A slick design
The Nothing Phone 3 employs a slick design with a Glyph Matrix screen on the back that helps you eliminate distractions. But it’s more than that with impressive specs for an affordable price.
Pros
- Funky, stand out design
- Useful back Glyph Matrix screen
- Bigger, higher-resolution main screen
- Bigger battery with faster charging
- Option for more storage, RAM
Cons
- Some may not like the bigger screen
- Design isn’t for everyone
- One fewer year of Android updates
Old faithful
The Google Pixel 9 remains one of the best affordable Android phones you can buy with tons of AI goodies through Google Gemini integration, impressive specs, and a classic but appreciated design.
Pros
- Tried, tested, and true to run reliably
- Tons of Google Gemini AI goodies baked in
- Useful photo editing and capture features
- One extra year of OS and security updates
Cons
- Front camera isn’t as high-res
- Screen isn’t as high-res with lesser peak brightness
- Smaller battery, slow to recharge
- Taps out at 256GB storage
When it comes to affordable premium Android phones, there are a handful of brands that come to mind. However, one that has been rising up the ranks lately is Nothing. The British company founded by Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus, makes products that are distinctive in design and that are finding their way to the North American market. In fact, the Phone 3 is one of two Nothing devices to be officially available and on sale in the U.S. from the brand, with guaranteed compatibility with all U.S. networks.
So, if you’re looking for a solid Android phone that won’t break the bank, you might be considering the new Nothing Phone 3 or even last year’s Google Pixel 9. Both are great choices, but they are night and day in some ways. This Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9 comparison will help you decide.
Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9: Looks and basics
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When it comes to looks, there’s no doubt that the Nothing Phone 3, as with Nothing’s other products, stands out. It employs the company’s signature translucent design. However, it has a new iteration of the Glyph interface called Glyph Matrix, which features a micro LED screen on the back instead of a series of LEDs arranged across the back. This is an actual functional screen that can subtly show details like battery life, stopwatch, mirror, digital clock, solar clock, and even Bespoke games.
Like the traditional glyph interface found in other Nothing phones, it also offers progress indicators and contact notifications to help minimize distractions. With an SDK published for the Glyph Matrix, you might see other games made available from third-party companies that can leverage this back screen in the future.
The phone comes in white or black with Nothing’s signature transparent-like design and a 6.67-inch flexible AMOLED screen that boasts 1,260 x 2,800 pixel resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and up to 4,500 nits peak brightness for viewability even in direct sunlight. Covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, it also comes with a pre-applied screen protector, a nice and appreciated touch.
Available with either 256GB or 512GB storage, the phone meets IP68 certification for water and dust resistance and comes with a pair of HD mics, stereo speakers, and a fingerprint sensor.
The 5,150mAh battery (5,500mAh in India only) lasts all day and supports 65W fast wired charging as well as 15W wireless charging. It also supports 5W reverse wireless charging and 7.5W reverse wired charging, so you can use it to boost the battery of other compatible devices.
Nothing provides a decent five years of Android updates with the Nothing Phone 3 and an impressive seven years of security updates. So, you can rest assured that this phone will be supported for a very long time to come.
There’s nothing quite as standout with the Google Pixel 9 when it comes to looks, though it is an attractive device with rounded corners and a polished back with a satin metal frame that Android Central’s Derrek Lee says in his Pixel 9 review is “surprisingly comfortable to hold.” It comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony.
The Google Pixel 9 has a smaller 6.3-inch screen that boasts a slightly lower resolution at 2,424 x 1,080. The refresh rate is similarly adaptive, ranging from 60 to 120Hz, but it doesn’t reach as high a brightness, peaking at 2,700 nits. The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, so it’s ultra-durable, especially combined with the IP68 rating and fingerprint-resistant coating.
Get the Google Pixel 9 with only up to 256GB storage (there’s a 128GB variant as well), so if you need more, you’ll have to rely on cloud storage. The battery is smaller, too, at 4,700mAh. However, you can extend battery life by using the Extreme Battery Saver mode, which can keep it running for up to four days.
It supports fast charging and wireless charging, as well as Google’s version of reverse charging called Battery Share. While Lee found the phone lasts through an entire workday and then some, he calls the 27W wired charging “unbearably slow.”
Google is one of the leaders when it comes to extended smartphone support: you’ll get seven years of OS and security updates, so this phone isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9: The specs
Let’s look at the specs of these two phones in a side-by-side comparison.
| Category | Nothing Phone 3 | Google Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Nothing OS 3.5 (Android 15) | Android 14 (upgradable to Android 16) |
| Colors | White, Black | Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony |
| Screen Size | 6.67 inches | 6.3 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 2,800 x 1,260 | 2,424 x 1,080 |
| Screen Type | AMOLED | Actua OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60-120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8.5 Gen 4 | Google Tensor G4 |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB (not expandable) | 128GB, 256GB (not expandable) |
| Cameras | 50MP main, 50MP periscope, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP front | 50MP Octa PD wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 10.5MP front |
| Speakers | Stereo Speakers | Stereo Speakers |
| Battery | 5,150mAh | 4,700mAh |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.3 |
| Cellular | 5G | 5G |
| Size | 6.32 x 2.97 x 0.35 inches | 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 218 grams | 198 grams |
Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9: Features, functions, and performance
Looks are well and good, but how do the two phones perform?
