Nothing Phone (3a) Review: Perfect for entertainment, but lacks durability

Nothing Phone (3a) Review: Nothing, a London-based company known for its attractive and antique mobile back designs, launched its new series ”3’—including the 3a and 3a Pro—in March 2025 at a mid-price range. The devices come with several upgrades, including an improved camera, processor, display, and the new “Essential Space” button. We reviewed the Nothing Phone (3a) over a few weeks and the question remains: Is it worth buying this smartphone for its eye-catching design and other upgraded features? Read on to find out what we experienced.

Phone (3a): Design and build quality

Similar to the previously launched models with an attractive style, the new 3a series also grabs attention with its transparent back and visible internal structure. According to the company, the phone features upgraded glass back panels, though in-hand it feels more like plastic. The side panel, SIM tray, and volume and power buttons are also made of plastic.

The back showcases a triple-camera setup instead of the earlier dual-camera design, which makes it hard to lay the phone flat on surface and could create scratches on the setup. The phone also has an ‘IP64’ rating, which indicates that the device resists dust and water splashes but is not fully waterproof. In our experience, the phone’s back design catches people’s attention quite easily. We found the plastic side panels to be of low quality—our handset got damaged when it accidentally collided with a surface. A drop from a significant height could cause serious damage.

Moreover, it feels too wide and slippery to hold comfortably, making it difficult to manage with one hand.

Phone (3a) Camera: A gamechanger in capturing moments

The Phone (3a) features a triple-camera setup: a 50 MP main sensor with OIS, an 8 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50 MP telephoto lens. It delivers impressive quality in all lighting conditions—whether it is in daylight, nighttime, or low-light environments. Another thing we noticed is that it delivers real images without filtering and touching up faces with colours, which means whatever you capture will be real. Moreover, the three-camera setup comes with two kinds of flashes.

Another thing we noticed is that it delivers real images without filtering and touching up faces with colours, which means whatever you capture will be real. Moreover, the three-camera setup comes with two kinds of flashes 

Fan of touch-up selfies?

The 32 MP selfie camera on the Phone (3a) captures real, unfiltered images. It delivers clarity, sharpness, raw/natural results that might not appeal to everyone. Those specifically conscious of their looks might be a little taken aback given the detail it captures!

Does camera zoom bring things closer?

Yes, the zoom feature lives up to the company’s slogan, “get closer without getting closer.” From around 150 meters away, the 50 MP telephoto lens captured a text-based hoarding clearly. We have attached images at different zoom levels—1x (normal), 2x, 4x, and even 30x — to demonstrate the zoom capabilities of the device:

We shot a video inside a movie theatre from about 40 feet away, which is a dark environment as usual, and the result was surprisingly close to OTT-level quality (at least that’s what we feel the naked eye would find).

Nothing Phone (3a) Performance Review: Smooth experience in gaming, UI

The Nothing Phone (3a) is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, which delivers a smooth and lag-free experience, both in everyday usage and during gaming sessions.

Can the RAM be upgraded?

If you are not fully satisfied with the default performance, the phone supports RAM expansion — allowing up to 20GB of RAM (combined physical and virtual), according to the company.

Does it lag in BGMI?

To test its real-world performance, we played Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). The phone supports up to 90 FPS, offering ‘Smooth’ graphics at ‘Extreme’ levels and ‘HDR’ graphics up to ‘Ultra’, thanks to the Qualcomm Adreno GPU. Throughout the gameplay, it performed without any lag and delivered a consistently smooth experience — until Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! The large, bezel-less display adds to the immersive feel, making it ideal for two- to three-finger control setups, especially during high-intensity gaming battles. Touch response and visibility were top-notch.

Phone (3a) Battery: How long does it last on single charge?

Equipped with a 5000mAh battery, the Phone (3a) lasts up to two days with normal usage and at least a full day with heavy or extreme usage. Nothing claims that the Snapdragon processor enhances charging efficiency by supporting turbo charging. In our experience, however, it took around 1 to 1.5 hours to fully charge the device from 0 per cent to 100 per cent.

Phone (3a) Display: Big, wide screen helps to entertain at best

The bezel-less 6.77-inch display of the smartphone offers an immersive experience while watching movies, videos and playing games, delivering clear visuals even from a distance. It produces crisp visuals with good colours and brightness levels, making it easy to view even under direct sunlight.

Speaking of sunlight, the auto-brightness feature on this phone works exceptionally well. It accurately adjusts the display brightness whether you’re outdoors in bright sunlight or in a dark room. The phone boasts a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

Essential Space: A feature that doesn’t feel all that ‘essential’

Ever had a moment where you forgot something you wanted to write or struck something that came to mind? The newly added Essential Space button is designed to help you quickly capture those thoughts, any kind of voice notes— making it easier to recall ideas for art, creativity, or personal notes later on.

However, in real-life experience, this feature doesn’t feel all that necessary. It often gets in the way. Its placement next to the power button is a bit inconvenient — I accidentally pressed the Essential Space button multiple times instead of the power button. As a result, it recorded several unwanted clips or voice notes and stored them in the phone unnecessarily.

Nothing Phone (3a): Availability, pricing

The Nothing Phone (3a) is available in three colour variants: Black, White, and Blue. It will come in two storage configurations — the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 22,999, and the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant will be available at Rs 24,999.

Here are a few drawbacks:

• No 3.5mm audio jack
• No charger is included in the box
• It should be waterproof at this price range
• The device should be more durable to face normal jolts
• The device’s width is just too much (it may feel uncomfortable to use at once)
• The volume button could have been aligned with the power button 
• The camera shouldn’t stick out the way it does
• Cameras are not to be over the back side to keep on surface without any scratches
• The volume buttons should be aligned with the power button, especially on wider phones
• Essential Space button should be positioned away from power button to avoid accidental presses

Nothing Phone (3a): Final verdict

Overall, the smartphone offers a package of entertainment and other common features at its price point. 

In terms of entertainment, design, and camera performance, the device stands out and delivers excellent value. That said, during daily use, the phone feels slippery ihand and even on flat surfaces, which may affect handling comfort and can be damaged by slipping.

While style and entertainment are not the only important things, the company should also focus on the build quality for long-term use. To remain competitive in the Indian market, Nothing should focus on offering more durable designs in such models rather than focusing on style and looks.