Apple iPhone XS vs Nothing Phone 3
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone XS and Nothing Phone 3 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Nothing Phone 3 is the cheaper of the two at $799 versus $999, a difference of about $200. The Nothing Phone 3 is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone XS stands out for first 7nm a12 bionic chip in a smartphone, while Nothing Phone 3 is praised for unique glyph interface design with customizable led patterns. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone XS if…
- →First 7nm A12 Bionic chip in a smartphone
- →eSIM support for dual SIM capability
- →Excellent Super Retina OLED display
Buy the Nothing Phone 3 if…
- →Unique Glyph Interface design with customizable LED patterns
- →50 MP triple camera with 3x periscope telephoto
- →Clean Nothing OS with 5 years of Android upgrades
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone XS
Pros
- First 7nm A12 Bionic chip in a smartphone
- eSIM support for dual SIM capability
- Excellent Super Retina OLED display
- Improved Face ID speed over iPhone X
- Premium stainless steel build
Cons
- Small battery at 2658 mAh
- No ultrawide camera
- 5W charger in the box
- Minimal upgrade over iPhone X
- No Night mode for camera
Nothing Phone 3
Pros
- Unique Glyph Interface design with customizable LED patterns
- 50 MP triple camera with 3x periscope telephoto
- Clean Nothing OS with 5 years of Android upgrades
- 65W fast charging and 15W wireless charging
- IP68 water and dust resistance
Cons
- 218g is on the heavier side
- USB 2.0 instead of USB 3.x
- Camera post-processing behind top flagships
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone XS | Nothing Phone 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 12 | Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 177 g | 218 g |
| Material | Stainless steel frame, glass back | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus back |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm | 160.6 x 75.6 x 9.0 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", OIS, PDAF |
| Front camera | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 4K@30/60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.4, 2x optical zoom | 50 MP, f/2.7, 3x optical zoom, periscope, OIS |
| Ultrawide | — | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114-degree |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 4 GB | 12 GB / 16 GB |
| Storage options | 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2658 mAh | 5150 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired (adapter sold separately) | 65W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi | 15W wireless, 5W reverse |
| Display | ||
| Size | 5.8 inches | 6.67 inches |
| Type | Super Retina OLED | OLED, HDR10+ |
| Resolution | 2436 x 1125 | 1260 x 2800 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 725 | 4500 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz + 4x1.6 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 + 3x3.0 GHz A720 + 2x2.8 GHz A720 + 2x2.0 GHz A720) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core) | Adreno 825 |
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 2.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in phones, see all Apple products or all Nothing products. View full details for the Apple iPhone XS or the Nothing Phone 3.