The Nothing Phone 3 comes with the Nothing OS 3.5, which is powered by Android 15 and will be updatable later this year to Android 16 and Nothing OS 4.0. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor with an AI engine and boasts 12GB RAM with the 128GB version and 16GB RAM with the larger 256GB option. Either way, the phone should be able to meet your needs for multitasking, mobile gaming, and more.
A neat feature is called Essential Space, which organizes and catalogs everything in your phone, then provides personalized suggestions, summaries, or action points. This feature leverages the power of AI, and all your data is securely sent to the cloud for processing with full encryption. A real-time AI status bar is noted to be coming soon as well.
Since it’s nearly a year old, the Google Pixel 9 launched with Android 14, but Google has since updated its phone to Android 16, thanks to its new update schedule, and will keep it going for six years beyond that. It comes with a Google Tensor 4 processor and taps out at 12GB RAM. Lee finds that it can handle juggling a lot of apps without ever getting warm, even while gaming.
Core to Google is the AI experience, and this phone is no exception. You get access to Google Gemini, which can assist with everything from editing photos to composing messages and researching information. You get pretty tight security, too, thanks to Google VPN, as well as safety features like satellite SOS, emergency SOS, and car crash detection.
Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9: How good are the cameras?
Taking photos is one of the things we love to do with our phones, so knowing how these two phones perform as cameras is important.
The Nothing Phone 3 has a 50MP primary camera, a 50MP periscope camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a massive 50MP front camera so you can take beautiful selfies. The primary sensor includes optical image stabilization (OIS), the periscope camera has OIS with 3x optical zoom and 60x ultra zoom, and the front-facing camera has a 114-degree field-of-view, ideal for group selfies.
It leverages a TrueLens Engine 4, affording features like Ultra XDR, auto tone, portrait optimizer, motion capture mode, night mode, macro mode, and action mode. You can record videos up to 4K resolution, including slo-mo and time-lapse, as well.
Since we haven’t yet tried out the cameras, we can’t speak to the performance. However, we know they do come with pre-designed presets, which we appreciated in our review of the cheaper Nothing Phone 3a. Stay tuned for our review to learn more about how the cameras perform.
We do, however, have extensive experience with the Google Pixel 9 cameras, and they don’t disappoint. It features a 50MP main camera with a wide sensor and 8x Super Res Zoom, as well as a 48MP ultra-wide camera with macro focus. However, the front camera is only 10.5MP, a notable weakness for the phone.
Lee says throughout his review process, the camera captured detailed and crisp images with wonderful dynamic range, even in low-light conditions. While the Google Pixel 9 doesn’t have a telephoto camera, Lee says he didn’t really miss it.
The standout for the cameras with the Google Pixel 9 is all the AI goodies thrown in for helping you capture and edit amazing photos. This includes Google favorites like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, and Photo Unblur. For videos, you can even leverage Audio Magic Eraser for cleaning up background sound.
Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9: Which should you buy?
So, now that you know more about the Nothing Phone 3 and have had a refresher on the Google Pixel 9, it’s decision time. When comparing the Nothing Phone 3 vs. Google Pixel 9, it really comes down to design and brand preference. The two phones are equal in many ways, including affordability, features, and specs.
The Nothing Phone 3 has a leg up on the Google Pixel 9 in a few ways when it comes to specs alone, including more RAM and storage with the 512GB edition, a larger and higher-res screen, higher brightness, a bigger battery with faster charging, and a better front camera. But these aren’t small details; they can be deciding factors for some.
The Google Pixel 9, however, provides an unmatched AI experience with Google Gemini, impacting everything from productivity to entertainment and photo capture. From a modern phone perspective, it’s the best value you’ll find for an AI-powered phone at a reasonable price.
The Nothing Phone 3 has, of course, its cool and distinctive design with the standout new Glyph interface. The back screen can be useful and help you reduce distractions since you can see essential details without turning the phone over to view the main screen. The Essential Space is also a helpful way to keep you apprised of things without unlocking and diving into other things on the phone. The Google Pixel 9 is an attractive phone, but by comparison, it looks ordinary. With that said, you might prefer it.
Since both offer seven years of security updates, you’re safe with either choice when it comes to longevity and resale value. You do get an extra two years of OS upgrades with the Google Pixel 9, but that’s really only one year now since the phone launched last year.
Bottom line: if you like the idea of being different and sporting a funky phone that will turn heads and spark conversation, the Nothing Phone 3 has solid specs that rival those of the Google Pixel 9. If you want something simpler in design that still sports impressive specs at a good price, and will bring you into the world of AI, the Google Pixel 9 is still one of the best small phones you can buy.
It’s more than nothing
The Nothing Phone 3 is more than just a funky phone that will turn heads. Packed inside are tons of specs that will delight, many of which rival the Google Pixel 9 while the phone is offered at a similar price.
It doesn’t disappoint
The Google Pixel 9 remains one of the best affordable premium Android phones you can buy with impressive specs, built-in AI features, solid battery life, and fantastic performance.
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