen more as a fun visual flair, while Nothing is trying to be far more ambitious with it. And when your entire product pitch leans on something that risks being a gimmick, that’s a dangerous game to play.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra feels like the polar opposite in design philosophy. It has flat edges, a titanium frame, a minimalistic camera housing, and an industrial design that is more palatable for a wide range of users. It’s not trying to be different for the sake of being different. But it’s undeniably high-end, and that alone makes it a status symbol.
2. Display
Both phones sport excellent OLED displays. The Nothing Phone (3) features a 6.67-inch OLED with HDR10+, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 4500 nits peak brightness. It’s flat, punchy, and easy on the eyes thanks to 2160Hz PWM dimming.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, meanwhile, flexes its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a QHD+ resolution, LTPO refresh rate scaling, and a DX anti-reflective coating. It’s less bright on paper (2600 nits), but this shouldn’t make any difference in real-world usage.
Nothing also uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass 7i, while Samsung went with Gorilla Glass Victus, which is technically stronger.
3. Performance
Here’s where the Nothing Phone (3) really starts to struggle.
At nearly flagship pricing, you’d expect flagship performance. But Nothing opted for the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a solid chip, yes, but a tier below Qualcomm’s current best, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite.
By 2025 flagship standards, the Phone (3) should be using the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Galaxy S25 Plus, which costs the same, does.
Even last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 Ultra is better than 8s Gen 4 in terms of raw performance. Additionally, Samsung offers up to seven years of OS updates, whereas Nothing only promises five.
4. Cameras
On paper, the Phone (3) actually looks competitive. It features a triple 50MP setup, including a periscope telephoto lens and an ultrawide camera. The selfie cam is also a 50MP unit capable of 4K at 60fps.
The S24 Ultra is in a different league of its own. It comes with a 200MP main sensor, two dedicated telephoto lenses (including a 50MP 5x periscope), and a laser autofocus system. It can also shoot 8K video, and handles stabilization like a seasoned pro.
So while the Phone (3) tries to flex with big megapixel counts, Samsung backs up its camera hardware with years of refinement, better sensors, and more versatility. And most users notice that difference the moment they take pictures side by side.
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5. Battery & Charging
Battery life might be the only area where the Phone (3) keeps pace. It comes with a 5150 mAh cell internationally, and a slightly larger 5500 mAh battery in India. Charging is 65W wired and 15W wireless, with support for reverse charging. Not bad.
The S24 Ultra, meanwhile, sticks to a more standard 5000 mAh battery with 45W wired charging. It’s not as fast as Nothing’s, but it’s efficient enough, and comes with the benefit of better thermal management and lower power draw thanks to Samsung’s display and software tuning.
6. So why the backlash?
Here’s the elephant in the room. The Nothing Phone (3) costs nearly the same as the Galaxy S25 Plus or the S24 Ultra (in its discounted form) from last year.
You can argue that Nothing is a smaller brand with different priorities. You can even say the design and clean Android skin are worth a premium. But when Samsung is offering its 2024 flagship with more power, better cameras, longer support, and a stylus—for the same money—it’s hard to justify picking the underdog.
