The Nothing Phone (3) has made a bold entry into the flagship market in Australia, and it'd be completely accurate to say that the new handset is (if you'll excuse the pun) holding nothing back.
While its last few phones have been aimed squarely at the budget-conscious, the Nothing Phone (3) boasts impressive specs that signal its ambition: it’s got a triple 50MP camera system on its rear and another 50MP camera for selfies, an advanced "Glyph Matrix" interface, and an elegant, symmetrical design.
The Nothing Phone (3) also features Google Gemini, enabling you to get answers, brainstorm ideas, and execute tasks instantly from any screen with a simple button press.
But that's just the start of what makes the Nothing Phone (3) special. Here's why you should sit up and pay attention to Nothing's first true flagship smartphone.
A design aesthetic that's as futuristic as it is playful
In a market saturated with minimalist slabs which keep edging towards indistinguishability, the Nothing Phone (3) continues to be an exercise in what Nothing CEO Carl Pei has dubbed "technical warmth" — a design that is as much a conversation starter as it is a piece of hardware.
The Nothing Phone (3) maintains its distinct, futuristic identity with a semi-transparent back panel. This design offers an industrial, deliberate view of the internal components and screws, now organised in an asymmetrical, three-column grid. The device's most distinguishing element is the new Glyph Matrix display, which serves as a more playful foundation for the Phone (3)'s unique "off-kilter" aesthetic, as our review describes it.
Enter the Glyph Matrix
Nothing's classic Glyph interface has significantly evolved in this new flagship, with the Glyph Matrix getting a completely fresh design. Rather than covering the entire back panel with lights, the Glyph Matrix features a small, circular, interactive dot-matrix display on the back, illuminated by 489 micro-LEDs. This isn't just for notifications anymore — it functions as a mini secondary screen for a new feature set called Glyph Toys.
These ‘Toys’ are a collection of fun utilities and games, and you navigate them all using a new, small, touch-capacitive "Glyph button" on the back. This really opens up what the back of the phone can do!
When it comes to utilities, Glyph Toys offer handy features like a battery indicator, a stopwatch, and even a solar clock for quick, glanceable info. But the real fun kicks in with games — relive your teenage days with a playful round of Spin the Bottle, where the Glyph Matrix shows a spinning bottle animation that stops at random. Alternatively, switch it up with Rock Paper Scissors, or transform the Glyph Matrix into your own Magic 8 Ball.
In our Nothing Phone (3) review, we described the Glyph Matrix as both fun and practical, stating it was an improvement on previous implementations of the Glyph interface, which "can display much more than the lights ever could".
50MP cameras across the board
Nothing has addressed camera criticism head-on with the Phone (3), delivering the most significant hardware upgrade in this area yet. The new flagship features an ambitious and uniform triple-camera setup, where 50MP sensors power the main and ultra-wide cameras, and the new, highly demanded 3x telephoto lens.
The versatility of the system is notably improved, especially with the telephoto lens introducing a surprisingly effective macro mode. Furthermore, even the front-facing selfie camera has been boosted to a 50MP sensor, providing a major increase in detail across all photos.
While our review notes that the Nothing Phone (3)'s camera system still offers room for improvement, there's no doubt that this is Nothing's best camera yet.
Essential Intelligence at the press of a key
Originally debuting with the Nothing Phone (3a), the Essential Key and Essential Space make a comeback in the Nothing Phone (3) with a more advanced take on Essential Intelligence.
The Essential Key remains a physical button that quickly snaps screenshots or records voice memos, sending them straight to the Essential Space hub — an AI-powered tool that can summarise notes, transcribe memos, and highlight actionable items. This is further enhanced by Essential Search, a natural-language search feature that helps you find files, photos, and information on your device without relying on exact keywords.
This system runs on Nothing OS 4 (NOS 4), which deftly weaves Nothing Phone (3)'s AI features into the user experience. One of its more unique features involves AI Generated Widgets, known as Essential Apps, letting users create personalised widgets from simple text prompts and share them in a community hub called Playground.
It also includes Essential Notification, a smart filter for the Glyph Interface that lets you mark certain alerts as Essential, keeping a light on until you deal with that one important notification.
Nothing Phone (3) with Google Gemini
You can also engage with Gemini in real-time conversations to refine ideas, simplify complex topics and practice for key events. Gemini adapts to your personal way of talking, allowing you to easily adjust your thoughts mid-sentence, pose subsequent questions and manage multiple tasks.
Beyond conversation, Gemini can access information and help you execute tasks across various applications and services — all from a single request. It can also transform your ideas into stunning images from a single prompt. A quick press from any screen instantly brings up Gemini, ready to assist you with finding answers, brainstorming and taking action.
Check responses. Setup required. Compatibility and availability varies. 18+. Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC.
Nothing Phone (3): pricing and availability
The Nothing Phone (3) is priced from AU$1,509 and is available to purchase in Black or White colour options, either directly through Nothing Australia's online store or from JB Hi-Fi.
