Nothing Phone 3 Review – Flagship price, great phone, but hard to justify

All the good “Nothing” jokes have been done. What am I reviewing? Nothing. Yep, this is the Nothing Phone 3 – coming to Australia after the 3a, sitting at an all new level than Nothing have done before – something we in the industry call “Flagship”. Basically Flagship means expensive. But does this thing stack up to that label?

Nothing’s sub-brand CMF has phones from $299 to $479 at this moment, and their main-brand devices start around $459 with the most recent release the Nothing Phone (3a) is a cracking deal at $599.

The previous top level phone the Nothing Phone (2) is currently $749, down from $1099.

And I say all this to setup the price for the new Nothing Phone (3) is $1509. That’s a big jump for Nothing as a brand, and puts them into Apple and Samsung flagship phone category.

Optus and JB HiFi have gone heavy on the Nothing brand, with a real appeal among the younger audiences, a new generation perhaps not wanting to buy into the Apple ecosystem, feeling the Samsung design is tired and just looking for something fresh. That’s exactly what you get with Nothing.

But the problem for Nothing is that you get that for $599 with the Nothing (3a) – that’s a bloody great phone, my youngest son loves the Nothing brand and ecosystem so they certainly can win over customers with the main devices and their accessories (Watches/Headphones).

So, how do we justify the $1500+ price tag?

Head to head with the 3a, the 3 has a smaller screen, more RAM, a slightly larger battery, a faster processor, brighter screen, Gorilla glass, and slightly higher resolution cameras.

But honestly, it’s just not that much better. In day to day use you’ve still got a great strong device, excellent screen, great cameras and good performance – no matter which one you choose. So how do you justify the extra $1,000?

Nothing Phone Glyph Matrix

All Nothing phones have had this Glyph lighting system on the back, a funky way to customise notifications when the phone is face down.

The new Nothing Phone 3 has a new little circle of dots that light up in patterns and can be interacted with too.

Frankly, I think just make the light flash when I get a notification, maybe give me colour options for different apps. Instead, you can customise how the little circle lights up and what pattern it shows.

Gimmicky, but you can even choose a photo of someone to be turned into a Glyph Matrix when they call or send a message:

Even more amusing is the interactions you can have with the Matrix.

Of all the circles on the back of the phone, one is a touch sensor, press and hold and you can cycle through some “apps” that run on that little screen. A stopwatch – handy, Spin the Bottle – not so much:)

Day to Day – the Nothing Phone 3

This is a slick, clean Android phone. Feels great in the hand, the screen is crisp and clear, there’s nothing not to love about using it.

Like the exterior design of the Nothing Phone, the software too has a layer on it over Android that makes it unique. A black and white style, just feels fresh and that’s a good thing.

Different but not hard to use. Everything is still where it’s meant to be so you’re not lost using it.

Nothing is doing some fascinating thing with their side button used to keep moments and memories for later use, rather than just snapping screenshots, you log them as reminders as to why you did that. Problem is, it’s just a whole new thing and a new way of working so I never got into it – at all.

Battery life is excellent, well over a day so no issues in regular use at all.

Nothing hasn’t got the Ozempic memo so this is still a beefy unit, but not moreso than any other of the flagship devices out there.

Simple ideas are winners

I’m easily pleased, so the little red square on the back of the Nothing Phone 3 got me all chuffed when I realised it was a Tally Light. That means when you’re recording a video, it lights up and flashes – so you know it’s recording – perfect! And so simple.

Frank feelings on the Nothing Phone 3

It’s just not worth $1500+. It’s not really competing on camera or processor with Apple or Samsung, though no one using it will complain about how it goes – but benchmarked, it’s a tough call.

I’d flock to the Nothing Phone 3a if you’re looking for value, and if you’re on a budget and want something different – great news, get the CMF phone.

No matter which one you pick, you’ll find them at Optus and JB HiFi