Nothing Phone (3) vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Verdict
The Nothing Phone (3) is not clearly ahead in any section, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra leads in performance, connectivity & features, camera, design & durability and display; they are even on battery.
The biggest difference is performance: 87 vs 100 points.
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the newer model, announced 7 months after the Nothing Phone (3).
- Phone (3) leads in 5 fields
- Galaxy S26 Ultra leads in 12 fields
- 25 ties
42 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | Phone (3) | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 87 | 100 |
| Camera | 90 | 96 |
| Battery | 84 | 84 |
| Display | 91 | 95 |
| Design & durability | 78 | 83 |
| Connectivity & features | 71 | 81 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- Phone (3): 82/100
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 100/100(Better)
- Chipset
- Phone (3): Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- RAM (max)
- Phone (3): 16 GB
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 16 GB
- Storage (max)
- Phone (3): 512 GB
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1 TB
- Process node
- Phone (3): 4 nm
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 3 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- Phone (3): 50 MP
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 200 MP(Better)
- Main sensor size
- Phone (3): 1/1.3″
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1/1.3″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Periscope lens
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Optical zoom
- Phone (3): 3×
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 5×(Better)
- Video recording
- Phone (3): 4K 60 fps
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 8K(Better)
- Front camera
- Phone (3): 50 MP(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 12 MP
- Front camera 4K video
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- Phone (3): 5150 mAh(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 5000 mAh
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- Phone (3): 56:23 h(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 55:00 h
- EU label cycles
- Phone (3): 1400
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1200
- Wired charging
- Phone (3): 65 W(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 60 W
- Wireless charging
- Phone (3): 15 W
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 25 W(Better)
- Reverse charging
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Reverse charging type
- Phone (3): Wired & wireless
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Wireless
Display
- Screen size
- Phone (3): 6.67″
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.9″
- Panel type
- Phone (3): OLED
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: LTPO OLED(Better)
- Refresh rate
- Phone (3): 120 Hz
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- Phone (3): 460 ppi
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 500 ppi
- Peak brightness
- Phone (3): 4500 nits(Better)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 2600 nits
- Resolution
- Phone (3): 1260x2800
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 1440x3120
- Screen protection
- Phone (3): Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Corning Gorilla Armor 2
Design & durability
- Weight
- Phone (3): 218 g
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 214 g(Better)
- Thickness
- Phone (3): 9 mm
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7.9 mm(Better)
- Dust & water resistance
- Phone (3): IP68
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: IP68
- Back material
- Phone (3): Glass
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Glass
- Frame material
- Phone (3): Aluminum
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- Phone (3): C
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: C
- EU drop resistance class
- Phone (3): C
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: A(Better)
- EU energy class
- Phone (3): A
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: A
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- Phone (3): Wi-Fi 7
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- Phone (3): 6.0
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 6.0
- USB speed
- Phone (3): USB 2.0
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: USB 3.x(Better)
- USB port
- Phone (3): USB-C 2.0
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- NFC
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- eSIM
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes(Better)
- Satellite connectivity
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Stereo speakers
- Phone (3): Yes
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Fingerprint reader
- Phone (3): Under display (optical)
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- 3D face unlock
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Infrared blaster
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- FM radio
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- microSD slot
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
- Card slot
- Phone (3): No
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: No
General
- Operating system
- Phone (3): Android 15
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: Android 16
- OS updates (major versions)
- Phone (3): 5
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 7
- Launch price
- Phone (3): $ 579.00
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: $ 898.99
- Year
- Phone (3): 2025
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 2026
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | Phone (3) | Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 LTE | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA unlocked |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2025, July 02 | 2026, February 25 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, July 15 | Available. Released 2026, March 06 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 160.6 x 75.6 x 9 mm (6.32 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 218 g (7.69 oz) | 214 g (7.55 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) Monochrome LED display on the back (489 LEDs, notifications, timer, flashlight) IP68 dust tight and water resistant (submerged up to 1.5m for 30 min) | · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT · Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA · Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus Armor Aluminum 2 |
| Display | ||
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 960Hz PWM, HDR10+, 4500 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.67 inches, 107.4 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.9 inches, 115.9 cm2 (~90.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~500 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i | Corning Gorilla Armor 2 DX anti-reflective coating Privacy Display |
| Platform | ||
| OS | Android 15, upgradable to Android 17, Nothing OS 5.0, up to 5 major OS updates | Android 16, upgradable to Android 17, One UI 9, up to 7 major OS updates |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8735 Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A720) | Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) |
| GPU | Adreno 825 | Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM UFS 4.0 | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM UFS 4.X |
| Main Camera | ||
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.7, (periscope telephoto), 1/2.75", PDAF, 3x optical zoom. OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76" | – |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, OIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Quad | – | 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 50 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.76" | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Features | HDR | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | 4K@60fps, 1080p@60fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No High-bitrate audio support |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 6.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC, SBAS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Market-dependent versions: · Si/C 5150 mAh - International model · Si/C 5500 mAh - India model | Li-Ion 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4 15W wireless 7.5W reverse charging 5W reverse wireless | 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min 25W wireless (Qi2.2) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | White, Black | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
| Models | A024 | SM-S948B, SM-S948B/DS, SM-S948U, SM-S948U1, SM-S948W, SM-S948N, SM-S9480, SM-S948E, SM-S948E/DS |
| Price | $ 579.00 / € 499.00 | $ 898.99 / € 979.00 / £ 802.99 / ₹ 139,999 |
| SAR | – | 1.09 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | – | 1.28 W/kg (head) 1.35 W/kg (body) |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class A |
| Battery | 56:23h endurance, 1400 cycles | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles |
| Free fall | Class C (90 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |