Nothing Phone (3) vs ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

The Nothing Phone (3) (2025) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, while the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (2021) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nothing Phone (3) leads — 77/100 vs 65/100 (a 12-point difference). Key differences: the Nothing Phone (3) has the bigger battery (5150 mAh vs 4600); the main camera is 50 MP vs 64 MP; the Nothing Phone (3) is faster in AnTuTu (2,371,693 vs 1,135,878); the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is thinner (8.0mm vs 9.0mm).

The Nothing Phone (3) is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G — the overall rating gap is 12 points.

Profile comparison

Category scores

Nothing Phone (3)

Performance 82
Display 85
Camera 81
Battery 63
Portability 49
Value for money 68

ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

Performance 64
Display 89
Camera 71
Battery 41
Portability 67
Value for money —

What makes Nothing Phone (3) better?

  • Higher AnTuTu: 2371693 vs 1135878
  • Better Geekbench Single: 2162 vs 1500
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 6847 vs 3537
  • Bigger battery: 5150 vs 4600 mAh

  • Higher performance (82/100 vs 64/100)
  • Better camera (81/100 vs 71/100)
  • Longer battery life (63/100 vs 41/100)

What makes ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G better?

  • Better main camera: 64MP vs 50MP
  • Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
  • Lighter: 188g vs 198g

  • Better display (89/100 vs 85/100)
  • Better portability (67/100 vs 49/100)

Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nothing Phone (3) vs the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G, the Nothing Phone (3) scores 12 points higher (77/100 vs 65/100). In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (82/100 vs 64/100). In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (81/100 vs 71/100). In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (63/100 vs 41/100). In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (82/100 vs 64/100). In the "display" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G and the Nothing Phone (3) are nearly equal (89/100 vs 85/100). In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) is a bit better (81/100 vs 71/100). In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (63/100 vs 41/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3) (67/100 vs 49/100).

Nothing Phone (3): The Nothing Phone (3) is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts.
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G: The ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a better fit for active users.

Specs comparison

Specification Nothing Phone (3) ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
AnTuTu 2371693 1135878
Geekbench Single 2162 1500
Geekbench Multi 6847 3537
Display 6.7" AMOLED 6.7" Super Amoled
Resolution 2800x1260 1080x2400
Refresh rate 120 Hz 144 Hz
Battery 5150 mAh 4600 mAh
Charging 65W —
Wireless charging 15W 0W
Main camera 50 MP 64 MP
Ultrawide 50 MP 64 MP
Telephoto 50 MP 8 MP
Front camera 50 MP 44 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB —
Storage 256GB / 512GB 512GB
OS Android 15 / Nothing OS 3.0 Android 11 Red Velvet Cake
Brightness (peak) 4500 nits —
NFC yes yes
Protection IP68 —
Dimensions 160.6×75.6×9.0 mm 161.5×73.0×8.0 mm
Weight 198 g 188 g
Launch price $799 —

Camera comparison

Nothing Phone (3)

  • Main: 50MP f/1.88
  • Ultrawide: 50MP
  • Telephoto: 50MP
  • Front: 50MP
81
camera

ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

  • Main: 64MP
  • Ultrawide: 64MP
  • Telephoto: 8MP
  • Front: 44MP
71
camera

Display comparison

Nothing Phone (3)

  • 6.7" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2800x1260
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
85
display

ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

  • 6.7" Super Amoled
  • Resolution: 1080x2400
  • Refresh rate: 144 Hz
89
display

Battery and charging

Nothing Phone (3)

  • 5150 mAh
  • Wired: 65W
  • Wireless: 15W
63
battery

ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

  • 4600 mAh
  • No wireless charging
41
battery

Overall performance score

We compared Nothing Phone (3) and ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Nothing Phone (3) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
77/100
2371693 AnTuTu
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
65/100 -108.8%
1135878 AnTuTu

Nothing Phone (3) leads ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G by 108.8% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks

Launch prices and where to check today's

Nothing Phone (3)

$799

ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G

Price unknown

Detailed category analysis

performance

In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (82/100 vs 64/100).

display

In the "display" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G and the Nothing Phone (3) are nearly equal (89/100 vs 85/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) is a bit better (81/100 vs 71/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (63/100 vs 41/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3) (67/100 vs 49/100).

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: the Nothing Phone (3) or the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?

The Nothing Phone (3) is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G — the overall rating gap is 12 points.

What is the rating of the Nothing Phone (3) and the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?

The Nothing Phone (3) has a MobileRank rating of 77/100, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G — 65/100.

Which has the better camera: the Nothing Phone (3) or the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?

The Nothing Phone (3) leads on camera score (81/100 vs 71/100).

Which is more powerful: the Nothing Phone (3) or the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?

The Nothing Phone (3) leads on performance (82/100 vs 64/100).

Should you choose the Nothing Phone (3) over the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?

The Nothing Phone (3) is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts. The ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a better fit for active users.