The Nothing (3a) and (3a) Pro are essentially the same midrange phone, with the latter having some nice-to-have options. This third generation now offers severe competition to established brands.
Nothing has lifted the bar over the 2024 Nothing (2a) and (2a) Plus – Read Nothing (2a) – a nothing special smartphone for the masses.
As a smartphone reviewer for over 25 years, I have found that Nothing was a bold move to be different (in looks/design), but under the hood, it was pretty average tech—nothing to write home about. The (2a) received 76/100 (a pass mark is 70 100). The (3a) and (3a) Pro scored 87 – a considerable jump.
This generation uses Nothing OS 3.1 (it has matured nicely) and has added three Android updates and six years of security patches—excellent for a mid-range device.
Let’s position these almost identical twins because Nothing is a relatively new and unknown brand.
- (a) is for Mid-range phones. Nothing has the CMF sub-brand for entry-level, and the soon-to-be-released (3) is an entry-level premium phone.
- Android 15 with Nothing OS 3.1 UI, which adds value if you like slightly quirky!
- Uses Qualcomm SD 7s Gen 3 SoC and 10-bit AMOLED screen
Main differences
| Nothing Phone (3a) | Nothing Phone (3a) Pro | |
| Price | $599 8/128 $689 12/256 | $849 12/256 |
| SIM | Dual | Dual + eSIM (Max 2) |
| RAM | 8/128 or 12/256GB | 12/265 |
| Rear Cameras | Uses the same 50MP wide and 8MP Ultrawide, but the specs differ slightly from the 3a Pro. | The specs differ slightly to include the periscope instead of the telephoto. |
| Telephoto | 50MP. f/2.0, .64um, 2X/30 optical/hybrid | 50MP, f/2.6/.8um, 3X/60 optical/hybrid periscope |
| Selfie | 32MP | 50MP |
The differences may appear minor, but I like an eSIM, 12GB RAM, and the Periscope 3X/60X Optical/Hybrid zoom with OIS and EIS is a great addition. Image: (3a) top and (3a) Pro below.
Australian review: Nothing (3a) and (3a) Pro
- Nothing Phone (3a), 8/128GB (12/256GB as tested), dual SIM, Model A059
- Nothing Phone (3a) Pro 12/256GB, dual SIM and eSIM, Model A059P
This is a combined review, and any Pro differences will be noted in either a separate column or in brackets.
| Brand | Nothing | Nothing |
| Model | Nothing Phone (3a) | Nothing Phone (3a) Pro |
| Model Number | A059 | A059P |
| RAM/Storage Base | 8/128 | 12/256 |
| Price base | 599 | 849 |
| Price 2 | $689 12/256GB | |
| Warranty months | 24-months | 24-months |
| Teir | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Website | Product page | Product page |
| From | JB Hi-Fi or Nothing AU online | JB Hi-Fi or Nothing AU online |
| Made in | China | China |
| Company | Nothing (Est. 2020) is privately owned and London-based. | Nothing (Est. 2020) is privately owned and London-based. |
| More | CyberShack smartphone news and reviews | CyberShack smartphone news and reviews |
| Test date | March | March |
| Ambient temp | 15-28° | 15-28° |
| Release | March | March |
| Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy) | Only buy from Nothing Online or JB Hi-Fi. The rest are grey market. | Only buy from Nothing Online or JB Hi-Fi. The rest are grey market. |
Warning: Do not buy grey market
Nothing is a trendy phone brand with a huge grey market. Only buy the Australian-certified version for Telco networks and an Australian warranty from Nothing AU or JB Hi-Fi. You can check its bonafide by an R-NZ C-Tick on the packaging and under Settings, About Phone, and Regulatory labels.
Read: Don’t buy a grey market smartphone.
