The Nothing Phone 3 is the company’s first full-fat flagship – but is it really that much better than the mid-range Nothing Phone 2?
While the Nothing Phone 3 offers a new eye-catching design, a great screen, three high-res cameras on the rear and, of course, the ever-charming Nothing OS, it’s not an all-round upgrade on 2023’s Nothing Phone 2.
We’ve thoroughly reviewed both the Nothing Phone 2 and Nothing Phone 3, and here’s how the two stylish smartphones compare in real-world use.
Pricing and availability
The Nothing Phone 3 is the company’s first ‘true’ flagship and has a price tag to match, starting at £799/$799 with 256GB of storage. It’s available to buy now, following its release in early July 2025.
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The Nothing Phone 2, on the other hand, was a more mid-range affair that started at £579/$599 with 128GB of storage when it launched back in mid-2023. That said, as it’s now a couple of years old and succeeded by the Phone 3, it can often be found even cheaper at online retailers.
Design
The Nothing Phone 3 takes the company’s now-iconic design and kicks it up a notch. The rear is strikingly different from any Nothing phone that came before it, with off-centre ‘bug-eyed’ cameras and a playful, retro-futuristic look that’s a bit like Marmite – you’ll either love it or hate it.
The biggest change is, of course, the replacement of the classic Glyph LED strips with the new Glyph Matrix, a small round LED screen in the top right corner.
It’s not just for show either; it can display pixelated graphics very on-trend with Nothing’s software, as well as showing battery status, doubling up as a selfie window, and it can even run mini-games. There’s also a pressure-sensitive button on the back to cycle through the features, a nice tactile touch.
The aluminium mid-frame is mostly flat with subtly rounded edges, but the phone is noticeably chunkier and heavier than the Phone 2 at just shy of 220g and 9mm thick. We love the boldness and playfulness of the new look, but some might find that extra heft less comfortable for long-term use.
The Nothing Phone 2, on the other hand, sticks to the original Nothing formula of a transparent rear panel, visible internal components and, of course, the signature Glyph LED strips. It’s much more symmetrical and arguably more universally appealing than the Phone 3, with a premium feel thanks to the aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass-protected rear.
The Glyph interface on the Phone 2 is, admittedly, less advanced than the new Glyph Matrix, but it remains rather unique, offering notification lighting, a fill light for the camera and a bigger, brighter torch.
The phone is also lighter (201g) and slimmer (7.6mm) than the Phone 3, making it more comfortable to hold and use one-handed.
Screen
The Nothing Phone 3’s 6.67-inch AMOLED screen is fairly impressive for the price. It boasts a peak brightness of 4500nits (1600nits in high-brightness mode) that makes it easily readable, even in direct sunlight, and colours are warm and vibrant without reaching the point of oversaturation. Viewing angles are also strong, with minimal colour shift as you look at the screen side-on.
However, there’s a crucial flaw here: the lack of LTPO technology. It’s technology that’s present in much of the flagship competition, and as a result, the 120Hz refresh rate isn’t as adaptive as some rivals. This leads to the screen stuttering slightly when switching between static and moving content, and it can’t drop to ultra-low refresh rates to save battery on static pages either.
It’s a minor annoyance, maybe, but it does mean the Phone 3’s screen isn’t as efficient or smooth as it could be during use.
The Phone 2’s screen isn’t to be sniffed at either; the 6.7-inch OLED panel boasts a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and, crucially, LTPO tech that lets it scale down to 1Hz. This not only makes for smoother animations and transitions, but also helps conserve battery. Considering it’s available on the older model, it really is an oddity that it’s missing from the Phone 3.
Elsewhere, the screen supports HDR10+ and reaches a maximum brightness of 1600nits, which is still excellent for outdoor use. Colours are punchy and natural, and the slim bezels help it feel more immersive.
For a device that launched at a much lower price point, it really is an impressive screen. Yes, the Nothing Phone 3’s display is brighter, but the Phone 2’s screen is slightly bigger and boasts more advanced LTPO tech.
