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After months of rumors, hints, and official teasers, Nothing is making its next mid-range lineup official at MWC. Like last year, this year’s A-series is bringing two similar models to market, each with their own unique design and a handful of features set to try to sway you away from the Googles and Samsungs of the world. Unlike last year, though, this year’s specs sheet looks pretty impressive for the price. If you’re willing to jump through a few US-shaped hoops, the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro could be this year’s cheap Android phones to beat.
A refreshed look for Nothing’s classic design
A real hate-it-or-love-it camera bump
On their face, both of these devices feel pretty in line with what Nothing has shipped before. The Nothing Phone 3a, in particular, feels like an obvious evolution of its predecessor, albeit with the addition of a telephoto camera sensor — more on that in a bit. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is clearly trying to deliver a more premium experience, though with the misaligned lens array and the bulky, circular camera module clearly designed to call attention to it, I’ll be curious what general customers actually think.
Otherwise, this is a Nothing-branded phone through and through. Flat edges, transparent backs, loads of lights for various notification alerts and other effects — you get the idea by now. Still, there are some improvements to the underlying build quality here, including improved glass on the front and back and IP64 water and dust resistance. With the jump away from Corning’s more well-known Gorilla Glass 5 in favor of Panda Glass — previously seen on select OnePlus Nord phones — it’s worth keeping an eye out for durability reports post-launch.
From the front, both phones have plenty in common, including a slightly larger 6.77-inch 120Hz display with peak brightness ratings of 3,000 nits and high brightness mode ratings set at 1,300 nits. Both of those numbers are leaps ahead of the previous generation (1,300 and 1,100 nits on the 2a, respectively), though the 800 nits typical brightness rating is more in line with what we’ve seen in the past. These phones also have slightly larger bezels than the Nothing Phone 2a before it — not what you usually see between generations.
Frankly, the Nothing Phone 3a looks like a good continuation of what the company had already done with its previous A-series devices. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s camera bump is bound to be as divisive as it appeared throughout earlier leaks and teases, but if the improved camera system is good enough, controversial aesthetics might not matter.
Nothing’s upgraded internals are all in search of the next great AI feature
While the camera changes shine, even with a divisive design
The rest of the Nothing Phone 3a’s specs — for both devices — are about what you’d expect. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 powers both phones, a big leap forward from MediaTek’s Dimensity 7200. I found the chipset pretty promising on paper when Qualcomm announced it last summer, and the 3a series seems exactly like the intended device. Paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and I think we’re looking at a pretty solid device. I will say, though, the 10-20 gram weight increase depending on the model you select is a little disappointing, considering the dimensions are otherwise fairly similar. I’d love to see Nothing keeping its future phones under that 200g level.
Nothing Phone (3a) Nothing Phone (3a) Pro SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Display type LTPS AMOLED LTPS AMOLED Display dimensions 6.77 inches 6.77 inches Display resolution 1080 x 2392 1080 x 2392 RAM 12GB 12GB Storage 256GB 256GB Battery 5,000mAh 5,000mAh Charge speed 50W 50W Charge options Wired Wired Ports USB-C USB-C SIM support Dual nano-SIM Dual nano-SIM, eSIM Operating System NothingOS 3.1, Android 15 NothingOS 3.1, Android 15 Front camera 32MP 32MP Rear camera 50MP main f/1.88, 8MP UW 120.2° FOV, 50MP 2x telephoto 50MP main f/1,88, 8MP UW 120.2° FOV, 50MP 3x periscope telephoto Cellular connectivity 5G, 4G LTE 5G, 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity NFC NFC Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4 Bluetooth 5.4 Dimensions 163.52mm x 77.5 x 8.35 mm 163.52mm x 77.50mm x 8.90 mm Weight 201g 211g IP Rating IP64 IP64 Colors Black, White Grey/Black Price $379 $459
It’s the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 that likely brings Nothing’s new Essential Space to life. The company describes it as an “AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations,” and with a new side button available to activate it at any time, it’s something you might actually find yourself using. Pressing the Essential Key allows you to record a voice note, capture content, or jump straight to the Essential Space with the right shortcut. Despite feeling burned out by mobile AI, I’m pretty excited for this; the always-ready hardware key for recording voice notes is bound to leave me feeling like Dale Cooper.
As part of today’s announcement, Nothing is teasing a more expansive Essential Space experience to launch in the coming months, which includes — and I’m quoting here — “Camera Capture, Smart Collections, Focused Search, and Flip to Record.” No in-depth specifics on what all of those do, but Nothing says all 3a and 3a Pro users will get early access to these tools. As for updates, Nothing says its 3a series will get three years of OS upgrades and six years of security patches.
Nothing’s new look for the camera isn’t just a visual overhaul. While the company has kept the same 50MP Samsung GN9 sensor from last generation, the ultra-wide lens is getting an overhaul. The 3a and 3a Pro both sport an 8MP Sony IMX355 in place of the 50MP Samsung sensor previously used, and while that might sound disappointing on paper, a move up to a 120.2° FOV — compared to just 114° on the 2a — is a big jump.
In general, the camera system is where you’ll find the largest differences between the regular 3a and its Pro-branded sibling. The 3a gets a new 50MP 2x telephoto sensor from Samsung that supports “lossless” crop at 4x, while the 3a Pro gets a 50MP Sony periscope sensor capable of 3x optical and 6x “lossless” cropping. And all of these sensors are paired with either a 32MP or 50MP front-facing camera, respectively.
Nothing’s newest budget series has US availability — but only barely
Those looking for a flagship will have to keep waiting
Once again, Nothing is limiting its reach in the US, utilizing its “Beta Program” again to sell to those willing to take a chance on carrier support. Keep in mind that, assuming the company’s US sales program hasn’t shifted, that means you’ll be without warranty, return, and official support channels after just 14 days.
The Nothing Phone 3a is available for preorder today for $379, with deliveries shipping on March 11th. That’s when the $459 Nothing Phone 3a Pro goes up for sale, with deliveries scheduled at the end of the month on March 25th. You’ll need to check out Nothing’s website for full band support. While both devices will function on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, the former two will require users to contact their carrier with an IMEI number to earn whitelisted 5G permissions.
Nothing Phone (3a)
The Nothing Phone 3a combines a new camera system and an improved processor with some AI-powered features and a larger screen, all for under $400.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro takes everything good about the regular 3a and delivers an even more powertful camera experience.
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