Nothing Phone 3a Review: Prepare to be Impressed

Nothing Phone 3a Pro is a cool $459 midrange phone with premium features. But what’s even cooler? A cheaper phone with many of the same features—like the Nothing Phone 3a.

The main difference between the two models is the camera. The standard Nothing Phone 3a has a dedicated zoom lens, which is impressive for a phone under $400.

But do great specs translate to a great phone? That’s what I’ll explore in this Nothing Phone 3a review, seeing how much value it offers in the budget phone market.

Nothing Phone 3a Specifications

🔹 Category	📌 Details
📦 In the Box	📱 Nothing Phone 3a 🔌 100 cm USB-C to USB-C Cable 🛡️ Pre-applied Screen Protector 🛠️ SIM Tray Ejector Tool 📜 Safety Card
🎨 Colours Available	⚫ Black ⚪ White 🔵 Blue
💾 Storage Options	📂 8GB RAM + 128GB Storage 📂 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage
📏 Dimensions	📏 Height: 163.52 mm 📏 Width: 77.50 mm 📏 Depth: 8.35 mm ⚖️ Weight: 201g
⚙️ Processor	🚀 Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 7s Gen 3 (8-core, up to 2.5 GHz) 🎮 Adreno™ GPU 🤖 Hexagon™ NPU
📸 Main Camera	📷 50 MP Samsung 🔍 f/1.88 📏 1/1.57” sensor 🎯 OIS & EIS 🔄 Autofocus
🔭 Telephoto Camera	📷 50 MP Samsung 🔍 f/2.0 🔍 2x optical zoom, 4x in-sensor zoom, 30x ultra zoom 🎯 Autofocus
🌄 Ultra-Wide Camera	📷 8 MP Sony 🔍 f/2.2 🔄 120° FOV
🤳 Front Camera	📷 32 MP Samsung 🔍 f/2.2 🔄 89° FOV
🎥 Video Recording	🎬 4K at 30 FPS 🎬 1080p at 30/60 FPS ⏳ Slo-mo at 1080p 120 FPS ⏱️ Time Lapse (4K/1080p)
🖥️ Display	📺 6.77” Flexible AMOLED 📏 1080 x 2392 (387 PPI) 🔄 120Hz adaptive refresh rate ☀️ 3000 nits peak brightness 🛡️ Panda Glass
🔋 Battery	⚡ 5000 mAh ⚡ 50W fast charging 🔄 7.5W reverse charging ⏳ 100% charge in 56 mins ⏱️ 50% charge in 19 mins
🔊 Audio	🎵 Dual stereo speakers 🎙️ 2 high-definition mics
📡 Connectivity	📶 SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM) ❌ eSIM: No 📡 Bluetooth: 5.4 📶 Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6
📍 GPS	🛰️ GPS (L1) 🛰️ GLONASS (G1) 🛰️ BDS (B1I) 🛰️ GALILEO (E1) 🛰️ QZSS (L1)
🛡️ Water Resistance	💦 IP64 Dust & Water Resistant
🧭 Sensors	🖐️ In-display fingerprint sensor 📡 Accelerometer 📍 Gyroscope 🔄 Proximity sensor 🧭 Electronic Compass
📲 OS & Updates	🏆 Nothing OS 3.1 (Android 15) 🔄 3 years of Android updates 🔒 6 years of security patches
✨ Extra Features	🌟 Glyph Interface: 26 LED zones Glyph Timer Music Visualization Camera Countdown Essential Notifications

Nothing Phone 3a Price and Availability Review

Nothing Phone 3a is priced at $379/£379/AU$689, which is slightly more than its predecessor, the Nothing Phone that launched last year for $349. The $30 price increase is justified by the upgrades in this newer model, which still comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

To put this in perspective, the Nothing Phone 3a is priced just below the $399 Galaxy A36 from Samsung. It’s also a bit more expensive than some Motorola G series phones, such as the $299 Moto G Power (2025). However, the Nothing Phone 3a offers better specs, including a telephoto lens, which is rare for phones priced under $400.

However, availability is limited in the U.S. as the Nothing Phone 3a isn’t sold through major retailers or carriers. Instead, it’s available through Nothing’s U.S. Beta program, which can be a small hassle but still provides access.

Pre-orders for the Nothing Phone 3a started on March 4, with sales beginning on March 11. Customers in the U.K. and Australia can purchase a more affordable version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for £329/AU$599.

Nothing Phone 3a Design Review

The Nothing Phone 3a has a unique look with glyph lighting and sleek lines, making it stand out from other phones in this price range. It comes in white and black, with a design that some may find futuristic and stylish.

The camera module is a simple vertical strip with three lenses, unlike the circular design on the Nothing Phone 3 Pro. This means the phone won’t lie flat on a table.

For durability, the IP64 water resistance rating protects it from splashes, but it’s not as water-resistant as some competitors like the Galaxy A36 (IP67).

One issue is the new Essential Key, placed just below the power button. It’s meant for screenshots and voice memos, but its position makes it easy to press by accident when trying to turn off the phone.

Nothing Phone 3a Display Review

The Nothing Phone 3a has a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate that adjusts between 30Hz and 120Hz, depending on the activity on-screen.

