Nothing Phone 3 VS OnePlus 13R

In terms of physical footprint, the two phones are remarkably close — nearly identical in width and height — but they diverge meaningfully in thickness and weight. The OnePlus 13R is slimmer at 8 mm versus 9 mm for the Nothing Phone 3, and lighter at 206 g compared to 218 g. That 12-gram difference is noticeable over extended one-handed use or long sessions, and the thinner profile makes the 13R feel more pocketable and premium in hand.

Where the Nothing Phone 3 pulls decisively ahead is water protection. Its IP68 rating means it can withstand submersion in fresh water up to a defined depth and duration, making it genuinely waterproof in practical scenarios like being dropped in a sink or pool. The OnePlus 13R's IP65 rating only guarantees protection against low-pressure water jets and dust — meaning splashes and rain are fine, but submersion is not covered. For users who want real peace of mind around water, this is a significant real-world gap.

Overall, neither phone has a rugged build or foldable form factor, so those are non-factors here. The OnePlus 13R wins on everyday ergonomics — it's lighter and thinner — but the Nothing Phone 3 holds a clear and meaningful edge in water protection, which is arguably the more consequential spec for long-term durability.

Both screens share the same OLED/AMOLED panel type, 120Hz refresh rate, identical Gorilla Glass 7i protection, and support for HDR10 and HDR10+ — so the viewing experience baseline is genuinely comparable. The size and sharpness gap is also negligible in practice: the OnePlus 13R's 6.78″ panel versus 6.67″ on the Nothing Phone 3 is barely perceptible, and a pixel density difference of 460 ppi vs 450 ppi is invisible to the naked eye at normal viewing distances.

The standout differentiator is brightness. The OnePlus 13R's 1600 nits typical brightness more than doubles the Nothing Phone 3's 800 nits. In real-world terms, this is the difference between a display that remains easily readable in direct sunlight and one that can struggle in harsh outdoor conditions. For users who spend significant time outside or in bright environments, this is not a minor footnote — it materially affects daily usability.

The 13R also adds Dolby Vision support, which the Nothing Phone 3 lacks. While HDR10+ is a capable format on its own, Dolby Vision's dynamic metadata per-frame delivers more precisely calibrated visuals when streaming compatible content from supported platforms. Taken together, the OnePlus 13R holds a clear display advantage, driven primarily by its superior brightness and broader HDR ecosystem support.

The chipset matchup here is genuinely nuanced. The OnePlus 13R runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — a flagship-tier processor — while the Nothing Phone 3 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which sits one rung below in Qualcomm's hierarchy despite carrying a newer generation number. The benchmarks reflect this: the 13R leads in both Geekbench 6 single-core (2213 vs 2041) and multi-core (7325 vs 6833), and its CPU clock speeds are marginally higher across clusters. For sustained CPU-intensive tasks — complex apps, heavy multitasking, on-device AI workloads — the 13R holds a measurable but not dramatic edge. AnTuTu scores, however, are nearly identical (within 2%), suggesting the gap largely disappears in mixed real-world usage.

Where the Nothing Phone 3 fights back is memory and storage. Its 16 GB of RAM versus the 13R's 12 GB means more apps stay resident in memory simultaneously, reducing reload times during heavy multitasking. The 512 GB of internal storage versus 256 GB on the 13R is also a practical win for users who store large media libraries or avoid cloud dependence. Both devices share the same RAM speed, TDP, and memory bandwidth, so these architectural similarities keep the playing field level in everyday scenarios.

Ultimately, this category is a split decision rather than a clean win for either side. The OnePlus 13R has the stronger raw CPU performance thanks to the 8 Gen 3, while the Nothing Phone 3 counters with more RAM and double the storage — advantages that translate directly into day-to-day flexibility. Users who prioritize peak processing power lean toward the 13R; those who value headroom for multitasking and local storage will find the Nothing Phone 3 the more practical configuration.

The most telling difference in the rear camera systems lies in the telephoto lens. Nothing Phone 3 deploys a 50 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, while the OnePlus 13R pairs its system with a much weaker 8 MP telephoto and only 2x optical zoom. In practice, this gap is significant: a 50 MP telephoto retains far more detail when cropping or zooming further beyond the optical limit, and 3x already frames subjects more tightly without relying on digital interpolation. For portrait shots, wildlife, or any scene where reach matters, the Nothing Phone 3 has a structural advantage that pixel-peepers and casual users alike will notice.

On the main camera, the Nothing Phone 3's wider aperture of f/1.68 versus the 13R's f/1.8 allows more light to hit the sensor — a meaningful edge in low-light and indoor photography where every fraction of a stop counts. The selfie gap is equally pronounced: a 50 MP front camera versus the 13R's 16 MP means substantially more detail and cropping flexibility in self-portraits and video calls. The 13R's front aperture of f/2.4 is also slightly narrower than the Nothing Phone 3's f/2.2, compounding the low-light disadvantage on the front side.

Feature parity is high across both systems — OIS, 4K 60fps video, RAW shooting, phase-detection autofocus, and manual controls are all present on both. But the Nothing Phone 3 holds a clear and well-rounded camera advantage, with a higher-resolution telephoto, better optical zoom reach, a brighter main aperture, and a far superior front camera. For camera-focused buyers, it is the stronger choice across nearly every shooting scenario covered by these specs.

