Nothing is known for its proactive and engaged community, whose feedback seemingly has a direct impact on how the young company’s next generation of devices is shaped. But given the amount of hype the brand is generating, expectations are high.
In July 2023, the Nothing Phone (2) arrived on the scene, as an improved version of the original Nothing Phone (1). Based on conventional smartphone timelines, it makes sense that the launch of the Nothing Phone (3) should be right around the corner, but that’s not the case.
The company’s CEO Carl Pei has spoken about Nothing’s next-generation flagship phone, and it’s bad news if you’re hoping for a launch anytime soon. Here’s everything you need to know.
When will the Nothing Phone (3) be released?
After its predecessors arrived in 2022 and 2023 respectively, it seemed reasonable to assume that the Phone (3) would arrive around the same time this year.
However, according to a post shared by Pei on X (formerly Twitter) in early June, it looks like Nothing’s next flagship won’t debut until next year.
Pei stated that “it is important that we get the product [Phone (3)] right, integrating hardware and AI”, so we assume this will be the main focus and the reason why the Phone (3) will not be released this year; Nothing wants to offer customers a refined product that showcases the best of its AI efforts.
While this means we still don’t know the exact release date of Nothing’s next-gen phone, looking at the launch dates of previous generations, we can estimate from an informed point of view:
We therefore expect the Phone (3) to be released in 2013 July 2025although other evidence suggests it could arrive slightly earlier.
Additionally, Yogesh Brar says, “There are currently three new phones from Nothing in active development.” All three phones are said to be launching in the United States first half of 2025.
Speculations from those commenting under the
How much does the Nothing Phone (3) cost?
Prices of previous models during their initial launches were as follows:
Phone (1) was one of the best mid-range phones of 2022, with price playing a major role. Its successor raised the bar by adding a flagship chipset – hence the price hike – although it still didn’t use the latest and greatest silicon at the time of launch.
If Nothing decides to use a more powerful flagship chipset, such as the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the price of the Phone (3) could rise again.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
However, according to 91Mobiles, the upcoming phone could be priced between ₹40,000 and ₹45,000, similar to the phone’s (2) launch price of ₹45,000. This translates to around £579/$599, which matches the launch price of the Phone (2).
What specifications and features does the Nothing Phone (3) have?
So far, there have been quite a few leaks regarding the phone (3). Android Headlines reported on a mysterious phone, codenamed ‘Tetris’, which was thought to be the phone (3).
However, after BIS certification (via 91Mobiles), the device in question is expected to be the first smartphone from CMF (Nothing’s value-led sub-brand).
To quote: “The device with code name ‘Tetris’ and model number ‘A015’ is not Nothing Phone 3.” Still, this doesn’t stop us from theorizing a little about the ways in which Phone (3) could improve over its predecessor.
Design
Previously, the Nothing Phone compromised on build quality to meet its price point. With the third iteration, we hope to see improvements in protection and durability. The adoption of newer glass technology – possibly the rugged Gorilla Glass Victus – could further improve the overall build quality of the device.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
A notable improvement could also be made in the device’s water and dust resistance. The phone’s IP54 rating (2) falls short of the more common IP68 rating found on most flagship smartphones. An increase to at least IP68 would bring the phone (3) in line with industry standards.
Screen and speakers
We don’t expect many changes to the display of the Phone (3) compared to its predecessor. The phone (2) has a 6.7-inch OLED panel that can refresh up to 120 Hz and uses LTPO technology to reduce that refresh rate to 1 Hz when not needed, to preserve battery life.
Its weakest feature is brightness, with an average outer panel of 1,000 nits and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, which falls short in real-world use. As such, a brighter panel would be welcome on the phone (3).
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Improving the sound quality and internal speakers would also contribute to a more satisfying audio experience, even for those who mainly use Bluetooth earbuds. Nothing may have its own Ear (2) earbuds, but you don’t want to have to use them all the time.
Performance
Despite having a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, we had some concerns in our phone review (2) about the user experience slowing down and freezing.
The Nothing Phone (3) could address this by considering an upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which powers many 2023 flagships.
Or it could go all out and opt for the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – positioned between the 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3 – which would allow it to rival the best Android phones in terms of performance.
This upper mid-range chip features impressive specs, including a Cortex-X4 core at 3GHz, three performance cores at 2.8GHz, and four efficiency cores at 2GHz.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
There is also another possibility, as shown in a recent Geekbench listing.
The phone was spotted with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset with an octa-core configuration (1 prime core at 2.5 GHz, 3 performance cores at 2.4 GHz and 4 efficiency cores at 1.8 GHz). Time will tell whether this will actually be true.
It also reportedly comes with 8GB of RAM, achieving benchmark scores of 1,149 (single-core) and 2,813 (multi-core).
Glyph interface
Building on the progress made with the phone (2), software refinement remains essential. The Glyph Interface features – while innovative – need practical improvements. Continued efforts to attract third-party support for Glyph features could significantly increase its appeal.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
The Glyph interface has the potential to become a major selling point of the phone (3). Exploring innovative applications, such as creating a universal standard for broader applications, and partnering with major retailers for unique Glyph features could broaden its unique appeal.
Cameras
An upgrade to the camera settings would also be welcome. Notably, nothing could introduce a better primary sensor and address issues with the ultrawide.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Low-light performance, color reproduction, and reduced shutter lag should also be priorities for the phone (3).
Battery and charging
The Phone (2) packs a hefty 4,700mAh battery, with support for 45W wired fast charging. It’s likely that Phone (3) will get exactly the same treatment, as it’s still above more premium phones like the newest iPhones, Galaxys and Pixels are installed.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Nevertheless, expectations remain high for even more advanced fast charging technology and greater battery capacity. As such, improved battery density is a direction we’ve seen rivals like Honor and Sony take.
Software
If a 2025 launch is planned, the Phone (3) will most likely run Android 15 and Nothing OS 2.5 or Nothing OS 3 out of the box.
As Pei said on X in June 2024, the phone (3) will be central to the company’s AI efforts. Therefore, we can expect a lot of AI features even if the details haven’t been revealed yet.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
We will update this article as more about Phone (3) is revealed. In the meantime, check out our picks of today’s best Android phones and the best mid-range phones to see the competition.
