The London-based smartphone maker Nothing is out again with the Nothing Phone (3a) series. They bring an upgrade in performance, a new AI button, and heavy-duty camera hardware. Given they are the successors to the immensely popular Phone (2a) from last year, there is a lot of hype surrounding the two phones. However, since one of them carries a Pro moniker and a bulky design, people are confused about which is the better option to go for. Let’s answer that question in this Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro comparison.
Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro: Key Differences
Before we dwell deep into this Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro comparison, here are a few key things different between these devices.
Specs Nothing Phone (3a) Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Weight 201 grams 211 grams Dimensions 163.52 x 77.5 x 8.35mm 163.52 x 77.5 x 8.39mm Rear Camera 50MP Main + 50MP 2x Telephoto + 8MP Ultrawide 50MP Main + 50MP 3x Periscope+ 8MP Ultrawide Selfie Camera 32MP, f/2.5 50MP, f/2.2
Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro: Cameras
Nothing has stuffed their new budget midrange devices with an additional optical zoom lens. Plus, they have improved post-processing quite a bit since the Phone (2a). Talking purely hardware, the base (3a) comes with a 50MP Samsung GN9-DL sensor with f/1.88 aperture. It comes with an 8MP ultrawide and 50MP x2 Samsung JN5 fixed-focus telephoto camera.
The Phone (3a) Pro, on the other hand, features a 50MP Samsung GNJ lens with the same f/1.88 aperture. This is again coupled with an 8MP ultrawide shooter, but the third camera is a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 x3 periscope lens. It has an f/2.55 aperture and comes with OIS. This is a traditional periscope lens, where the light bounces around before reaching the sensor, where light directly hits the camera. This allows the Phone (3a) Pro to capture better photos at longer distances.
With the periscope shooter onboard, the Phone (3a) Pro allowed me to zoom up to 60x, while I was limited to only 30x on the Phone (3a). Both phones let you record videos in 4K resolution at 30FPS. However, neither of the two devices lets you zoom in more than 8x, which is quite weird. Also, for some reason, you cannot record 4K videos with the x3 lens on the Pro model. This restriction is not present on the Phone 3a, but it doesn’t switch to the telephoto lens for videos.
The selfie camera on the Phone (3a) is a 32MP one, in comparison to the 50MP lens on the (3a) Pro. The bigger sensor allows the Pro model to capture crisper selfie shots, but the difference isn’t that apparent unless you have the two phones side by side.
Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro: Design and Build
If the design of the Nothing Phone (3a) looks familiar, then that’s because it is. Both phones have a similar industrial look to the older Phone (2a), except for the huge camera bump on the (3a) Pro. We’ll come to that shortly, but you’ll see the same 3 light Glyph interface surrounding the cameras. They also feature a transparent back and a strip-like pattern underneath the camera modules. Nothing phones now come with IP 64 certification, protecting them from minor splashes and rain.
The Phone (3a) is comparatively lighter of the two at 201 grams, and 8.3mm thin. On the other hand, the Phone (3a) Pro is 10 grams heavier and measures 8.39mm from the sides. This time, Nothing went with a glass back protected by Panda glass against scratches and other adversities. The sides are flattened on the two devices, making them less ergonomic despite the slightly slimmer profile. The wider build of the devices to house that massive display also adds to this uncomfortable hold.
Coming to cameras, the Nothing Phone (3a) adds an extra lens to the right of the horizontal setup. The Phone (3a) Pro opts for a massive camera plateau, as it houses a full-fledged L-shaped periscope lens inside. It requires more space, hence a need for a bigger camera bump and added thickness to the overall design of the phone.
Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro: What Stays the Same
Now we are mostly out of the comparisons as they both carry the same 6.77-inch 1080p AMOLED panel. Despite being a huge panel, the picture quality comes out looking sharp and vibrant. It’s a responsive panel thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate. These large panels also house the optical fingerprint sensor underneath. Using the (3a) devices was also pretty fun outdoors, and it’s a bright display. It can go up to 3000 nits, though, you need to have auto brightness turned on.
To power these big, bright displays, you’ll get a 5,000 mAh cell in both the Pro and non-Pro (3a). Having used the phones for a week for the review, I never went to bed on an empty tank. These typically last me around 6 to 7 hours, depending on how heavily I am using the device. Nothing has also bumped the fast charging on the new series to 50 watts, but the brick is still missing in the box.
A good design – check! Great display – check! Long battery life – check! So what about the performance? The Phone (3a) series is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 ditching MediaTek this year around. This is a 4nm chipset which is coupled with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. No, the Pro doesn’t feature faster storage, in case you are confused about it.
Outside of gaming, performance was rarely an inconvenience for me. That’s all thanks to the Nothing OS 3.1 which the phone comes with. This clean and lightweight software has proven time and again how a good, clean, and bloat-free UI can elevate the user experience. It feels responsive in the places where it needs to, and the newer update only further enhances the fluidity of the OS. Both phones will receive up to 3 years of major Android updates and 4 years of security patches.
It only includes the basic set of Google apps, a few Nothing alternatives, and the new Essential Space. This is a mix of the Pixel Screenshot and Gemini assistant, letting you create reminders, and to do tasks out of your screen grabs. They have even provided a dedicated button to quickly use this feature on the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro. It is a useful addition but in its early phase as of now.
Nothing Phone (3a) vs Phone (3a) Pro: What’s the Better Budget Deal
The Nothing Phone (3a) is my personal favorite in terms of design, given it’s lighter and more manageable. But (3a) Pro’s design is something a mother could love, and like one, when you spend time with the device, it starts growing on you. I started from hating the look, to now admiring it for its unorthodox style.
Apart from the design, the Phone (3a) Pro also offers a superior camera setup, unmatched at this price range. So if you are someone serious about their photos, and want a good camera phone on a limited budget, then I will wholeheartedly recommend the Pro. For anyone else looking for a good budget midrange device, I’d say that the base Phone (3a) is more than sufficient for your needs.
