Need to upgrade your Android phone but aren’t sure which flagship to go for? Here we compare the Nothing Phone 3 and the Pixel 9.
As Nothing has recently launched its first “true flagship smartphone” with the Phone 3, we’re curious to see how it compares to Google’s similarly priced Pixel 9.
Keep reading to see what the difference is between the Nothing Phone 3 and Pixel 9, and whether either is likely to make it into our best smartphone guide.
Pricing and Availability
As mentioned, Nothing has hailed its Phone 3 as being the company’s first flagship smartphone, and has the price tag to match with a starting RRP of £799 / $799 / €799.
Similarly, Google’s flagship Pixel 9 also has a starting RRP of £799 / $799. However, as the Pixel 9 is almost a year old, it’s possible to nab the Android with a price cut. In fact, we’ve seen the Pixel 9 drop down to just £450 earlier this year.
Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 vs Tensor G4
The Nothing Phone 3 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor while the Pixel 9 runs on Google’s Tensor G4 chip instead.
Google’s Tensor G4 is found across the entire Pixel 9 series, including the budget-friendly Pixel 9a to the premium Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Although we haven’t specifically reviewed the Pixel 9, we have reported the chipset feels “extremely quick and responsive” in real-world use, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL in particular able to handle “just about anything I can throw at it”.
In true Google fashion, the Tensor G4 chip favours AI capability over sheer power and, subsequently, we’ve seen the likes of the Pixel 9 Pro XL receive much lower benchmarking results than some of the other best Android phones. This, however, shouldn’t put you off the Pixel 9 series, as the phone should still offer speedy everyday performance.
While there was speculation that the Nothing Phone 3 would run on Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the 8s Gen 4 alternative is a more affordable yet still powerful option. We noted that although the 8s Gen 4 “doesn’t meet the incredibly high ceiling of the 8 Elite”, it still delivers a fast and smooth experience “in all the ways that matter”.
AI Features are at the forefront of both phones
At the heart of any recent Android handset is its AI ability, as it not only includes plenty of built-in tools and apps such as Circle to Search, Pixel Screenshots and Live Translate, it also boasts Google’s voice assistant too.
Coined Gemini, the voice assistant is built into the entire Pixel 9 series and can be used across various apps. For example, you can ask Gemini to summarise your emails, answer questions and engage in natural, free-flowing conversation too, thanks to Gemini Live.
The Nothing Phone 3 includes many of the Gemini features and some exclusive tools, too. Firstly, there’s Essential Space, a tool similar to Pixel Screenshots, which uses AI to organise your ideas, notes and content in one handy place. This is activated with a press of the Essential Key, a physical button that’s found on the right side of the Phone 3.
There’s also the Essential Search tool, a “smart search bar” that enables you to search across your contacts, photos, files and more.
Plus, coming soon to Phone 3 is Flip To Record, which enables users to transcribe and summarise meetings by long-pressing the Essential Key and turning your phone face down.
Nothing Phone 3 has the Glypth Matrix
Nothing phones are identifiable by the iconic Glyph Interface at their rear, which was designed to reduce screen time while keeping users aware of any notifications. However, the Nothing Phone 3 has revamped the design and introduced the new Glyph Matrix.
A small disc made up of 489 LEDs, the Glyph Matrix is a pixelated icon that displays notifications and the new Glyph Toys toolkit in Nothing’s dot-matrix style. The notifications and tools include a Digital Clock, Battery Indicator, plus some games including Spin the Bottle.
While some might argue the Pixel 9 might look pretty dull in comparison, it’s worth remembering that the entire flagship Google series saw a design revamp. While previous Pixel generations, starting with the Pixel 6, sported a rectangular camera bar at the rear, the Pixel 9’s camera bar is now a rounded, pill-shaped design that no longer stretched across either side of the phone.
This design update was welcome, as the previous camera bar had a tendency to collect dust, would get caught in pockets and, especially after three Pixel series sported the design, it began to feel tired.
Pixel 9 in hand (credit Google)
Glyph Matrix on Nothing Phone 3
Nothing Phone 3 has a trio of rear lenses
Made up of a main, ultrawide and periscope lens, all with a 50MP resolution, the Nothing Phone 3 is undeniably a versatile snapper. While we found it is capable of taking in-focus shots with a good depth of field, we did note that the phone isn’t particularly consistent, especially with the ultrawide and zoom lenses.
For example, neither the ultrawide nor the periscope lenses match the primary camera’s colour and detail level. In fact, the periscope lens can especially struggle once you reach the 6x or even just the 3x zoom.
Just because the Pixel 9 has just two rear lenses, that shouldn’t necessarily put you off the phone. In fact, Pixel handsets have a reputation for being some of the best camera phones around, thanks to their impressive hardware and plethora of AI-powered photo editing tools.
While we are yet to test the Pixel 9, it’s made up of a 50MP main lens for capturing sharp snaps and videos alongside a 48MP ultrawide camera for Macro Focus. The camera hardware is also fitted with Google photography tools such as Night Sight for capturing images in low-light and Astrophotography for snapping shots of the night sky.
Nothing Phone 3 has a larger battery capacity
At 5150mAh, the Nothing Phone 3 boasts a larger battery capacity compared to the Pixel 9’s 4700mAh. Although the Phone 3 isn’t quite a two-day device, we were still impressed with its performance as it saw us through busy travel days with high screen time with no issue.
The Pixel 9 promises to offer over 24-hours of battery life and even up to 100-hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode. We haven’t reviewed the handset yet, but we do know that previous Pixel series, including the Pixel 8, struggled with battery life.
Early Verdict
What sets Nothing Phones apart is their Glypth design, which undoubtedly stands out from an overcrowded Android market. Not only that, but its Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset means the phone can power through most tasks with ease, while its large battery capacity can help alleviate battery anxiety.
The Pixel 9 is a little more traditional in its looks – that could be plus or a minus depending on your views – but it should be the pick for anyone who wants the best main camera performance.
