Nothing Phone 3 vs Phone 2: What upgrades to expect
NothingNothing Phone 2
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
NothingThe 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.
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
NothingThe 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).
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.