After more than one month of heavy use, I've been using and tinkering with it for countless hours. Nothing Phone (3) as my personal phone. It's been a journey full of surprises, some very pleasant and others not so much. With the launch of this phone, Nothing sought to consolidate its position in the high-end market and further differentiate itself from the competition. For a user like me, who has closely followed the brand's evolution since its beginnings, the Nothing Phone (3) It represents a significant leap, but also a mix of light and shadow.
This article is not a simple summary of specifications, but a second personal and detailed analysis (Here you can read the first one after a week of use) about what it really means to live with this device on a daily basis. I've used the phone for everything: work, leisure, photography, social media, and, of course, to take full advantage of all the new features they promised us. From the much-hyped Glyph Matrix From examining all the lenses in the camera module, I've had plenty of time to clarify all my ideas and form a solid opinion.
A rear screen full of options with a half-baked implementation
When Nothing presented the Glyph Matrix, I was thrilled. The idea of having one Interactive screen on the back with endless possibilities I thought it was brilliant. However, after a month, my disappointment is palpable. I feel like the show has been canceled. beta state. Although the potential is enormous, as the community is demonstrating, Nothing's current work has been minimal and its features limited. I hope that with the release of Nothing OS 4.0 capitalize on their greatest appeal.
A clear example are the essential notifications. These are supposed to be one of the main advantages, but they often fail. If you receive multiple WhatsApp group messages, essential notifications are incorrectly merged, and the Matrix screen stops notifying, losing its primary function. As of today, they still haven't fixed this issue.
On the other hand, The generative tones keep failing After three updates, despite having two styles to choose from, they don't reflect the change in incoming calls, making the feature inconsistent. Not to mention that some of the ringtones are truly ugly; I think they should address this issue so they always look more appealing and attractive. Sometimes they're just plain lines with no visual appeal whatsoever.
I'm surprised that it's the community itself that's creating the Glyph Toys, Features that should have been developed by the brand itself from the beginning. Things as basic as a media player Since devices with glyphs already had them, they should be integrated from launch. Virtually all the functions of the Glyph Matrix (except calls and notifications) They feel like separate utilities from the phone., Not as a natural extension of the operating system. I hope that future updates will integrate more features that run in Nothing OS (on your front screen) and are "mirrored" on the rear screen when you lock and rotate the phone.
The lights and shadows of an ambitious photographic section
The camera on the Nothing Phone (3) gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand, there are aspects I love, but on the other, there are significant problems that need an urgent solution.
Let's start with the good news. The function of The presets are absolutely amazing. When they work correctly, they allow you to achieve near-studio results without the need for post-production. It's one of the features I use and appreciate the most. Furthermore, the mode macro It's spectacular in good light, allowing you to capture details with impressive sharpness.
Another success, in my opinion, is the choice of the 3x telephoto lens. While other phones opt for a 5x zoom that often limits composition, the 3x zoom of the Nothing Phone (3) has given me a lot of flexibility and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking photos with it.
However, there are serious problems. The camera software is very unstable, especially when using custom presets. Often, the preset cover photos disappear, the app loses fluidity, and in the worst cases, it freezes/crashes, and the only solution to get it working at full performance again is restart phone. It's a frustrating inconsistency in a feature that, in theory, should be one of its greatest strengths.
Regarding image quality, there are also things that need improvement. Animal detection, in my case with my dog, is... noticeably worse than in the Nothing Phone (2). I had to repeat the same photo several times to achieve a good bokeh effect, something I could achieve on the first try with the previous model.
Furthermore, I've noticed processing issues with "complex" algorithms. In a photo of my daughter with the sea in the background, the phone blurred part of her face and pixelated the waves. A strange glitch that ruined a beautiful photo. color inconsistency The difference in color between the different sensors is another negative point. The main camera tends to have a warm tone, while the telephoto lens is cooler, creating a difference in tones that shouldn't exist in a high-end phone.
Despite all this, there is one sensor that has pleasantly surprised me: the selfie camera. It is, by far, the most balanced and best-performing of the bunch. It captures details with precision and handles backlighting exceptionally well, far surpassing the other one. Nothing Phone (2). I wish the other sensors had processing as magical as the front camera's.
The details that make the difference
Despite the problems, there are many aspects that have made me enjoy this phone. The construction is impeccable.. The Nothing Phone (3) feels premium in the hand, with attention to detail in every corner and in the quality of the rear screen. It's clear that it was made with great care.
One huge advantage that I can't fail to mention is Nothing OS. The customization layer remains the crown jewel It's from the brand. It works incredibly smoothly. It's true that I don't notice a huge improvement over the Nothing Phone (2), which was already excellent, but the fact that it maintains that level of optimization on any device (whether more or less powerful) is a big plus for Nothing.
Essential Space and other features I love
He Essential Space It has become an indispensable tool in my daily life. I use it for reminders and notes, And it works brilliantly. I no longer have to unlock my phone to take notes; I simply press and hold the button and dictate what I need. It works reliably and always alerts me on time.
However, my mind craves more. I wish it were smarter, capable of adding information to topics I've already discussed. It would be great if it could add new points about an idea in an article I'm writing or automatically group notes into collections. If I take a screenshot of a book, I'd love for it to automatically add it to my "books" collection.
Furthermore, the new app drawer It's very useful. It not only displays your apps, but also lets you search settings, contacts, and widgets, all in one place. Although the interface could be visually organized a bit better, functionality is excellent and I use it a lot.
The quality and power of the speakers It's remarkable. Whether watching series or making calls, the sound is powerful, clear, and full-bodied. And in terms of video, I've noticed a significant improvement in image stability and recorded audio quality compared to the Nothing Phone (2).
In my experience, both the Both Wi-Fi and mobile data browsing have been perfect, without fail. And as for Android Auto, It has worked wonderfully both over Wi-Fi and wired. The few times it has failed, it has been due to the car, not the phone.
Finally, as a negative point, I've noticed that the phone It gets quite hot when using the ARC case, The one that leaves the body exposed. With temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius that we're reaching these days, we can understand it, but it can be somewhat uncomfortable to wear, although it's important to point out that the I've never seen performance affected.. I have edited videos for TikTok smoothly and without any problems.
Conclusions
The Nothing Phone (3) is a phone of contrasts. On the one hand, it has a fantastic design and build quality, an incredible selfie camera, and a very useful personal assistant, Essential Space. Its presets, when they work, are a delight. But on the other hand, the Glyph Matrix feels incomplete, The camera software is unstable and there are noticeable inconsistencies in the photo processing.
Nothing has taken important steps in the right direction, but they still have work to do. This phone has a enormous potential, But it needs the brand to provide the software support it deserves to become, in every aspect and feature, a true benchmark in the market. I'm sure that, with future updates, Many of these problems will be solved, making the Nothing Phone (3) a much more well-rounded and complete phone.
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