Across this entire specification group, both phones run Android 15 and are virtually identical in software features — sharing the same privacy controls, dynamic theming, split-screen multitasking, picture-in-picture, offline voice recognition, on-device machine learning, and more. When two products align this closely on OS capabilities, the comparison becomes less about features and more about the single points where they diverge.

The only material difference in this dataset is Wi-Fi password sharing, which the Nothing Phone 3 supports and the OnePlus 13R does not. While this may seem minor, it is a genuinely useful convenience feature — allowing users to share network access with guests or other devices instantly without reading out a password. Its absence on the 13R is a small but real omission for households or frequent travelers who regularly onboard new devices to a network.

Beyond that one distinction, this category is essentially a draw. Neither device gets direct OS updates, neither supports Quick Start or PC mode, and both handle privacy and productivity features identically based on the provided data. The Nothing Phone 3 edges ahead by the narrowest margin thanks to Wi-Fi password sharing, but no buyer should make a purchase decision based on this group alone.

Battery capacity is a straightforward win for the OnePlus 13R. Its 6000 mAh cell is substantially larger than the Nothing Phone 3's 5150 mAh — an 850 mAh difference that, all else being equal, translates into a meaningfully longer time between charges. For heavy users who push through a full day of screen time, streaming, or navigation, that extra headroom reduces the likelihood of reaching for a cable before bedtime.

Wired charging also favors the 13R, with 80W versus the Nothing Phone 3's 65W. The practical gap here is moderate — both are fast enough to top up quickly — but the 13R's edge becomes more relevant in situations where you have only a short window to charge. Adding to this, the OnePlus 13R comes with a charger included in the box, while the Nothing Phone 3 does not, which is an immediate out-of-pocket consideration for new buyers.

The one area where the Nothing Phone 3 pulls ahead is wireless charging, a feature the OnePlus 13R omits entirely. For users invested in wireless charging pads — on a desk, nightstand, or in a car — this is a genuine convenience trade-off. Ultimately, the OnePlus 13R holds the stronger battery profile overall, with a larger capacity, faster wired charging, and a bundled charger; the Nothing Phone 3's wireless charging support is a real differentiator, but it does not offset the 13R's broader endurance and charging advantages.

Strip away the noise here and the audio comparison comes down to a single differentiator: aptX Adaptive. Both phones share stereo speakers, no headphone jack, and support for aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC — a strong wireless audio foundation on both sides. But the Nothing Phone 3 adds aptX Adaptive, while the OnePlus 13R stops short of it.

That distinction matters for wireless audio enthusiasts. aptX Adaptive is Qualcomm's most advanced Bluetooth audio codec, capable of dynamically scaling bitrate based on connection conditions — delivering up to 24-bit high-res audio when the link is stable, and gracefully stepping down to maintain low latency when interference is present. For users pairing with compatible aptX Adaptive headphones or earbuds, the Nothing Phone 3 can deliver a noticeably higher ceiling in audio quality and connection resilience. LDAC, which both phones support, is a strong alternative from Sony's ecosystem, but aptX Adaptive covers a broader range of compatible devices and adjusts more fluidly in real-time.

This is a narrow but meaningful category win for the Nothing Phone 3. Casual listeners or those using non-compatible headphones will notice no difference day-to-day, but for audiophiles invested in high-resolution wireless audio, aptX Adaptive support is a genuine advantage that the OnePlus 13R simply does not offer.

Wireless fundamentals are strong on both devices — 5G, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, and USB-C are all present across the board. But two connectivity specs diverge sharply. The Nothing Phone 3 ships with Bluetooth 6, a notably newer standard than the OnePlus 13R's Bluetooth 5.4, bringing improved connection stability, more precise device positioning, and better coexistence with other wireless signals. For users pairing multiple Bluetooth peripherals simultaneously or relying on wireless audio, this is a forward-looking advantage. The Nothing Phone 3 also supports eSIM alongside its two physical SIM slots, while the 13R offers only dual physical SIMs — a meaningful difference for frequent travelers who want to add a local data plan digitally without swapping cards.

The OnePlus 13R counters with a striking cellular modem advantage: its peak download speed of 10,000 Mbits/s dwarfs the Nothing Phone 3's 4,200 Mbits/s. While real-world 5G networks rarely approach either ceiling today, the 13R's modem headroom speaks to a more capable cellular architecture that will age better as network infrastructure evolves. The 13R also includes an infrared sensor, absent on the Nothing Phone 3, which allows the phone to function as a universal remote for TVs and other IR-controlled appliances — a niche but genuinely useful feature for the right user.

This category ends as a considered split. The Nothing Phone 3 leads on Bluetooth generation and eSIM flexibility, while the OnePlus 13R holds a commanding edge in cellular download throughput and adds IR blaster utility. Users who prioritize future-proof wireless connectivity and SIM versatility will favor the Nothing Phone 3; those who want maximum modem performance and remote-control convenience will lean toward the 13R.

The miscellaneous specification group for these two devices is a clean sweep of identical values — both have a video light, neither has sapphire glass, a curved display, or an e-paper display. There is simply no differentiator to analyze here.

This category is an unambiguous tie, and it should have no bearing on a purchase decision between the Nothing Phone 3 and the OnePlus 13R.