Nothing’s Phone 3a series offers flagship features for a fraction of the price. The Pro model adds a 50MP camera with optical zoom, improved low-light photography and eSIM support.
The phones use LTPO displays that can reach 3,000 nits at peak brightness. They run Android 15 with Nothing OS, a fast and smooth foundation tuned for utility and customization.
Camera
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro takes the company’s unique transparent industrial design a step further, adding a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. It also boasts a larger AMOLED display and AI-driven camera optimizations.
Its cameras aren’t industry-leading, but they offer photos that are hard to tell apart from those of smartphones costing much more. They have excellent dynamic range and low noise, and they perform well in most conditions.
In addition to the usual volume and power buttons, the 3a Pro adds a physical Essential key. It’s used to activate or launch the company’s new Essential Space app, which aims to act as a sort of digital assistant. It can take screenshots and record voice notes to transcribe later, as well as instantly access certain phone settings.
Display
In a market filled with midrange smartphones, the Nothing Phone 3a stands out thanks to its unique design and impressive battery life. Its transparent back showcases the device’s components while also illuminating light patterns, making it both a statement piece and a functional phone. The glyph interface further elevates the experience, providing a unique way to express yourself.
The LTPO OLED display is bright and punchy, with a 3,000-nit peak brightness and rich colors. Its 120Hz adaptive refresh rate makes scrolling and animations smooth.
The Nothing Phone 3a’s performance in low-light is especially noteworthy, delivering better quality photos than the Moto G Power did in the same test. It even held up well to a sunset photo, highlighting the colors of the California and U.S. flags against a fading sky.
Battery
The Nothing Phone 3a has a 5,000mAh battery that delivers solid all-day battery life. It supports fast charging with 50W support, and the phone's screen-on time lasted more than six hours during our tests.
The device has a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that enhances content-watching. Its peak manual brightness is 800 nits.
The Nothing Phone 3a is a unique, stylish smartphone that offers great value for its price. It has a bright, smooth display and an impressive camera setup with a rare telephoto lens. Its performance is good enough for most everyday tasks, but it could use a little more power for gaming. The only downside is its mediocre IP64 rating, which only protects against splashes of water and leaves it vulnerable to immersion.
Software
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro runs Android 15 with a custom UI called Nothing OS. It has a stark, monochrome aesthetic that will force you to be more mindful of what you are using your phone for. It also includes an AI-powered narrator for the news and an app that will remind you to take a break every hour.
The software is fast and reliable with no hiccups during day-to-day use. It is well-optimized and has minimal bloatware, which should allow it to get updated with new features for years to come. The battery life is solid as well. It easily lasted an hour of BGMI gaming at 88fps and can go for a full workday with light use. This is impressive in a $460 budget smartphone.
Price
The Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro offer a unique design, fantastic battery life, a stunning display, near-stock Android software, and an affordable price. Its camera performance could be better and it lacks wireless charging, but the device still stands out among its competitors thanks to a fun and creative software idea, an excellent design that feels better than the price tag suggests, and impressive performance for its price.
The LTPO OLED screen is the highlight, offering incredible colors and contrast in direct sunlight. It also features a 120Hz refresh rate, so interactions feel smooth and responsive. It also rivals the quality of displays on phones twice its price. The 5,000mAh battery is another great asset, lasting most light and moderate users a full day.
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