Summary
The Carl Pei-led startup Nothing has just launched its first “flagship” smartphone: the Phone (3). By pricing the phone at $799, the brand is taking on well-established models like Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and Apple’s iPhone 16. However, does it stand a chance against the competition? Let’s find out.
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Price and Availability
Pre-orders forNothing Phone (3)begin July 4, and the general sale commences on July 15. The base variant, which comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, costs $799.
Samsung released theGalaxy S25in January 2025. It is currently available at $719.99 for the 128GB and $779.99 for the 256GB variant.
Apple’siPhone 16was officially announced in September 2024. It is currently available at $799 for the 128GB and $899 for the 256GB variant.
Nothing Doesn’t Play Safe With Design
Nothing has established its brand on unique aesthetics, and thePhone (3) isn’t very different at all. It isn’t the thinnest or lightest phone on the market, but it is the most unique-looking handset, featuring a transparent back panel that houses the Glyph Matrix display (consisting of 489 LEDs) at the top right corner.
Available in white and black colorways, the Phone (3) has an aluminum frame,Gorilla Glass Victusback, and is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.
The Galaxy S25, on the other hand, is among thethinnest (7.2 mm) and lightest (162 grams) compact flagshipson the market. With a punch-hole screen at the front (featuring minimal bezels), the phone boasts an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and rear, and anIP68 rating.
Beating every other handset in the segment, the Galaxy S25 is available in seven different colors: Navy, Mint, Icy Blue, Silver Shadow, Blueblack, Coralred, and Pinkgold.
TheiPhone 16is even smaller (but thicker and heavier) than the Galaxy S25. It features theDynamic Island(pill-shaped cutout on the screen), a textured-aluminum frame, an IP68 rating (immersible up to 6m for 30 minutes), and a color-infused glass back with a matte finish.
The iPhone 16 is available inBlack, White, Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine colors.
Nothing Phone (3) Has the Biggest Screen
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
Between the three phones, the Phone (3) features the biggest 6.67-inchAMOLED screenwith a resolution of 2,800 x 1,260 pixels (460 ppi), and an outdoor brightness of 1,600 nits (and a local peak brightness of 4,500 nits).
However, since it uses anLTPS panel, the refresh rate only cycles between 30Hz and 120Hz (it appears that Nothing has cut some corners here). Nonetheless, the screen also implements 2,160Hz PWM dimming for a flicker-free experience.
Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S25, sports a smaller 6.2-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels and apeak brightnessof 2,600 nits.
Since the phone has an LTPO panel, it can dynamically switch therefresh ratebetween 1Hz and 120Hz (in the Adaptive mode). It also features better screen protection: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 vs. Gorilla Glass 7i on the Phone (3).
Coming to the iPhone 16, it has an even smaller 6.1-inchSuper Retina XDR OLED screenwith a resolution of 2,556 x 1,179 pixels (460 ppi). The screen can shine as bright as 2,000 nits in the high-brightness mode, but its refresh rate is locked at 60Hz (which disappoints me to my core).
Protecting the iPhone 16’s screen is a layer ofCeramic Shield Glass(the newer version released in 2024). While the Phone (3) and the Galaxy S25 support HDR10+, iPhone 16 supports HDR10 andDolby Vision.
Apple iPhone 16
Apple’s newest iPhone featuring a camera button, programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.
Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs. Snapdragon 8 Elite vs. Apple A18
I would like to begin this section by stating that the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4nm) on the Phone (3) is not a top-tier flagship processor, as Qualcomm designed it forupper-midrange smartphones(the ones that we often refer to as “flagship killers”).
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 features a 3.21GHz prime core, the Adreno 825 GPU withhardware-accelerated ray tracing, and the Hexagon NPU. Nothing pairs the chipset with up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.
While the memory and storage specifications mirror true flagships, the processor remains an exception.
On the Galaxy S25, you get theSnapdragon 8 Elite (for Galaxy) chipbased on TSMC’s 3nm fabrication technology. With two 4.32GHz prime cores, the processor also has the Adreno 830 GPU (performs better than the Adreno 825) and Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU for on-device AI processing.
Besides, Samsung equips its latest flagship with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB ofUFS 4.0 storage.
Unlike the other two phones with an octa-core CPU, the iPhone 16 has a hexa-core A18 (3nm) chip with two 4.05GHz performance cores, a capable GPU that can handleAAA video gaming, and a 16-core Neural Engine that assists with theApple Intelligence tools.
You get 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of NVMe storage on the iPhone 16.
GeekBench 6
2,076
6,577
2,473
8,932
3,194
7,838
Nothing OS vs. One UI vs. iOS
Out of the box, the Phone (3) runs onNothing OS 3.5, a custom skin based on Google’s Android 15 operating system. It offers a clean, minimal user interface with several customization options for fonts, icons, themes (including the popular monochrome look), and includes the new Essential Search (reminds me ofSpotlight Search).
With the Nothing Phone (3), you’ll get five years of operating system updates and seven years of security updates. The company has also promised to launch Nothing OS 4.0 (based onAndroid 16) later this year.
TheGalaxy S25 runs on One UI 7(based on Android 15) and features extensive customization options, more vibrant icons, and integratesGoogle’s Material Youadaptive theme. While Nothing OS incorporates subtle AI-based features, One UI 7.0 takes a more comprehensive approach withAgentic AIthat can multi-step tasks (that involve accessing different apps).
These abilities are in addition to the existingGalaxy AIfeatures. All the phones in the Galaxy S25 lineup are set to get seven years of Android and security updates. The next big update —One UI 8— is already available in beta on the handset.