Cameras
The Nothing Phone 3 features a triple 50MP rear camera setup, comprising a main, ultrawide, and 3x periscope zoom lens. All four lenses – including a 50MP selfie camera – use high-res sensors, and the main lens in particular is capable of capturing detailed, vibrant shots in good lighting. The zoom lens also offers up to 6x hybrid zoom, and macro shots are particularly impressive too.
That said, we did find the camera’s performance to be inconsistent. The ultrawide lens often produces cooler, less saturated images compared to the other lenses, and the zoom camera can struggle with focus and exposure, especially at higher magnifications. Even the selfie camera is guilty of this inconsistency, with a tendency to over-darken hair and beards, making selfies look less natural.
So while the main camera is reliable, the overall experience is less consistent than what we’d expect – especially at its flagship price point.
The Phone 2 isn’t as impressive on paper with only a dual 50MP setup comprised of a main and ultrawide, though the main camera does use the once-popular Sony IMX890 sensor.
We found it to be a reliable performer in most environments, delivering detailed, vibrant shots with natural colours – and the ultrawide lens matches the main camera’s colour profile much better than the Phone 3.
Low-light performance is decent, but not class-leading – not even at launch in 2022 – and it’s safe to say the Phone 3 handles things better in this regard.
Performance
Despite the promise of a flagship experience, the Phone 3 ships with the non-flagship Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, more comparable to the 2024 flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 than 2025’s Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Still, paired with a healthy 12 or 16GB of RAM, it delivers fast, smooth performance for everyday tasks, multitasking and even gaming. Benchmark scores are strong, though not quite at the level of the very latest Snapdragon chip found in most of the flagship competition.
For most, the performance is more than sufficient, but those seeking the absolute best specs for the price might be left wanting more.
The Phone 2 utilises the now-dated Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, although it was a pretty capable chipset at launch in 2023, and it still performs well for most tasks. We found performance to be snappy across the board, from multitasking to gaming, though it can get warm under heavy load.
In day-to-day use, both phones feel fast, but the Phone 3 has a slight edge in raw power, even if it’s not the best in class for 2025.
Software
Nothing OS is a highlight on both smartphones. With the Phone 3, we get Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, a clean, bloat-free and highly customisable take on Android. The dot-matrix styling is optional – though recommended – and there are genuinely useful AI features, such as voice recording and transcription, as well as fun integrations with the Glyph Matrix.
Essential Space, a memory pin board for reminders and notes, is a handy addition, available via a new dedicated button on the side of the phone. It’s also set to get five years of software updates and seven years of security patches, so it should only continue to improve.
The Phone 2 was launched with Nothing OS 2.0, based on Android 13, back in 2022. However, it has since received an upgrade to Nothing OS 3.0, making the differences between the phones fairly minimal as of 2025.
That said, as the Phone 2 was only guaranteed three OS upgrades, it’ll stick with the yet-to-be-released Nothing OS 4, while the Phone 3 will eventually get Nothing OS 8.
Battery life
The Nothing Phone 3 packs a fairly sizeable 5150mAh battery, which we found could last a full day with the possibility of stretching it to two with lighter use. Even on heavy days, we finished with plenty of charge left, and 65W fast charging meant we never had to wait too long for the phone to fully recharge.
The Phone 2 features a slightly smaller 4700mAh battery, but thanks to its efficient LTPO display technology, it’s still possible to squeeze a full day’s use out of the phone – and possibly even two, as we typically finished most days with between 35 and 50% battery remaining. Charging isn’t quite as fast, however, at 45W.
Final thoughts
The Nothing Phone 3 is a playful evolution of the brand’s design language, featuring a unique look, fun software, and solid all-round performance. However, despite its flagship claims, it’s heavier, thicker, lacks LPTO screen tech, and the camera system is less consistent than we’d like at this level.
The Phone 2, on the other hand, is less flashy but more refined, with a better-balanced camera setup, a more efficient LTPO-enabled screen and a lower price point.
Both phones stand out from the crowd, but the Phone 3 is for those who want to make a statement and enjoy playful features like the Glyph Matrix, while the Phone 2 remains a reliable, stylish, affordable all-rounder that still manages to feel special years after launch.