Nothing Phone 3 complete renders just dropped and fans are in shock

26 Jun 2025, 18:46 by Chris Thomas · Android Police

The way Carl Pei, CEO, talks about the Nothing brand, it seemingly wants to combine Android's powerful interoperability and customization with trendy, lifestyle-forward products like Apple makes. It's an admirable goal, and one that demands a bold decision and a leap of faith here and there. Sometimes, after all, breaking new ground involves ruffling some feathers.

Today, after months of speculation and, more recently, celebration of a long-awaited US launch, the Nothing Phone 3's entire external design has been leaked to AndroidHeadlines. And if ruffled feathers are any indication, Nothing is about to take the smartphone world by storm. Because thousands of smartphone enthusiasts and style-focused gadget lovers have now checked out the leaked renders, and the consensus response is, "Huh?"

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The new build is about as far from the Nothing Phone 2 as you could imagine, while still retaining that techie, Nothing-esque look.

About a month ago, Nothing began teasing the Phone 3 design one small square at a time. It was an interesting strategy, and surely inspired at least a few casually interested consumers to check back later on the company's X/Twitter and Instagram accounts. Early this morning, Nothing dropped confirmation and an image of the 50MP periscope lens to mixed reactions, but also some patient holdouts waiting to see the entire design before judging. Shortly after, popular creator Ben Geskin shared a pieced-together composite of the as-yet-revealed portions.

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But just a few hours after that, a leak from AndroidHeadlines took the wind out of speculation's sails. AndroidHeadlines doesn't typically name its leak sources, which implies they could be notable industry insiders. While they don't always come with tons of context, AndroidHeadline leaks often prove spot-on after official releases are said and done. Plus, the Phone 3 renders look nearly identical to what Mr. Geskin put together based on official teasers; in other words, these renders do look legitimate.

We are not, by any means, saying this phone looks bad. Most fans aren't exactly saying that either, and my personal taste is so poor I could never judge appropriately (Disclaimer: I think it looks cool, but what do I know?). But there's no shortage of confused Nothing lovers out there, mostly wondering one thing: Why the heck is the camera so close to the edge of the phone?

Don't take my word for it. Here are just two well-known smartphone community members who have tipped Android Police (and many others) off in the past to new developments. Their expert opinions appear to hold that the overall language, and especially the upper lens placement, are questionable at best.

"Abomination" might be a tad strong, but Noah Cat is often pretty reserved, so this is clearly not a nothingburger. Similar wide-eyed reactions of interested followers (including more experts) worldwide have rippled through the enthusiast community even in the few short hours the renders have been making the rounds. And not only do they certainly look real, this phone launches in a week. The bold, arguably brash design choices will certainly continue to spark conversation among lovers of stylish, niche electronics until and after then — and those are some of the pickiest, most demanding consumers in the industry.

Whatever you think of its looks, the Nothing Phone 3 is shaping up to be a legitimate alternative to the relatively few flagships that have gained significant footing in the North American market. Its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 should perform on basically the same level as the Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9 Pro, it'll apparently come with up to 16GB of RAM, and the battery and charging are poised to top most US competitors.

Now, if only the back didn't look a bit ridiculous.

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