New Nothing Phone (3) leak suggests not all is as it seems with the "flagship" device

In the wonderful world of Android phones, battles between handsets can be won and lost on the most minor details. With everything being so broadly similar, it takes smaller, more intricate points on the spec sheet to decide which is worthy of your cash.

One of the most hotly-anticipated releases this year is set to be the Nothing Phone (3). That's said to be the brand's first true flagship phone, and that has sparked eager eyes around the tech-sphere.

The brand is most known for producing fantastic cheap phones like the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro. This marks the first time it has entered into a more direct competitive state with major manufacturers like Samsung and Google, which is bound to cause a stir.

Now, a new report suggests it might not be quite as premium as we first thought. According to reputable tipster, Yogesh Brar, the model will sport a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor. That's a marked step down from the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip which had been widely expected in the handset.

While the 8s Gen 4 is certainly no slouch, it's unlikely to offer the kind of performance benefits which the 8 Elite chip would have. While that probably won't make a difference to Nothing fans who are happy to buy into just about everything the brand puts out, it could prove a stumbling block for those arriving from other manufacturers.

I can't see many moving from a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to this device, for example. It's likely that the gulf in performance would simply be too great.

It will certainly be interesting to see how that device is positioned upon launch. Fortunately, we don't have too long to wait. As confirmed by the brand earlier this month, the device will arrive on the 1st of July.