Test ratings
We use the following ratings: Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations), and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader). We occasionally give a Passable rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass+ rating to indicate it is good but does not quite meet the Exceed standard. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
How to make the best use of this review
We tested over 70 different aspects and uncovered nearly 300 key data points about the device. Overall reviews can reach 5000+ words. So, if you are keen, this is the world’s most comprehensive review!
If you want to see our impressions only, they are at the beginning of each table, and at the end are CyberShack’s View, competitor analysis, and ratings. Ratings are based on the price bracket and expectations, so a $200 phone may score as well as a $2000 phone—we compare like with like.
Where the (3a) and (3a) Pro differ, we will put the latter in an adjacent table or brackets.
First Impression – yes, it’s a Nothing
Nothing has, for want of a better word, a techno-funk rear design with Glyph lights, big camera bumps, and transparent tinted rear glass showing (faux) wiring. They have a straight edge frame with rounded corners. Turn them over, and they are typical boring glass slabs until you turn them on and see the colourful, 10-bit AMOLED screen and some more funky icons (only Nothing apps – the rest are Google standard).
On the right side is power (uppermost), and below it is a new ‘Essential Key’ to open Nothing’s ‘Essential Space’. On the left are volume up and down.
It is important to remember that these are midrange devices at reasonable prices.
Essential Key/Essential Space
One press captures the screen, and you can add voice or text notes. I used it a few times, but I got tired of pressing the wrong key and dismissing the screen. It was also inconveniently placed for a selfie mount.
It creates summaries, transcriptions, and possible actions like reminders or to-do lists, all sorted into collections. It needs an internet and server connection and requires photo, location and notification permissions. If you use the key in the camera app, the photo goes to the Essential Space, where you can add voice or text notes, etc.
All content is securely stored on-device. When it needs cloud processing, data is encrypted, securely processed, and automatically deleted once completed.
It is a work in progress; if you consider it valuable, then great. Nothing does not allow the button to be disabled or remapped.
AI – There but not dominant
Unlike one major brand that promotes its AI (and shoves it down your throat by requiring a user account and using its apps), Nothing quietly supports Google Gemini Nano.
It has sufficient NPU power via the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to do most standard AI on the device. It can also access Google Gemini cloud for all that it offers. You can enable ‘Circle to Search’ under Navigation settings. At this stage, Google Gemini remains free for on-device and basic AI-cloud.
Glyph Interface LEDs
Glyph LED strips on the rear light up in patterns to indicate notifications, calls, timers, charging, volume, music visualisation and more. It has moved past the gimmick stage to a helpful visual indicator, and third-party apps like Uber, Google Calendar, etc., can access its API.
Screen – Exceed
This full 10-bit/1/07 billion colour, 120Hz AMOLED screen puts Samsung and Google’s 8-bit/16.7 million colour screens to shame.
The colours are accurate and punchy (Alive or Standard modes). The typical brightness is around 400 nits, but it ramps up to about 800 nits in the sun and as high as 3,000 nits (2% window) with HDR10+ video.
It uses Panda Glass (like Gorilla Glass 3) with a Mohs hardness of 6 (steel at 6.5 scratches it). It is not drop-resistant. Although it has a factory-fitted screen protector, we recommend using a third-party glass protector.
PWM – You are very safe
At 2160Hz, it avoids PWM dimming at 50%+ brightness.
Summary: For the price, its Flexible 10-bit AMOLED screen is a superb choice, with an excellent colour gamut and colour accuracy.
Better still, at 2160Hz, it avoids PWM dimming at 50%+ brightness. It still has PWM below 50%.
While it is supposed to be the same screen as the (3a) Pro, there are batch differences that account for slightly different gamut and performance.
