Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro: Unique design, affordable price

The London-based smartphone brand, Nothing, has once again introduced devices that stand out in a market filled with nearly identical designs.

The Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro offer an affordable yet distinctive experience, featuring the brand’s signature LED-infused back, solid hardware, and a competitive price point.

Nothing, the London-based smartphone brand, has once again introduced devices that stand out in a market filled with nearly identical designs.

The Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro offer an affordable yet distinctive experience, featuring the brand’s signature LED-infused back, solid hardware, and a competitive price point.

Unique design with signature Glyph interface

The Nothing Phone 3A series continues the brand’s commitment to unique aesthetics. The transparent glass back reveals screws and data ribbons, giving it an industrial look.

The standout feature remains the Glyph lighting system—LED strips around the camera that illuminate for notifications and ringtones, providing a visual way to interact with the phone.

The Phone 3A Pro changes things up with a thick circular camera module that houses a periscope telephoto camera alongside the main and ultrawide lenses, creating a triple-camera system—a rarity in the sub-$500 range.

Both devices feature a 6.7-inch display with vibrant colors and high brightness levels, ensuring clear visibility in various lighting conditions. Additionally, their IP64 water resistance rating offers basic protection against dust and water, though it falls short of full submersion protection.

Performance and specifications

Powering the Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, which delivers reliable performance for daily tasks and casual gaming.

While it doesn't match flagship models, benchmark scores indicate it competes well with rivals like the Google Pixel 8A and Samsung Galaxy A35 5G. The phone runs smoothly, though users might experience some stutters in the camera app.

Camera system and AI features

Both phones come equipped with a 50-megapixel main camera. The Phone 3A includes a 50-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, while the Pro version upgrades to a periscope camera offering 3x optical zoom and 6x in-sensor zoom.

Additionally, the Pro model features an enhanced 50-megapixel front-facing camera for sharper selfies.

There are some small issues with these cameras. Incorrect white balance can cause colors to look off in some scenes, and shutter lag might occasionally lead to blurry images. However, the overall camera experience is solid, with the Pro version offering slightly better low-light performance.

On the software side, both devices run Android 15 with Nothing’s minimalistic interface. AI-powered tools, such as Gemini Advanced and Circle to Search, enhance user experience.

A new feature, Essential Space, acts as a hub for storing notes, screenshots, and ideas, with AI-driven transcription and task creation. However, the Essential Key, a dedicated button for these features, is positioned close to the power button, which can lead to accidental presses.

Connectivity and drawbacks

The Nothing Phone 3A series is sold via a beta program in the US, meaning users need to sign up before purchasing.

While the phones should work on T-Mobile and Google Fi without issues, AT&T and Verizon users must request their carriers to white-list the devices for 5G access, which may not be a seamless process.

Additionally, the phones lack wireless charging and a full IP68 rating, limiting durability compared to some competitors. While the IP64 rating ensures basic water resistance, users should avoid submerging the device.

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 3A or 3A Pro?

The main difference between the two models lies in the camera capabilities. If photography is a priority, the 3A Pro’s periscope zoom and higher-resolution front camera may be worth the extra cost.

Battery life is another strong point, with the 5,000mAh battery delivering reliable all-day performance even under heavy usage.

However, for those seeking an affordable, stylish phone with solid performance, the base Phone 3A is an excellent option.

The Nothing Phone 3A has a unified starting price of $379, offering an attractive option for those who want a unique design without spending too much.

Despite facing competition from the Samsung Galaxy A26, A36, and the upcoming Google Pixel 9A, Nothing continues to make its mark with innovative and eye-catching smartphones.

The standard version of the Nothing Phone 3A comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. In the UK, another variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is available for approximately $419 (£329).

Additionally, the Nothing Phone 3A Pro, priced at $459 (£449), features the same processor and battery capacity but comes with an upgraded camera system.

For details: Nothing Phone 3A, 3A Pro