Between the iPhone 17 and Phone (3), the iPhone 17 comes out ahead in wireless charging and weight, while the Phone (3) wins on front camera and wired charging. Overall, the iPhone 17 scores 61.7 and the Phone (3) scores 68.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Phone (3) edges ahead on the Mars Score (61.7 vs 68.7), but the 7.0-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the iPhone 17 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are wireless charging, weight, promised os updates.
Pick the Phone (3) if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are front camera, wired charging, ram, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Phone (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 wins
- ▲Wireless charging — 66.67% more. 25 W vs 15 W.
- ▲Weight — 2.00 g less. 194 vs 196.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Why Nothing - Phone (3) wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 140.74% more. 65 W vs 27 W.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 39.49% more. 5150 mAh vs 3692 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 6.35% more. 6.7 " vs 6.3 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
- ▲AnTuTu — 3.54% more. 2050000 vs 1980000.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 194 glead | 196 g |
| Thickness | 8.1 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.3 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 4500 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3692 mAh | 5150 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 W | 65 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 Wlead | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 | Nothing - Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has 39.5% more battery — 3692 mAh vs 5150 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 or Phone (3)?+
iPhone 17 is 2g lighter — 194g vs 196g.
Is iPhone 17 waterproof?+
iPhone 17 has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 17 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 or Phone (3)?+
Phone (3) has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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