Nothing Phone 3: Expected This Summer, But Not a Flagship Killer

The Nothing Phone 3's codename was already revealed recently, and AndroidHeadlines has spotted the phone in the database. This confirmed that the device is over the horizon. However, don't expect it to be a full-fledged flagship or a competitor to the Galaxy S24.

Nothing Phone 3 Could Stick to the Company's Main Idea In Terms of Hardware

If you take a closer look at the Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2, you will notice that none of them were competing against the flagships of their times. To be specific, the Phone 1 came with a Snapdragon 778G+, a mid-range SoC. The Phone 2 did bump up to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, but flagships had already moved to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 when it was released.

As for the Nothing Phone 2a, it, again, comes with a mid-range SoC, the Dimensity 7200 Pro. You may have already noticed that there's a pattern here. That is, one with a mid-range, next with a last-gen flagship SoC, and then again with a mid-range processor. With this, it's safe to say that the Phone 3 won't be launching with the current flagship SoC.

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But the thing is, the Nothing Phone lineup was never about offering the latest and the greatest hardware. Instead, Nothing holds firmly to the idea of offering an optimized experience. When the brand launched Phone 2, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 was as optimized as it could get. At the current stage, it seems that Phone 3 could feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a last-gen flagship. Even if that's the case, the phone will still be a decent mid-range option.

But There's A Chance That The Upcoming Phone Will Break the Pattern By A Little

While Nothing hasn't officially confirmed the specs, rumors suggest the Phone 3 might deviate from the pattern of using last-generation flagship processors. 91mobiles claims the device could be powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a toned-down version of the flagship 8 Gen 3 with lower clock speeds.

This focus on a mid-range chipset aligns with Nothing's previous strategy of offering optimized experiences rather than chasing the absolute top-of-the-line hardware. The 8s Gen 3 should still deliver strong performance, likely similar to last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while prioritizing efficiency - a potential benefit for battery life.

Reports also suggest Nothing might address a shortcoming in previous phones - fast charging. While details are unclear, rumors hint at an improvement over the 45W wired charging of Phone 2. Perhaps Nothing Phone 3 will boast faster charging speeds or even a larger battery capacity than the 4700mAh of Phone 2.

With a focus on efficiency and potentially faster charging, Nothing Phone 3 could solidify its position as a compelling mid-range option, especially if it maintains Nothing's reputation for competitive pricing.

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