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2024 will be a defining year for Nothing, the tech company founded by Carl Pei and Casey Neistat. The Nothing Phone (2) was a welcome upgrade to the Nothing Phone (1), but mostly in terms of software. Now we are ready to see some tangible hardware developments from the Nothing Phone (3).
Most pressingly, we want to see an upgraded camera, faster processor and more dynamic screen. But will the Nothing Phone (3) give us any of these things? Let’s take a look at the rumours and facts we have so far.
Nothing Phone (3) Release Date
There is no official release date at the time of writing, and there probably won’t be one confirmed for a few months yet. But we can guess about a potential release date from previous Nothing Phone launches.
The Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2) were both released in July in their respective years. That means we can reasonably expect the Nothing Phone 3 to make its debut in July 2024.
However, it’s worth noting that rumours are floating around about Nothing working on a new budget-friendly phone; the Nothing Phone 2a. It’s unlikely that this would impact the release of the Nothing Phone (3). In fact, it makes more sense that the two will be released alongside each other.
The upcoming CES 2024 event in January is where many non-Apple companies make major announcements. So it’s likely that Nothing will offer us some more information then.
What design features will the Nothing Phone (3) have?
Most of us are familiar with Nothing’s unique smartphone design by now. The Glyph Interface, aka the flashy LED lights on the back of the phone, is the Nothing Phone’s main selling point. Therefore, the Nothing Phone (3) will almost certainly continue this trend.
Beyond that, there isn’t much we can confidently speculate on. However, improved camera sensors would be a sensible and logical move. Most obviously would be the addition of a telephoto lens which the Nothing Phone (2) lacks.
That being said the 12.5-megapixel ultrawide camera already takes excellent photos and competes well with competitors like the Samsung S23‘s 12-megapixel ultrawide.
A further area for improvement would be the screen glass quality. The Samsung S23 for example comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 3, whereas the Nothing Phone (2) has standard Corning Gorilla Glass. Not that this is a pressing issue, but considering the see-through back glass is key to the Glyph Interface, having the best protection possible would be nice.
What technical specifications will the Nothing Phone (3) have?
This is the main area the Nothing Phone (2) disappointed. Rather than coming with a top-of-the-range Snapdragon processing chip, it launched with the Snapdragon Gen 8+ 1. Whilst this isn’t too bad, it is well beneath competitors which mostly used the Snapdragon Gen 8 2, or the Snapdragon Gen 8 3 as seen in the S24.
As such, the Nothing Phone (3) will probably feature the Snapdragon Gen 8 2, or if they really want to push the boat out, the Gen 8 3. There is a very exciting 3-nanometer Snapdragon Gen 8 4 in the works for 2024. But it is doubtful the Nothing Phone (3) will feature this chip as it will push the price way up, beyond the £200 increase we saw between the Phone (1) and Phone (2).
What software will the Nothing Phone (3) have?
The Nothing Phone (2) can thank the debut of Nothing OS for the majority of its good publicity. It wasn’t particularly excellent or revolutionary, but it did offer some unique features that Nothing had obviously put some thought into.
As such, the Nothing Phone (3) will probably feature an updated version of Nothing OS which Nothing hopes will attract more developers towards Glyph Interface integration. Currently, there are only a limited number of apps that even make use of the LED light system which hampers the Nothing Phone’s usefulness.
Nothing has committed to providing three years of major Android updates and security patches on its phones. This is nice but not as impressive as Google’s promise of seven years of updates with its Pixel 8 range.
Nothing Phone (3) Price
Nothing has positioned itself as a brand that delivers high-quality smartphones at an affordable price point. This remains true, but there are signs the lure of higher profits is winning out. The Nothing Phone (2) was priced at £629/$599, a near £200/$200 increase over the Nothing Phone (1).
The main problem with this price hike was that the Nothing Phone (2) didn’t feel much different to use apart from the addition of Nothing OS. Nice to have but not game-changing. So, why did Nothing increase the price so much? The cynics would say ‘because they could’, a viewpoint which is hard to disagree with.
Even a £100/$100 increase for the Nothing Phone (3) would mean it sits level in price with the likes of the Samsung S24 and Google Pixel 8, therefore losing a lot of its appeal. As soon as the price begins to match competitors, the value for money begins to face some serious questions.
Would I rather have a Samsung S24 or a Nothing Phone (3) if they are priced the same? The answer is very easy; a flagship Samsung is a better phone at the moment.
Here’s hoping the Nothing Phone (3) stays at £579/$599.
Wrapping Up
The Nothing Phone (3) is undeniably a high-stakes release for Nothing. They’ve had a grace period of a few years after finding tier feet in the market. But if they want to start charging more for their phones, they need to back it up with genuine, impactful developments in both hardware and software.
The Nothing Phone (2) is good, very good in fact, but there is so much more it could offer. Now is the time for Nothing to capitalise on a successful start and double down on what makes it different.
Are you excited for the next Nothing phone? Let me know below!