Screen specs
| Size | 6.77″ |
| Type | Flexible AMOLED LTPS (Not LTPO) |
| Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D | Flat with centre o-hole |
| Resolution | 2392 x 1080 |
| PPI | 387 |
| Ratio | 20:9 |
| Screen to Body % | 88% |
| Colours bits | 10-bit/1.07 billion colours True 10-bit – not 8-bit plus 2 FRC |
| Refresh Hz, adaptive | High: 120Hz maximum Standard: 60Hz Dynamic: 60/90/120Hz 30Hz base for video playback 60Hz games lock Note that the screen only supports 60/90/120Hz stepping – it is not LTPO AMOLED. Games lock at 60Hz |
| Response 120Hz | 1000Hz |
| Nits typical, test | Claim: 800 typical Test: 720 (717) The (3a) review model had a slightly whiter screen than the (3a) Pro. |
| Nits max, test | Claim 1300 HBM Test: 1275 (1257) Claim 3000 peak Unable to test in a 2% window, but it does support HDR10+ (no Dolby Vision) |
| Contrast | Infinite |
| sRGB | 100+% in Standard and Alive modes |
| DCI-P3 | 80% Standard mode 110% Alive mode |
| Rec.2020 or other | N/A |
| Delta E (<4 is excellent) | From 2 to 2.7 depending on mode |
| HDR Level | HDR10+ (no Dolby Vision) |
| SDR Upscale | No |
| Blue Light Control | No, but the night light setting gives a warm colour temperature. |
| PWM if known | Claim 2160Hz |
| Daylight readable | Yes |
| Always on Display | Yes |
| Edge display | No |
| Accessibility | Usual Android 15 |
| DRM | L1 SDR and HDR from some streaming platforms |
| Gaming | 60Hz lock There is a gaming setting to focus on games without interruption. |
| Screen protection | Panda Glass (no grade specified) MoH hardness 6 (average scratch resistance) Not drop resistant |
Processor – Pass+
The Qualcomm SD7s Gen 3 is a great mid-range choice. It has many of the more expensive SD8 features and enough performance to satisfy. Qualcomm SoCs are the most trouble-free with good overall performance.
It has an NPU to do AI, albeit slower than a Google Pixel 9 or Samsung S25 Ultra.
| Brand, Model | Qualcomm SD7s Gen 3 |
| nm | 4nm TSMC N4P |
| Cores | 1×2.5GHz + 3×2.4GHz + 4×1.8GHz |
| Modem | Qualcomm integrated 5G modem up to 2.9Gbps (not specifying X series name) |
| AI TOPS OR Multi-thread Integer Operations Per Second (INOPS) GINOPS = billion | Geekbench AI’s last score is an overall rating. By comparison, the Samsung S25 Ultra rating is in brackets. CPU 690/645/1246 (4571) GPU 249/323/322 (1749) NNAPI 233/234/542 (1459) QNN 235/236/11259 (61049) AiTuTu: 52,352 (66443) AI Benchmark 6: 1385 (10536) GFLOPS: 13.56 (22.57) GINOPS: 17.29 (35.909) |
| AnTuTu | 796,392 (Samsung S25 Ultra is 2,143,922) |
| Geekbench 6 Single-core | 1208 |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 3373 |
| Like | Most like MediaTek Dimensity 8050 or SD870. Benchmarks |
| GPU | Adreno 810 |
| GPU Test | |
| Open CL | 3404 |
| Like | SD 870 |
| Vulcan | 4427 |
| RAM, type | 8 or 12GB LPDDR4X plus 2GB virtual RAM (12GB in Pro) |
| Storage, free, type | 128 or 256GB UFS 2.2 (256GB in Pro) |
| micro-SD | No |
| CPDT internal seq. Read MBps sustained/peak | 769.7 1050 |
| CPDT internal seq. write MBps sustained/peak | 523.29 68.87 |
| CPDT microSD read, write MBps | N/A |
| CPDT external (mountable?) MBps | Sees a 2TB external SSD in Files but won’t test or mount. |
| Comment | It is a great processor with more than enough power and speed for daily use. It can handle games (screen locks to 60Hz). It has a Hexagon NPU for basic on-device AI processing. Google Gemini. As you can see, AI is nowhere near the SD8 Elite. |
Throttle test – Exceed
Nothing has done a great job with vacuum heat exchange, and the SoC only minimally throttles under a 100% load for 15 minutes/
| Max GIPS | 288459 |
| Average GIPS | 276343 |
| Minimum GIPS | 257882 |
| % Throttle | 8% |
| CPU Temp | <50 |
| Comment | The SD7s Gen 3 is a 4nm chip, and Nothing has done a great job with thermal management, resulting in minimal throttling under our 100% load test for 15 minutes. |
Comms – Pass but could be so much more
The Qualcomm SoC supports Wi-Fi 6E AXE, but it is not enabled, meaning this is a dual-band 2.4/5GHz device losing the 6GHz band. Its absence is due to cost, and few, if any, competitors in this price bracket offer 6E.