It is the brightest screen Nothing has used so far, with a claimed peak brightness of 3,000 nits. In real-world testing, the highest brightness recorded was 1,370 nits, with a standard measurement of 1,194 nits. While it doesn’t reach the advertised 3,000 nits, it still offers excellent visibility in bright outdoor conditions.

The Nothing Phone 3a delivers better color coverage than the previous Nothing Phone 2a and even the Google Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8a has slightly better color accuracy with a Delta-E rating of 0.24, but switching to standard mode on the Nothing Phone 3a significantly improves accuracy.

Watching videos and browsing on this display feels smooth and vibrant, with clear details even from different angles. The stereo speakers also enhance the experience with good sound quality.

Nothing Phone 3a Camera Review

The Nothing Phone 3a has a 50MP telephoto camera, which is rare for a budget phone. It also has a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide lens, and 32MP front camera.

In good lighting, photos look colorful and detailed. A food photo showed warm tones and cool blues nicely. Some details were sharper on the Moto G Power (2025), but the Nothing Phone 3a still did well.

In low light, it kept colors bright, while the Moto G Power lost details in shadows. A sunset photo looked richer and more vibrant, while the Moto G Power made the sky too dark.

In dark settings, some photos were less sharp. A basement photo looked brighter, but the Moto G Power kept edges clearer. However, most night shots, like a bar sign at night, looked good.

The ultrawide mode is bright and warm but can be slightly blurry. At 4x zoom, details stay clear, even beyond the 2x optical zoom limit.

The portrait mode is a weak point. Faces can look too pale, though fine details like beard hair are captured well.

The front camera takes good selfies with natural skin tones, though background colors could be better.

Nothing Phone 3a takes great photos for its price and beats many budget phones.

Nothing Phone 3a Performance Review

The Nothing Phone 3a comes with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, replacing last year’s Dimensity 7200 Pro. While the performance gains are small, the phone is still faster than the Moto G Power (2025).

In Geekbench 6 tests, the Nothing Phone 3a scored 1,165 (single-core) and 3,288 (multi-core). This is a 5% and 27% improvement over the Nothing Phone 2a. However, the Pixel 8a still performs better.

In graphics tests, the Nothing Phone 3a scored 25.1 fps in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, nearly identical to the 25.5 fps of its predecessor. Surprisingly, there was no major improvement in this area.

Even though some games had choppy graphics on the Nothing Phone 2a, I didn’t notice any issues when playing PUBG Mobile on the 3a.

Nothing Phone 3a isn’t a powerful device, but for under $400, it handles everyday tasks smoothly without any problems.

Nothing Phone 3a Battery Life and Charging Review

The Nothing Phone 3a keeps the same 5,000 mAh battery as its predecessor but benefits from a more efficient Snapdragon chip. As a result, it performs better in battery life tests.

In our test, where a phone browses the web over cellular until it dies, the Nothing Phone 3a lasted 15 hours and 24 minutes. That’s longer than the Nothing Phone 2a but not quite enough to rank among the longest-lasting phones.

Compared to the Moto G Power (2025), which lasted over 17 hours, the Nothing Phone 3a falls slightly short. However, it still outperforms the average smartphone by about 5 hours.

Charging is faster this year, with support for 50W charging (up from 45W on the 2a). In 30 minutes, the phone charged from 0% to 72%, which is very impressive.

Nothing Phone 3a Software Review

The Nothing Phone 3a runs on Nothing OS 3.1, based on Android 15. Its interface looks very different from other Android phones, with a dot-matrix font and circular icons. If you’re new to Nothing phones, it might take some time to get used to.

A new feature, Essential Space, stores everything captured using the Essential Key—like screenshots or voice memos. AI helps summarize screenshots and transcribe voice recordings, making it a useful tool for organizing ideas. However, you need to keep holding the button while recording, or it will stop.

I accidentally pressed the Essential Key quite often, which meant deleting a lot of unwanted screenshots. While the feature is promising, it still lacks a direct note-taking option, which would make it more useful.

Nothing offers three years of Android updates and six years of security updates, which is better than many phones in this price range. However, some competitors, like the Galaxy A36 and A26, offer the same level of long-term support.

• Vivo iQOO Z9s: Full Review and User Experience
• I Reviewed Nothing Phone 3a Pro and It Surprised Me (It’s Not the Lights)
• iPhone 16 Pro Max Review

Pros and Cons of Nothing Phone 3a

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
📸 Telephoto lens in a budget phone	🇺🇸 Limited availability in the U.S.
🔋 Long battery life with ⚡ fast charging	🚀 Small performance upgrade from Phone 2a
🌈 Bright, colorful display	🛠️ Essential Space needs improvement
🎨 Unique design	❌

Conclusion of Nothing Phone 3a: A Great Value

The Nothing Phone 3a delivers on its promises. For $379, you get a long battery life, a unique design, and a beautiful display. The cameras are impressive, and the telephoto lens is a rare feature in this price range.

There are some drawbacks. Essential Space is useful but needs improvement. Performance gains over the Nothing Phone 2a are small. Also, in the U.S., getting this phone is harder than buying one from bigger brands.

Despite that, the Nothing Phone 3a is worth it. It offers great value for its price, competing well with other midrange smartphones.