The Nothing Phone 3 could debut in the second half of 2024. If you’re wondering what upgrades to expect, we’ve compared the Nothing Phone 3 vs Phone 2 right here.
Nothing phones have turned heads with their flashy designs and surprisingly good specs for the price. The brand’s first phone, the Nothing Phone 1, was a budget-friendly option with a decent Snapdragon 778G+ processor. But Nothing stepped it up with the Phone 2, giving it a smooth 120Hz OLED display and a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor.
The Phone 2 also got a big price hike when compared to the Phone 1 (from around $480 to $600) and was available in more places than before. It’s a good option for its price, but the Nothing Phone 3 will be even better.
Based on leaks and rumors, the Phone 3 could have a faster processor than the Phone 2. It also might come with a better screen and camera. Of course, we don’t know when it will be released, but based on current leaks and rumors, we can get a good idea of how the Phone 3 will stack up against the Phone 2.
Design & display
The design differences between Phone 3 and Phone 2 remain unclear. Nothing Phones have all debuted with similar designs. The major highlights are the LED “glyph” interface and the semi-transparent back on both the Phone 1 and Phone 2. However, the company introduced its most recent phone, the Phone 2a, with some drastic design changes. The vertical camera island has been replaced with a horizontal one and there are fewer LED lights.
The Phone 2a being a more budget-friendly phone might explain the design shift. Nothing could just be separating their phone tiers with different looks. The Phone 3 might stick with the Phone 2’s design, but with one change. The Nothing Phone 3 might debut with an extra button.
A May 21 X post from Carl Pei suggests the Nothing Phone 3 might debut with four buttons. The volume rockers and the power button are the same as the Phone 2, but there’s a new button below the power button. Its function is unclear. It could be an Action Button like the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max or a mute switch.
Sharing some Quick Settings redesign WIP, any feedback? 😁 pic.twitter.com/kZP1LRAwdB
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) May 21, 2024
Both the Phone 3 and Phone 2 are also likely to sport similar screens. The Phone 2 featured a 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 1600 nits peak brightness, and support for HDR10+. That’s a big jump from the first Nothing Phone’s 6.5-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits peak brightness.
While display tech hasn’t gotten a huge overhaul in smartphones lately (even top-of-the-line phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra use AMOLED panels), there are still key differences to consider, like resolution, refresh rate, and brightness. It’s possible Nothing Phone 3 could offer higher brightness and better resolution when it’s officially announced.
Specs
The Nothing Phone 3 will likely have upgraded hardware when compared to the older-gen Phone 2. While the existing model features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip under the hood, the Phone 3 could get the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3, according to current reports (via 91Mobiles).
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
If you’re not familiar with phone processors, here’s a little breakdown: the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was an improvement over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The 8 Gen 1 chip powered phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, but it had some overheating problems. To fix that, Qualcomm switched manufacturers for the 8+ Gen 1, going with a TSMC-made chip, instead of Samsung. The 8+ Gen 1 came out in mid-2022 with better performance and no more overheating issues.
Now, the upcoming Phone 3 might use a brand new chip called the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3. This chip is also built by TSMC using a 4nm process, and it’s faster than the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The name gives it away: the 8S Gen 3 may be a slightly less powerful version of the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which you’ll find in phones like the OnePlus 12 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 supports Wi-Fi 7, so you might see faster Wi-Fi on the Nothing Phone 3. Phone 2 has Wi-Fi 6 support. There’s no info about the storage and RAM for the Nothing Phone 3, however. Its predecessor has options for 8/12GB RAM and 128, 256, or 512GB of storage. Since the industry keeps pushing for more RAM, we might see a 16GB option on the Nothing Phone 3.
Cameras
The camera specifications of Phone 3 are anyone’s guess, so it’s hard to predict how it will stack up against the Phone 2. The latter uses a newer Sony IMX890 for its main sensor, with 50MP output, phase-detect autofocus, and optical image stabilization. We’d expect Nothing to switch to a better sensor for the Phone 3. However, it might stick to a two-camera setup on the rear.
Price
The Nothing Phone 2 starts at $600 in the US for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. However, rumors suggest that the Nothing Phone 3 might be more expensive.
The Nothing Phone 3 could cost between ₹40,000 and ₹45,000 in India, which is roughly $480 to $540. It’s worth noting that the base Nothing Phone 2 is priced at ₹36,999 ($444) in India. This difference hints at a possible price increase for the Phone 3 in the US and other markets.
Which phone to get
The Nothing Phone 3 could be a big upgrade compared to the Phone 2, so it’s very likely that the upcoming handset will be worth waiting for. We’d recommend waiting to get the upcoming Nothing Phone 3 if you’re coming from an older Android phone, but if you already have the Phone 2, we’d recommend sticking with it for another year.
A lot of information about the Phone 3 is still under wraps, and Nothing is good at preventing leaks. But, as soon as we hear more, we’ll be sure to update this page with the latest details.