After a series of teaser drops, Nothing has finally unveiled the Phone 3a series phones – Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro. The first one to feature in our review section is Nothing Phone 3a Pro. The interesting thing about the two phones is that they are almost similar in terms of specifications, with a little variation in camera specifications and the design of the camera module. On this note, let’s explore the features and specifications of the latest Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Design
The look and design of Nothing Phones have always been unique. The transparent rear body with the glyphs makes the phones stand out, and the same is the case with Nothing Phone 3a Pro. You get to see 3 glyphs near the big circular camera frame. The glyphs serve multiple functions, including countdown timers and essential notifications.
Unlike its predecessor, the Phone 3a Pro features a full-circle camera module, accommodating the new periscope zoom lens. The glass back panel, replacing polycarbonate, enhances durability and gives the phone a more premium feel. Additionally, the IP64 rating provides protection against dust and water splashes, ensuring longevity in various conditions.
A noteworthy addition is the Essential Key, placed on the right side. This programmable button allows users to quickly access the new Essential Space, an AI-driven hub for organising notes, inspirations, and reminders. The aluminum mid-frame, coupled with high-grade tempered glass on both sides, makes the phone both stylish and sturdy. Overall, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro delivers a sophisticated yet practical design.
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Display
The 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED display on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro offers an immersive visual experience. With a Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2392 pixels) and a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, users can expect sharp visuals and ultra-smooth scrolling. The 480 Hz touch sampling rate ensures instant responsiveness, making gaming and general usage feel snappy.
For brightness, the display offers 800 nits in manual mode, 1,300 nits outdoors, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits for HDR content. This means the screen remains perfectly visible under direct sunlight while delivering deep blacks and vivid colors.
OS & AI
Running on Nothing OS 3.1, based on Android 15, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro offers a clean, bloat-free experience. The interface remains fast, fluid, and minimalistic, staying true to the brand’s philosophy. Customisation is also a major focus, with monochrome themes, app label removal, and Smart Drawer organisation available.
AI plays a bigger role in this iteration, with Essential Space acting as a personal assistant for capturing and organizing notes, screenshots, and ideas. Additionally, AI-enhanced camera processing, auto-tone mapping, and voice-to-text transcription contribute to an overall intelligent and user-friendly experience. The OS has been optimized to ensure smoother multitasking and improved battery efficiency.
Nothing will also offer 3 years of OS and 4 years of security updates.
Performance
Under the hood, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. Daily tasks run effortlessly, and switching between apps is seamless. The Geekbench scores—1161 (single-core) and 3292 (multi-core)—place it in the same performance bracket as the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and Vivo V50.
For gaming enthusiasts, the Adreno 800 Series GPU ensures a smooth and stable gaming experience. Games like Call of Duty Mobile and Genshin Impact run at high settings without noticeable frame drops. Additionally, Snapdragon Elite Gaming features contribute to enhanced visual fidelity and responsive controls. Thanks to optimised power efficiency, the device runs cooler during extended gaming sessions.
Camera
One of the standout features of the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is its advanced triple-camera system, making it a powerhouse for mobile photography. The setup includes a 50 MP Samsung primary sensor (f/1.88) with OIS & EIS. A 50 MP Sony periscope telephoto lens (f/2.55) with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, and up to 60x ultra zoom. The third lens is an 8 MP ultrawide sensor (120° field of view).
Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
In the selfie department, the company has upped the game by using a 50 MP front camera with 4K recording support
Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
Daylight photography is crisp and well-balanced, with TrueLens Engine 3.0 ensuring accurate color reproduction and sharp details. The periscope lens delivers flagship-level zoom capabilities, maintaining clarity even at higher magnifications.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
Portrait shots are sharp with excellent edge detection, thanks to Portrait Optimiser AI. Night mode is a significant highlight, leveraging Ultra XDR technology, which captures detailed, noise-free low-light images with improved exposure balance.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
The selfie camera also performs exceptionally well, offering natural skin tones and vibrant colors, making it ideal for content creators.
Battery
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro houses a 5,000 mAh battery. The phone easily lasts a day and with moderate usage, the phone can last two days. Further, the combination of efficient power management and optimized software ensures minimal drain even during intensive tasks.
Charging speed is average considering the competition in the segment. The phone supports 50 W fast charging and takes around an hour to get completely charged. Charger is not included in the box. Additionally, the company has used Battery Health technology to ensure longevity, maintaining 90% capacity after three years of regular charging.
Verdict
Nothing Phone 3a Pro delivers a unique design, a good camera setup, and segment-matching performance making it an interesting option. Nothing’s transparent design makes it look different from the rest. The display is quite bright for any environment. The phone clicks good photos no matter the conditions. The periscope lens impresses in daily scenarios. The clean and customisable operating system gives the phone a different feel in its segment. The inclusion of Essential Key that acts as a shortcut to many tools gives users a useful advantage.
However, competition is stiff, with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and Vivo V50 offering similar performance. Additionally, the proximity in features to the Nothing Phone 3a might make users hesitant about whether the upgrade is truly necessary.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro starts at ₹29,999.
Published – March 04, 2025 04:00 pm IST