There’s a better Nothing Phone 3 variant, and you can’t buy it in the US
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Nothing has confirmed that the Indian version of the Nothing Phone 3 has a 5,500mAh battery.
- Other versions of the phone have a slightly smaller 5,150mAh battery.
- We’re guessing that this discrepancy is related to EU regulations regarding the transport of batteries.
The Nothing Phone 3 finally launched yesterday, and it looks like a well-rounded Android phone with a polarizing design. However, it turns out that one regional variant has a bigger battery.
Nothing confirmed to Android Authority that the Indian version of the Nothing Phone 3 has a 5,500mAh battery. By contrast, other models (including the US variant) have a 5,150mAh battery. This confirmation comes after Nothing’s Indian website listed a 5,150mAh battery, but the regional press release and Indian retail listings pointed to a 5,500mAh battery.
In any event, a 5,150mAh battery is still a solid size in 2025 and should ensure respectable endurance. But we’re keen to see how much more runtime can be squeezed out of the Indian variant.
Nothing hasn’t revealed a reason for this discrepancy, but we’re guessing that this is related to European Union (EU) regulations regarding the transport of batteries. After all, Nothing wouldn’t be the only brand to release a phone with a smaller battery in Europe. Xiaomi and OnePlus have also released phones with smaller batteries in the EU compared to China, India, or other global markets. These devices include the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, POCO F7, and OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite.
In fact, OnePlus previously explained why last year’s Nord CE 4 Lite had a smaller battery in the EU:
Due to applicable laws and regulations in certain European countries regarding the carriage of batteries, there are stringent requirements placed on the transportation and handling of battery cells with the watt-hour rating over 20Wh. As a result of the nominal voltage of our batteries being 3.88V, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite will be equipped with a 5,110mAh battery in Europe, instead of the 5,500mAh battery available in other markets.
OnePlus also noted in response to an Android Authority question that the restriction applies to a single battery cell rather than the entire package. This suggests that brands can still offer a large battery in the EU if they opt for a dual-cell design.
In any event, we’ve asked Nothing why the Indian version of the Nothing Phone 3 has a higher battery capacity than other variants. We’ll update our article as soon as the company responds to our query.
