The Nothing Phone (3) was overpriced last year, but now it's on a great deal. For thirteen thousand, it offers a lot of bang for your buck

When we had the Nothing Phone (3) in hand for a week last summer, the only thing that bothered us about it was the price. Back then, it cost over twenty thousand, and we wrote in our first impressions that it would make much more sense somewhere around 17,500 CZK. Well, now everything is different: you can buy the Nothing Phone (3) in the 16/512 GB version at Alza for 12,999 CZK, which is well below the threshold we then considered reasonable. Before you decide, we recommend checking the current availability in detail on Alza — units at this price are disappearing fast.

Quick summary:
✅ It makes sense if you want an original phone with a clean system, excellent battery life, and versatile cameras, and you don’t need to be at the absolute top of benchmark rankings.
⚠️ Consider that the chip is not the most powerful Snapdragon, Czech language support in AI features is lacking, and the rear Glyph Matrix display is not protected under a cover — it scratches easily.
💡 For 12,999 CZK, it’s a completely different phone than last year for 23,999 CZK — the price, which we criticized the phone for, is now its biggest advantage.

Why this phone is interesting now

The whole essence of this deal lies in one number. Last July, when the Nothing Phone (3) hit the shelves, the version with 16 GB RAM and 512GB storage cost 23,999 CZK. According to us and most buyers on Alza, that was the main problem with the entire phone — the features were great, but for that money, you could get a Galaxy S25 or Pixel 9 Pro. Today, the same unit costs 12,999 CZK. So, it dropped by 11,000 CZK, practically by half.

This changes the whole equation. A phone that was overpriced as Nothing’s “first true flagship” is now in the price range of a better mid-range device — but with memory, cameras, and originality that don’t belong in that segment. For those who align with Nothing’s philosophy (fewer paper specs, more cohesive experience and originality), this is one of the most interesting phones under thirteen thousand currently on the market.

Key parameters explained in plain language

The display is a 6.67″ LTPO OLED with Full HD+ resolution (2800 × 1260) and an adaptive refresh rate that smoothly goes up to 120 Hz — scrolling is smooth, and the phone also saves battery when nothing is happening. But what you won’t read on paper and is the biggest difference in practice: the panel can reach up to 4500 nits of brightness, so we had no problem reading it even in direct midday sun. And it’s a flat display, not curved — no accidental touches with the edge of your palm, and the screen protector stays put as it should (Nothing even applies it from the factory).

Performance is handled by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 with 16 GB RAM. It’s not the absolute most powerful chip on the market and lags behind the absolute top in benchmarks — but you won’t notice it in everyday use. Multitasking, photo editing, and games run smoothly. It takes photos with three 50Mpx sensors: the main one with an aperture of f/1.68 and optical stabilization handles night scenes well, the 2× telephoto lens provides nice distortion-free portraits, and the ultrawide lens with a 114° field of view captures entire landscapes. You can shoot video in 4K, and the selfie camera also has 50 Mpx.

Practical aspects: Glyph Matrix, battery life, and living with the phone

The biggest design novelty is the Glyph Matrix — a small monochromatic LED display in the upper right corner of the back, which replaced the previous light strips. We admit that for the first few days we were skeptical (it looks a bit like a retro toy), but after a few days, we understood its purpose. It shows time, battery status, notifications, serves as a viewfinder for the selfie camera, and even runs mini-games like rock-paper-scissors.

Ergonomically, the phone is pleasant, even though at 191 grams it’s not among the lightest — but the matte aluminum sides provide a secure grip. IP68 resistance means you don’t have to worry about rain or a short submersion. The 5150 mAh battery is practically the best thing about the entire phone: with normal use, we easily got 1.5 days and around 8 hours of screen-on time; a light user can easily manage two days. And when it runs out, 65W wired charging gets the phone from zero to 60% in less than 20 minutes. Plus, there’s 15W wireless and 5W reverse charging for headphones.

One annoyance we must mention because almost everyone deals with it: the side Essential Key (button for AI notes) is right next to the power button, and in the first few days, you’ll accidentally press it more than you’d like. You’ll get used to it over time, but it’s annoying for the first few days. And the Essential Space AI features still have weak support in Czech — both dictation and punctuation are inaccurate.

What users say and what to watch out for

The numbers on Alza speak for themselves: a rating of 4.9 out of 5 from 41 customers, 100% recommendation, and most importantly, a very low complaint rate of 0.46%. For a phone with an unusual design (two displays, illuminated back), this is a very good testament to its reliability. Buyers most praise the clean Nothing OS system, original design, bright display visible in sunlight, and high-quality photos. Praise for Nothing’s customer support also repeatedly comes up — they reportedly respond within a few hours.

But let’s also be honest about the complaints, because there are a few. The most frequent criticism in reviews was the price — “it could be 4 thousand cheaper,” buyers wrote last year. This is now resolved by the promotional price. Furthermore, overheating during more demanding gaming appeared (one user stated that the phone got so hot it was difficult to hold). Some people are disappointed that the back is not made of the latest Gorilla Glass and that the display, under certain circumstances, cannot drop to 1 Hz, and a classic always-on display is missing. However, none of these things are dealbreakers.

When it doesn’t make sense

The Nothing Phone (3) isn’t for everyone, and it’s fair to say so. If you want maximum performance for demanding games and follow benchmarks, you’ll find phones with more powerful chips for similar money (e.g., POCO F8 Pro) — here, you’ll pay for the design with a bit of performance and higher temperatures during extended gaming. Similarly, if you need perfect Czech voice control and an AI assistant, wait until Nothing refines Czech support. And for someone purely focused on the best camera for the price, a Pixel 10a or Xiaomi 17T might be more appealing. However, for those who want an original, reliable phone with a clean system, long-term support, and excellent battery life, this price is hard to beat.

What’s more important to you in a phone — original design and a clean system, or maximum performance for the same money?