It performs exceptionally well on the 5GHz band, hitting the maximum speed of 2822/2822Mbps full duplex at 2m and minimal drop off out to 10 or 15m.
Bluetooth is 5.4 Multipoint (you can connect to two devices).
GPS is single-band and has a 3m accuracy. It is OK for in-vehicle navigation, as the processor can recalculate quickly.
USB-C 2.0 supports external SSD OTG cut and paste backup but no Alt DP video or audio.
| Wi-Fi Type, model | Wi-Fi 6 AX 2.4/5 WCN6750 2 x 2, MU-MIMO BUT 6E is not enabled |
| Test 2m -dBm, Rx/Tx Mbps | -41/2882/2822 |
| Test 5m | -44/2600/2401 |
| Test 10m | -53/2401/2161 |
| BT Type | 5.4 Multi-point |
| GPS single, dual | GPS (L1), Glonass (L1), Beidou (B1), Galilei (E1), QZSS (L1) |
| USB type | USB-C 2.0 480Mbps no Alt DP support |
| ALT DP, DeX, Ready For | No |
| NFC | ST21NFC |
| Ultra-wideband | No |
| Sensors | |
| Accelerometer | Yes |
| Gyro | Combo |
| e-Compass | Yes |
| Barometer | |
| Gravity | |
| Pedometer | |
| Ambient light | Front |
| Hall sensor | |
| Proximity | Yes |
| Comment | Someone should tell Nothing that we have Wi-Fi 6E down under. |
4/5G – Pass+
Two things make this a very good phone: strong reception for city, suburbs, regional, and rural use and a DSDA (Dual SIM, Dual Active), meaning you can have two SIMs active simultaneously.
The (3a) Pro has dual SIMM and an e-SIM, making it more attractive to travellers. Both have most 4G world bands.
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Active | DSDA (dual SIM, Dual Active) |
| Ring tone: single, dual | Single |
| VoLTE | Yes |
| Wi-Fi calling | Yes |
| 4G Bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 |
| Comment | Close to a world phone |
| 5G sub-6 GHz | n1, 2, 3,5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78 |
| Comment | Close to a world phone |
| mmWave | N/A |
| Test Boost Mobile, Telstra | |
| DL/UL, ms | 4G 26.5/14/4/28ms (average) 5G – not strong enough signal |
| Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW | 4G Band 3 7.9pW 4G Band 28 2.5pW 5G – Band 7 199.5fW |
| Tower 2 | 4G Band 3 2pW 5G Band 7 20fW |
| Tower 3 | 4G Band 3 2pW 4G Band 28 1.6pW |
| Tower 4 | 4G Band 28 794fW |
| Comment | As a 4G phone, it will work in cities, suburbs, regional and rural areas if you have adequate band 28 coverage. As a 5G phone (the test is in a blackspot), it’s OK for city and suburb use. |
Battery – Pass+
Nothing advertises this as a 50W charge capable, but in our tests with several high-end GaN chargers and 5W cables, we could only get 9V/3A/27W. Our charge times reflect that.
It claims that its battery can have 1200 recharge cycles and retain 90% capacity. While this claim may be technically correct, it is likely based on using around 70% maximum charge and slow night charge options.