Samsung Galaxy S25
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a powerful and compact smartphone with a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB of RAM, and a 4,000mAh battery with 25W Super Fast Charging.
The iPhone 16 currently runs on iOS 18.5, which isApple’s most customizable iPhone operating systemto date. It lets me place icons anywhere on the home screen, rearrange or resize app icons (and their colors), and features arevamped Control Center, a new Photos app (which received mixed reactions, and the ability tochange default apps.
WhileiOS 18.2 introduced Apple Intelligencetools like Genmoji, Image Playground, Image Wand, ChatGPT Integration in Writing Tools, Siri, and Visual Intelligence, I’m excited for theiOS 26 stable update, which will roll out with theiPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models.
Regarding software update policy, Apple doesn’t commit to a specific number, but iPhones typically receive the latest iOS updates for around five years after launch.
Phone (3) and Galaxy S25 Provide Triple Cameras
Nothing’s latest handset features a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP (f/1.7, OIS) primary sensor, a 50MP (f/2.7, OIS) secondary sensor with a 3xoptical zoomlens, and a 50MP (f/2.2, 114°) ultrawide sensor. The front camera is also a 50MP (f/2.2) sensor.
Some camera-related features include 4K Ultra XDR recording (up to 60 fps), a 6x in-sensor and 60x hybrid zoom, a dedicated Action Mode for super-stabilized footage, and amacro modefor capturing close-up shots of smaller subjects. Moreover, the Phone (3)’s camera specifications look promising.
The Galaxy S25 also provides three rear-facing cameras. There’s a 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary sensor, a 10MP (f/2.4, OIS) secondary sensor with a 3x telephoto lens, and a 12MP (f/2.2, 120°) ultrawide sensor. The front camera, however, is a 12MP (f/2.2) sensor with phase-detectionautofocus.
Thanks to the sheer processing power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Galaxy S25 can capture8K video (up to 30 fps), record in 10-bit HDR, and Galaxy Log. The telephoto sensor doubles as a macro shooter (with a focusing distance of 12.5 cm). Additional features include 30x hybrid zoom, ExpertRAW, Audio Eraser, andGenerative Edit.
Talking about my iPhone 16’s cameras, it has a very basic dual-rear camera setup with a 48MP (f/1.6, sensor-shift OIS) primary sensor, a12MP (f/2.2, 120°) ultrawide sensor, and a 12MP (f/1.9) selfie camera with dual-pixel autofocus. It can’t record 8K videos like the Galaxy S25, but it certainly captures sharp 4K Dolby Vision footage (60 fps) with excellent stabilization.
Other features include4K Cinematic Mode,Spatial Video, Wind Noise Reduction, and Audio Mix. You can also toy around with the latest-generation Photographic Styles, which give you more control over the tones and hues in a picture, and use theCamera Control buttonto capture a moment quickly.
Nothing Phone (3) Should Provide More Usage Time
The Phone (3) features the biggest and fastest-charging battery of all the phones in this comparison: a5,150 mAh silicon-carbon batterythat supports 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (though it doesn’t support theQi2 protocol). You also get 7.5W reverse wired and 5W reverse wireless charging.
Due to its smaller form factor, the Galaxy S25 packs a 4,000 mAh battery, supporting 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2-Ready), and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. According to Samsung’s official product page, the handset offers up to 29 hours of video playback.
The iPhone 16 features an even smaller 3,561 mAh battery that supports around 30W wired charging,25W MagSafe charging(with 30W adapter or higher), and Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W. According to Apple, the iPhone 16 provides up to 22 hours of video playback.
Nothing Phone 3
The Nothing Phone (3) is a bold new flagship that mixes unique design, strong performance, and some handy new features, though not without compromise. It boasts a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, triple 50MP cameras, a sharp 1.5K AMOLED display, and the new Glyph Matrix for notifications and mini-games. The $799 starting price places it in flagship territory, but it lacks LTPO display tech and a top-tier chipset, which may put off spec-focused buyers. Still, with solid battery life, fast charging, and standout design, the Phone (3) offers a different take on what a modern flagship can be.
Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 Provide Satellite Connectivity
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip on the Phone (3) features the X75 5G modem, which only supports sub-6GHz5G networks. It’s worth mentioning that the device is compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile, with “limited 5G support” on Verizon’s network. Other than that, the smartphone supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6.0,dual-band GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port.
Thanks to the Snapdragon X80 5G modem, the Galaxy S25 supports bothsub-6GHz and mmWave 5Gnetworks. Besides, the S25 features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 3.2 port (faster data transfer and support forDisplayPort 1.2). Unlike the Phone (3), Samsung’s latest smartphone can send/receive messages via satellite (courtesy of Snapdragon Satellite).
Apple’s iPhone 16 features the Snapdragon X71 5G modem, which also supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks. The iPhone also features a second-generationUltra Wideband chipfor improved spatial awareness andsatellite connectivityfor Emergency SOS. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port.
Which Phone Is Right for You?
The Nothing Phone (3)’s biggest selling point is its unique design. If you like the device’s appearance and don’t mind the next-to-flagship chipset, the Phone (3) is a solid contender. While a 50MP triple camera setup, Nothing OS, and the 5,150 mAh battery are among its strengths, the LTPS panel, lack of mmWave connectivity, and limited 5G onVerizoncould be concerning for some buyers.
If you’re not into quirky designs and prefer something more minimal, you can opt for a Galaxy S25 or an iPhone 16 based on your user interface preferences and the type of ecosystem you already own. Both phones offer improved performance and connectivity compared to the Phone (3).
I’ve also compiled a detailedcomparison between the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.
