Nothing Phone 3 Vs iPhone 16e: Spec, Design, Chipset, Camera, Battery, Price Compared

Nothing has launched its “flagship” Phone 3, with a new design language, spec boosts, a triple camera set, and a premium price tag. However, the Phone 3 doesn’t have Qualcomm’s best processor and lacks flagship-grade features, which will make it hard to compete with other flagships like Apple iPhone 16, Google Pixel 9, and Samsung Galaxy S25. However, it could go head-to-head with the iPhone 16e, a mid-range offering from Apple. 

Let’s see how Nothing Phone 3 and iPhone 16e face off.

The iPhone 16e shed its “SE” look with a clean, sleek, edge-to-edge design that is classic Apple. The Phone 3 has a quirky design that speaks Nothing, with a transparent panel and an all-new Glyph Matrix, which offers interactive features and audio and visual notifications. 

The iPhone 16e sports a 48MP Fusion rear camera with 2x telephoto and a 12MP TrueDepth front camera. Nothing has upgraded its camera with the Phone 3, packing an incredible triple 50MP camera set on the rear and a 50MP front camera as well, which appears better than the 16e’s.

With its fast and powerful 3nm A18 Bionic chip, the iPhone 16e is ahead on the processor front. Despite being pitched as a flagship, the Phone 3 doesn’t have Qualcomm’s best chipset, using the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 instead of the desired Snapdragon 8 Elite.

The 16e has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology, while the Phone 3 has a slightly bigger 6.67-inch Amoled screen.

The iPhone 16e packs a 4,005mAh cell with USB-C and MagSafe wireless charging support. The Phone 3 houses a 5,150mAh battery, Nothing’s biggest, with up to 65W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

The iPhone 16e has unique features such as Emergency SOS and Find My through satellite, Crash Detection, and Roadside Assistance. It also comes with Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, AI-powered Photos app, Image Playground, Genmoji, Image Wand, and more.

The Phone 3 features the Essential Key, synced with the AI-powered Essential Space app, and a new Essential Search feature. While both companies are trying to integrate AI in their devices, Apple looks to be slightly ahead in the breadth of AI capabilities. 

The iPhone 16e had a starting price of Rs 59,900, and even then it was criticised for being pricy. The Phone 3 price starts at Rs 79,999, which is an incredible Rs 20,000 higher.

Although the Phone 3 is hyped as flagship-grade, it does fall a bit short of it. Design lovers might opt for Nothing Phone 3, but Apple iPhone 16e does have an edge with its powerful features and lower pricing.