It uses 250mA when idle/screen on but a relatively high 1500-1550mA under load/screen-on. Typical users will get 15-20 hours of use, but heavy users like gamers could see it exhausted in <5 hours. The 1080p video loop at 22 hours is quite good.
Battery specs
| mAh | 5000mAh nominal (19.45Wh) 3.89V/4.92A/19.14W Claimed 1200 recharge cycles at 90% fill |
| Charger, type, supplied | None supplied Claim 50W capable Using Anker 240W (100W per channel) and 5W cable achieved 9V/3A/27W |
| PD, QC level | PD and PPS |
| Qi, wattage | N/A |
| Reverse Qi or cable | 7.5W cable |
| Test (60Hz or adaptive screen) | Adaptive |
| Charge % 30mins | 0.6 |
| Charge 0-100% | Claim 56 minutes 1 hour 7 minutes |
| Charge Qi, W Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge | N/A |
| Charge 5V, 2A | 5 hours |
| Video loop 50%, aeroplane mode | 22 hours |
| PC Mark 3 battery | 17 hours 19 minutes Accubattery: 17 hours 49 minutes |
| GFX Bench Manhattan battery | Would not run |
| GFX Bench T-Rex | 892.7 minutes, 14.87 hours, 3353 frames |
| Drain 100-0% full load screen on. | 3 hours 30 minutes Accubattery: 4 hours 57 minutes |
| mA Full load screen on | 1500-1550 |
| mA Watt idle Screen on | 250 |
| Estimate loss at max refresh | 20% |
| Estimate typical use | It is a little hard to be accurate, as 250 mA at idle is good, but 1500-1550 mA under load is 20% higher than we expected. The always-on display and 120Hz would exhaust this in 3-5 hours of screen-on time. If you are a typical user, you might get 15-20 hours. |
| Comment | We have only one issue – that the best 100/140W GaN chargers could only charge at 9V/3A/27W with a 5W cable. Nothing claim 50W (presumably 10V/5A). Battery Saver can charge to 90%, and Battery Health can charge between 70% and 90% (I presume the battery charge cycles are based on this). It also has a slow charge setting for overnight use. |
Sound hardware – Pass+
The sound hardware is largely Qualcomm Aqsitic-based, but it uses 2 x TFA98 5W Class-D amps, probably to squeeze a little more volume out.
Qualcomm has a suite of aptX codecs and high-res LDAC, which is excellent for Bluetooth earphones. Hands-free is good with some noise cancelling. It has a USB-C DAC to allow direct connection of USB headphones.
But good hardware does not mean good sound – read Sound Quality next.
| Speakers | Forward-firing Earpiece and down-firing bottom speaker |
| Tuning | Not specified |
| AMP | 2 x TFA98 5.6W, THD 1% |
| Dolby Atmos decode | No |
| Hi-Res | Yes, with BT and LDAC |
| 3.5mm | No, but has FSA4480 USB-C DAC to allow a direct connection to USB headphones |
| BT Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC, LHDC V3/5 up to 24-bit/48000Hz. |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Dolby Atmos (DA) | No decoder or spatial sound processing |
| EQ | No |
| Mics | One top and one bottom with what appears to be an ANC mic near the camera |
| Test dB – all on EQ flat | |
| Volume max | 82 (little above average) |
| Media (music) | 70.8 |
| Ring | 76.1 |
| Alarm | 81.1 |
| Notifications | 75.9 |
| Earpiece | 55 |
| Hands-free | Dual mics and what appears to be an ANC mic near the camera provide good voice pickup. The volume is adequate for hands-free use at arm’s length. |
| BT headphones | The Qualcomm Aqstic audio, with a wide selection of codecs and 24-bit processing, makes this a good device for headphones—especially LDAC-compatible ones. |
Sound Quality – Passable
No glass slab has great sound – getting deep bass and decent treble from the micro-speakers is impossible. So, most focus on clear voice (1-4kHz), and this is no exception.
