Nothing Phone (3) vs iPhone 16: Which one should you pick?

The all-new Nothing Phone (3) is here, and it’s way different than the competition. It’s got a dot matrix display, an unusual camera island, and a Snapdragon 8-series chipset.

While these features are appealing, you can’t ignore the simplicity of another device that resides in the same price segment – the Apple iPhone 16. Apple’s iPhone formula is simple, and it’s one that works.

So, should you go for uniqueness or simplicity? Well, we are comparing both phones in this Nothing Phone (3) vs iPhone 16 showdown to help make your buying decision easier.

Nothing Phone (3) vs iPhone 16: Design and display

There’s no denying that both phones are quite premium, which should be the case at their price. However, unlike the iPhone 16, which goes for simplicity, the unique design of the Phone (3) may turn heads.

After all, it has a strange look to it, with an asymmetrical camera island and a tiny screen on the back. Not to mention, it has a larger form factor and weighs 218 grams.

The iPhone 16, conversely, is a small phone with an aesthetic look, thanks to the vertical camera island and the Apple branding slapped on the rear centre. It’s light at 170 grams, meaning it will easily slip into your pockets.

As for the screens, the Phone (3) has a 6.67-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with 30-120Hz refresh rate support. It also has up to 1600 nits of HBM and 4,500 nits of peak brightness. The device uses Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection and supports 2160Hz PWM Dimming.

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The iPhone 16 features a smaller 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 200 nits of HBM brightness and 60Hz refresh rate support. Apple uses Ceramic Shield glass for display protection.

While the iPhone 16 has an Action and Camera key, the Phone (3) gets an Essential Key to take note of things you do on your phone. It also comes with the Flip to Record feature, which lets you transcribe or summarise meetings while your phone faces down.

Nothing Phone (3) vs iPhone 16: Cameras

The Nothing Phone (3) has an edge here, with three cameras on the rear. It boasts a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto unit that supports 60x digital zoom. It also has a 50MP camera on the front for selfies.

The iPhone 16 in comparison has only two cameras on the rear, a 48MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide unit. There’s a 12MP camera on the front for selfies. The total digital zoom range on the iPhone is restricted to 10x. Both phones can shoot 4K videos from the front and rear cameras.

Nothing Phone (3) vs iPhone 16: Performance, battery, software

Since both phones have different processors, we can’t exactly conclude which one is faster. But what we can say is that both have powerful chipsets. While the Phone (3) has the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, the iPhone 16 gets Apple’s A18 SoC.

Both phones have up to 512GB of storage, but Nothing has more RAM, i.e., up to 16GB. It also has a faster USB-C port for file transfer. Battery-wise, the Phone (3) houses a 5,500mAh cell with 65W fast charging. The iPhone, on the other hand, has a smaller 3,561mAh battery with 25W wired fast charging support. Interestingly, both phones support 15W wireless fast charging.

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Other than this, both the iPhone 16 and the Nothing Phone (3) have IP68 dust and water resistance ratings and have similar connectivity options. Regarding software, the Phone (3), being an Android phone, runs on Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.5. The iPhone 16 boots on iOS 18.

Overall, the Nothing Phone (3) offers a unique design, extra features, and a large battery with fast charging support. The iPhone 16 is for those who want just the essentials and a good camera — all with simplicity.

While both phones carry a launch price of around Rs 80,000, the iPhone 16 currently retails at a cheaper price of under Rs 75,000. Both phones at that price are great, but it’s all up to you, whether you want a feature-packed Android phone or an iPhone that gets all the essentials right.