Nothing Phone 3: Estimated price, rumored specs & more

The Nothing Phone 3 might debut in mid-2024, but what upgrades will it bring in tow? Here’s everything we know about the upcoming smartphone.

Nothing launched its first smartphone, Phone 1, back in 2022 with a design like no other. The flashy phone featured a semi-transparent back with LED lights on it. While the Phone 1 never made it to the US, its successor, Phone 2, did.

The latest smartphone from the budding startup retains the original design but brings a powerful chipset and a better display. Nothing also made changes to Phone 2’s cameras and battery.

The Nothing Phone 2 was arguably one of the most interesting phones of 2023. We also have high expectations from the upcoming Phone 3. While details of the upcoming phone are limited, it is expected to launch in the first half of 2024.

Below, we have rounded up everything rumored, leaked, or known about the Nothing Phone 3, including specs, price, and release rumors.

Nothing Phone 3: Price speculation

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Nothing Phone 3’s price is still anyone’s guess at the moment. Phone 2 starts at $600 in the US while the Phone 1, which never launched in the States, costs £400 (around $500). This suggests that the upcoming phone might see a price bump. But it’s still too early to know for sure.

Nothing Phone 3: Release window rumors

Both Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2 were released in July, hinting that Phone 3 might make its debut in July 2024. However, there’s no official information yet.

It’s expected that Nothing will unveil details about the smartphone during the CES event in the coming January. The company is likely to formally announce the existence of Phone 3, similar to how it did with Phone 2.

Rumors of a budget-friendly Nothing Phone 2a are also making rounds, suggesting it might debut before the Phone 3.

Design & display

Nothing

Nothing phones have debuted with a consistent design so far and we don’t expect the company to make any significant aesthetic changes on the Phone 3. After all, Nothing has made an identity out of the semi-transparent LED-infused design.

The existing Nothing smartphones stand out from other Android devices with its glass back that reveals the internal design. The LED interface, which Nothing calls a Glyph Interface, is wired to light up during calls and notifications. It can be customized to serve various other functions, such as functioning as a flashlight or displaying the volume level.

The Glyph Interface also acts as a visual progress bar for apps that suit the need. For instance, Uber has an integration that can light the LED lights up to indicate how far your ride is. Nothing might collaborate with developers to expand this functionality to more apps.

Nothing made serious improvements in the display with the Phone 2, and it might do the same with the Phone 3. The current model packs a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 1600 nits, and support for HDR10+.

Phone 3 might bring a brighter display, however, we expect the refresh rate and underlying display tech to remain the same.

Camera

Cameras appear to be the focus of most smartphones nowadays, but Nothing doesn’t seem to be bothered by the industry trends. Both Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2 stick to a two-camera setup, but there are some differences. Phone 2 packs a newer Sony IMX890 for its main sensor, with 50MP output, phase-detect autofocus, and optical image stabilization.

The upcoming Phone 3 might also retain a dual camera setup on the rear. However, we hope Nothing uses a better sensor to improve the low-light camera performance. The existing two phones have struggled to click decent pictures at nighttime.

Rumored specifications

Nothing phones don’t exactly pack the latest and greatest hardware specs. The company uses mid-range processors in its phones to keep the price in check. This year’s Nothing Phone 2 featured Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, which was announced in mid-2022.

Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was an unexpected release from Qualcomm. The SoC was meant to remedy the heating and performance issues of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It powered most flagships in 2022 but was soon abandoned as Qualcomm launched Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Nothing Phone 3 isn’t likely to be powered by this year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, meaning you might see the older 8 Gen 2 on the smartphone. This is just an assumption as Nothing works in mysterious ways.

Nothing Phone 2 also brought more RAM and onboard storage than its predecessor, suggesting the Phone 3 might do the same.

The upcoming phone is likely to run Android 14 out of the box with Nothing OS skin on top. The existing models both receive 3 years of major Android updates but we hope Nothing will up the ante with the Phone 3.

Nothing Phone 3 could be worth waiting for

Following the footsteps of the Phone 2, Nothing Phone 3 could become a solid option in the mid-range segment. The smartphone is expected to compete with the upcoming Pixel 8a and Galaxy A55. However, we have yet to learn more concrete details about it.