Combat me! $799 is a good value for the Nothing Telephone 3

I don’t like spending cash any greater than anybody else, and I want top-tier smartphones didn’t price a small fortune. That’s why the Nothing Telephone 3 caught my consideration — it breaks from the model’s finances previous with a value that places it proper alongside flagship heavyweights. Nevertheless, flagship competitors means compelling alternate options to think about and loads of arguments to be made about whether or not the Telephone 3 actually delivers the worth that Nothing is thought for.

At $799, it’s removed from low cost, placing it proper up in opposition to heavyweights just like the Pixel 9, iPhone 16, and Galaxy S25. Nonetheless, I’d argue Nothing has really priced the telephone precisely proper.

Should you adopted the telephone’s launch, you’ll know the Nothing Telephone 3’s alternative of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 processor over the costlier 8 Elite mannequin seen in different flagships has been a little bit of a sticking level. We benchmarked the 8S in a rival telephone and located it’s only a smidgen behind final yr’s top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; it’s not cutting-edge however is lots highly effective for day by day wants, average gaming, and no matter else.

At $799, last-gen efficiency (or near it) is greater than serviceable — the truth is, it’s more and more the norm. Google’s Pixel line has by no means topped the charts, but the Pixel 9 (and the far costlier Professional XL) nonetheless maintain their very own. Likewise, the $649 Galaxy S25 FE makes use of a tweaked model of 2024’s Exynos 2400. Even the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus ship with slower variations of Apple’s flagship silicon. The reason being easy sufficient: older chips nonetheless carry out brilliantly.

Certain, you should purchase a telephone with the 8 Elite for $799 — the Galaxy S25 is correct there, and there are much more selections if you happen to’re prepared to buy exterior the large US manufacturers. However exterior of hardcore gaming, I’d argue that few individuals will discover the distinction day-to-day.

Extra importantly, the Nothing Telephone 3 scores loads of wins in areas that matter much more: battery capability, charging speeds, a triple digital camera setup, and beneficiant base storage for all of your media. Beginning at 256GB is a transfer different manufacturers ought to’ve made years in the past, however they refuse simply to avoid wasting a couple of bucks.

There’s strong parity with these rivals in different areas, too, together with an IP68 score, Gorilla Glass safety, and a slick aluminum chassis. The optical fingerprint scanner gained’t be the very best round, and the show can’t go as little as 1Hz, however these are minor trade-offs. Our hands-on with the Nothing Telephone 3 additionally revealed loads of intelligent touches and design selections that assist it stand out.

I’m nonetheless on the fence in regards to the new Glyph Matrix system, and I’ll have to attend and see if the digital camera array actually competes. Nonetheless, Nothing OS 3.5 is polished and streamlined, and with 5 years of OS updates plus seven years of safety patches, you’ll be able to maintain this telephone simply so long as any competitor.

May Nothing have priced the Telephone 3 at $699 as a substitute? Maybe — however that will imply extra compromises, pushing it farther from the flagship promote it’s aiming for.

Would you be comfortable to lose Gorilla Glass safety, skip IP68 certification, drop the telephoto digital camera, shave off some assist years, or accept a mid-range chip simply to avoid wasting a bit? If that’s the case, you may as nicely already seize the very inexpensive Telephone 3a Professional.

My level is that this: $799 may not be an outright discount, however it’s aggressive on the very least, and could possibly be nice worth if you happen to prioritize the specs that Nothing has targeted on.

If undercutting the large gamers sounds acquainted, that’s as a result of Carl Pei has been right here earlier than, again in his OnePlus days. Nothing’s first flagship is actually in-built the identical spirit as these golden years — turning heads with daring design selections whereas pulling few punches on the basics.

Sarcastically, if there’s one telephone that stops the Nothing Telephone 3 from working away with the US worth crown it’s the OnePlus 13. Sure, it’s $899, however that further money buys some critical upgrades.

Is $100 further price leaping to a Snapdragon 8 Elite, bigger and superior digital camera sensors, an excellent larger 6,000mAh battery, and a extra refined, mainstream design? Properly, in my view, it completely is; the OnePlus 13 is the very best telephone from the model in years and arguably the very best smartphone you should purchase with out spending a grand.

After all, the battle is way more durable exterior the US, with Xiaomi, vivo, and others throwing much more {hardware} on the wall for related and even cheaper costs than Apple, Google, and Samsung. International patrons have a tougher job deciding whether or not Nothing’s further options justify the associated fee, and I feel that’ll boil down as to whether you purchase into the novelty.

Nonetheless, simply because the OnePlus 13 edges it out on pure specs doesn’t imply the Nothing Telephone 3 lacks advantage or is overpriced. Not not like Google’s Pixel collection and its software-first method, the Telephone 3 is priced pretty for what it provides — even when that provide is a bit more unconventional.

As we’ve lined, it has the {hardware} to face toe-to-toe with the large three whereas offering extra storage proper out of the field and a much bigger battery. A comparable 256GB Galaxy S25 runs $860, which seems steep by comparability. Throw within the Glyph, Important Key, and OS touches, and you’ve got a novel expertise that doesn’t look overpriced to me.

If it ever drops to $699 or equal regional pricing, the Nothing Telephone 3 might be an absolute steal. However that doesn’t imply you need to sleep on it at $799.