This might be the most daring phone of the year, but it could change the playing field

Phones are boring. Or at least the companies making them have become boring in their approach. But one company took notice of this a few years ago, and bravely spearheaded its way into the shark’s tank. I am, of course, talking about Nothing.

What began as a quirky brand selling transparent earbuds has evolved into one of the most innovative players in the phone industry. Its first two phones — the Phone (1) and Phone (2) — were priced affordably and stood out visually, but they weren’t trying to go head-to-head with Apple, Samsung, or Google.

The Nothing Phone (3) changes that.

Launching on July 1, the Phone (3) is rumored to cost around $800. That puts it steadily in flagship territory. This is no longer a “flagship killer,” but a flagship itself.

So the big question is: can Nothing actually pull it off?

The Nothing Phone (3) is betting big on its camera

Let’s start with what seems to be the centerpiece of the Nothing Phone (3): the camera system. For the first time, Nothing is going with a triple-camera layout, and one of those is a telephoto camera with a periscope lens. That’s a big leap from last year’s more basic dual setup and a big advantage over the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9. The upcoming Pixel 10 is also said to have a telephoto camera, so only the iPhone would be left behind (as usual).

Leaks suggest all three cameras could be 50 MP sensors. Based on a teaser shared by Nothing itself, the periscope camera might genuinely be a standout feature, not just filler on the spec sheet.

The reason I think this isn’t just to build hype is because Carl Pei is teasing the Phone (3) as “built for creators,” and the company even released images shot with the phone’s zoom lens before unveiling the phone itself. That’s not something you do unless you’re confident.

Now, what makes a phone’s camera great is not only quality hardware and a versatile lens system, but even more so the software powering them. We’ve had our criticism regarding Nothing phone's image processing before, so hopefully the company has not neglected that part with the Phone (3). Otherwise, it wouldn’t have any hope of competing with the rest.

Pixel 9 is the AI king, but it’s not untouchable

Google’s Pixel 9 is one of the toughest competitors in this price range. That’s not because it has the best hardware (it doesn’t), but because its software experience is a few steps ahead of the pack.

The AI features, from Gemini Nano to helpful camera features like Add Me, go beyond gimmicks. And with 12 GB of RAM in the base model, the Pixel 9 is now better equipped to run all of it.

But despite all that software intelligence, the Pixel 9 is a phone that feels like it’s just good enough at everything else. Battery life is decent, but not best-in-class. Charging is still slow. There’s no telephoto lens. The design is cleaner, yes, but still very... Pixel, i.e., bland. This makes room for Nothing to attack where Google left doors open: faster charging, better zoom, and a more expressive design.

If Nothing’s own rumored AI platform isn’t just a buzzword and is actually useful, it could help balance the scales here. But software is where Nothing still has to prove itself. Clean UI is great, but not enough. The Nothing Phone (3) needs features that genuinely feel ahead of the curve.

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 is the spec monster to beat

Samsung held nothing back with its latest flagship lineup. You get an awesome display, the strongest camera system on the market, and one of the most capable chipsets available — the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

In our review, the Galaxy S25 held its own in the battery and charging tests. It also had one of the most color-accurate screens we’ve tested. And while it doesn’t have a periscope zoom lens like its Ultra sibling, it still pulls off very respectable zoom photos with its 10 MP telephoto camera. Video is another strong suit where Samsung typically dominates, and one that’s typically difficult to nail, so Nothing might have a tough time keeping up.

This is arguably Nothing’s most difficult opponent. Samsung doesn’t necessarily have the most exciting design, but it doesn’t need flash when it has consistency. For most people, the S25 is the safe, powerful choice — and the default winner unless something else makes a louder, clearer case.

The iPhone 16 feels like it doesn’t offer enough

The iPhone 16 is arguably the weakest of the three rivals, although it will still outsell them all. Even though it does not feature a telephoto camera, it still topped our Camera Score thanks to its well-performing main and ultra-wide cameras. Admittedly, the Camera Control button adds no genuine useful features for photographers, but the A18 chip continues to dominate performance tests.

What’s frustrating is everything else: a 60Hz display in 2025, limited zoom photography, a UI that’s going through an identity crisis, and absurdly slow charging speeds. While the wireless charging has finally improved to 25W, Apple’s wired charging is still stuck in the past.

Unless you're deep into the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 16 doesn't bring enough new to the table to justify purchasing it. It’s not a bad phone, but it’s a complacent one, and that opens a door for phones like the Nothing Phone (3) to be more than just a quirky alternative.

Design and identity: Nothing’s secret weapon

Of course, spec sheets don’t tell the whole story. One of the biggest reasons people have opted for a Nothing phone is the way it looks and feels.

With the Phone (3), it looks like Nothing is doubling down on its unique transparent design and experimenting with a more modular, grid-like camera arrangement. The new renders show a layout unlike anything on the market, and that’s before you even get to the redesigned Glyph interface in a matrix-style layout.

These design choices matter. If you’re spending $900 to $1,000 on a phone, it should feel personal. The iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25 feel sterile. The Pixel still hangs on to its identity built on top of that iconic camera bar, but it too became less recognizable with the last generation. The Nothing Phone (3) might be the only one that stands out, albeit in a way that probably appeals to a more tight demographic.

That said, design alone won’t save it. A beautiful phone that disappoints in day-to-day use won’t last long in people’s pockets.

What Nothing still has to prove

The specs sound great: 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, 5,150 mAh battery, 100W charging. But we know that great-sounding specs are not enough. The real test is the execution.

For instance, 100W charging is only impressive if the battery doesn’t overheat and degrade quickly. A periscope lens only matters if it produces clean, detailed shots that rival Samsung’s or what Google will be offering with the Pixel 10. A new AI platform only counts if it does something useful — not just vague productivity features no one asked for.

One thing that’s also kind of bothering me is the chip. Now, while the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is not a weak piece of silicon by any means, it is also not exactly a flagship one either. I will be the first one to say that most of us don’t need those high-end chips anyway, but this might not rub right on some people considering the price tag.

At around $800, the Phone (3) will go head-to-head with phones known for their reliability, great support, and polish. If Nothing wants to be taken seriously at this level, it can’t afford to feel like a start-up experiment anymore. But if it manages to deliver across on all fronts — hardware, software, camera, and support — it could go from being a quirky outsider to the most discussed flagship of the year.

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