The Nothing Phone (3) launch makes the Pixel 10 more exciting

Yesterday’s launch of the Nothing Phone (3) was supposed to shake up the premium smartphone market. After all the hype and anticipation, I found myself surprisingly underwhelmed by what Carl Pei’s company delivered. Don’t get me wrong — the Phone (3) has some solid specs and that signature transparent design. But seeing it in action has actually made me more excited about what Google might bring with the Pixel 10 later this year.

The Phone (3) goes on sale for a starting price of $799, and the Pixel 10 is also expected to be on sale for the same price, making this a direct head-to-head battle in the premium segment. The question is: which one offers better value for your money?

Let me start with what bothered me most about the Nothing Phone (3). The company decided to go with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite. I was genuinely shocked when I saw this decision. For a phone launching in July 2025 at $799, using a mid-tier chipset feels like a major compromise. The criticism from tech enthusiasts has been swift and harsh. Many are questioning why Nothing would handicap their flagship with a processor that’s clearly a step below what other premium phones offer.

Just for reference, in my neck of the woods, which is India, phones priced as low as $373 offer the 8s Gen 4 — such as the iQOO Neo 10. This makes the Pixel 10’s rumored Tensor G5 chip suddenly look much more appealing. Built on a cutting-edge 3nm process by TSMC (moving away from Samsung), this chip should deliver significant performance and efficiency gains.

Nothing claims the Phone (3)’s OLED display will go as high as 4,500 nits, while the Pixel 10 is expected to reach 3,000 nits. However, I’m skeptical about real-world performance since brands often make big brightness claims but the screen never comes close to that mark in reality. That said, The Pixel 10’s brighter display should make outdoor usage significantly better than its predecessor. Having struggled sometimes with the Pixel 8’s screen in direct sunlight, this upgrade feels essential for anyone who spends time outdoors with their phone.

Here’s where things get interesting with battery life. The Nothing Phone (3) packs a massive 5,500mAh battery (in the India model), while the Pixel 10 is rumored to have a more modest 4,970mAh cell. On paper, Nothing wins this round easily. But I’m not convinced bigger always means better. The Pixel 10’s combination of the efficient 3nm Tensor G5 and Google’s software optimization could deliver superior battery life despite the smaller capacity.

The camera situation is where both phones made decisions that left me scratching my head. The Nothing Phone (3) uses camera sensors that are frankly ancient by smartphone standards. The main 50MP sensor is from January 2023, while the ultrawide uses a Samsung sensor from June 2021. That’s nearly four years old for a sensor in a 2025 “flagship” phone.

Google’s approach with the Pixel 10 is equally puzzling but for different reasons. Rumors suggest they’re actually downgrading the main camera from 50MP to 48MP and the ultrawide from 48MP to just 12MP. However, Google is reportedly adding a telephoto lens to the base Pixel 10 for the first time. This 10.8MP sensor with 5x optical zoom could be a game-changer for photography enthusiasts. While Nothing offers 3x optical zoom, Google’s longer reach and superior computational photography should deliver better results.

Then comes the design. Look, I know design is very subjective, but reactions on X suggest that a majority of people absolutely hate it. While I wouldn’t use a strong word like “hate” to describe my feelings for the design, let’s just say that I would prefer the Pixel 10’s design any day of the week. Plus, that Glyph Matrix display is another gimmick — yes, I said it! I even posted about it on X.

For reference, here’s a quick demo of the Glyph Matrix display:

So I struggle to find compelling reasons to choose it over what the Pixel 10 promises to offer. The Nothing Phone (3) feels like a phone that’s trying too hard to be different without being better. Even Mrwhosetheboss shared somewhat of a similar opinion in his video of the phone.

I’m sure the Pixel 10 won’t be perfect, but it would be an excellent choice for people looking to upgrade from older phones, especially since the Nothing Phone (3) doesn’t seem to have any major advantages over it. I initially expected that Nothing might undercut the Pixel, making it an easy recommendation, but it seems Carl Pei is a little too overconfident with the phone. 

Sometimes the best way to appreciate what’s coming is to see what the competition delivers. The Nothing Phone (3) has done exactly that for the Pixel 10.