Music-wise, the lack of almost all bass and treble means the music is flat and lifeless unless you use BT or USB headphones.
| Deep Bass 20-40Hz | Nil |
| Middle Bass 40-100Hz | Nil |
| High Bass 100-200Hz | Slow climb to 500Hz |
| Low Mid 200-400Hz | Slow climb to 500Hz |
| Mid 400-1000Hz | Flat to 6kHz |
| High-Mid 1-2kHz | Flat to 6kHz |
| Low Treble 2-4kHz | Flat to 6kHz |
| Mid Treble 4-6kHz | Steep dive to 20kHz |
| High Treble 6-10kHz | Steep dive to 20kHz |
| Dog Whistle 10-20kHz | Steep dive to 20kHz |
| Sound Signature type | Mid for clear voice. The music quality has no significant bass or treble and lacks any vitality. |
| Soundstage | As wide as the phone. DA and spatial content do not give any 3D height or surround. |
| Comment | It is easy to be a ‘harsh’ judge, but most phones are no better. This has a decent balance between the speakers and decent left-right separation, but the micro-speakers cannot do more. |
Build – Pass+
While it has a plastic outer frame, the mid-frame is aluminium, making it stronger. It is well-made and should last the distance.
| Size (H X W x D) | 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm |
| Weight grams | 201 |
| Front glass | Panda Glass has a Mohs hardness 6 for scratch resistance but not drop resistance. Since glass can shatter easily, we recommend a third-party glass protector. |
| Rear material | 2.5D transparent tinted Glass revealing faux wiring sticker inside |
| Frame | Mid-frame Aluminium Outer frame – PMMA |
| IP rating | IP64 |
| Colours | Black (Black or Grey) White Blue |
| Pen and stylus support | No |
| Teardown | See below |
| In the box | |
| Charger | No |
| USB cable | 3W |
| Buds | No |
| Bumper cover | No |
| Comment | Use any PPS or PD charger >30W and 5A cable for maximum charge speed. |
They are relatively easy to repair 4.5/10
Android – Pass+
As I used Nothing OS 3.1 overlaid on pure Android, I found lots of added value and, frankly, not as much of a learning curve as I expected. We mentioned Glyph and the Experience Space earlier.
It has a 2+3+6 warranty, OS upgrades and security patches.
| Android | Android 15 |
| Security patch date | 1/2/25 (current) |
| UI | Nothing OS 3.1 |
| OS upgrade policy | 3 OS |
| Security patch policy | 6 years security patches |
| Bloatware | It is very clean – 10 points! You can use all standard Google apps as well as some Nothing substitutes. Those used to Android’s standard icons may have to relearn the Nothing iconography – easy. |
| Other | Glyph Composer Glyph Torch Glyph Progress (supports Google Calendar) Flip to Glyph Bedtime schedule Music visualisation Camera countdown Glyph Fill Light |
| Comment | Essential Key Long-press to record voice. Double press to access Essential Space. AI organises your captures and generates personalised suggestions and actions to help you stay on top. |
| Security | |
| Fingerprint sensor location, type | Goodix Under Glass |
| Face ID | 2D |
| Comment | I am beginning to enjoy using Nothing OS 3.1. At first, I thought it a bit ‘wanky’ with its dot matrix printer fonts and icons but much thought has gone into adding value to Android 15 and beyond. |
Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro Camera – Pass+
When I first tested the devices, all three sensors suffered from excessive overprocessing. The latest firmware updates have addressed that, and it’s more natural now. So before you read on, please note that the camera received at least two major firmware updates in March/April, which quickly addressed any early review issues, so beware of March reviews.
Nothing has AI TrueLens Engine 3.0, which enhances tone mapping and scene recognition across multiple frames to produce the final image. It achieves a reasonable balance between details in the high and low lights. It uses Google’s Ultra HDR format to display enhanced dynamic range.
The camera is the most significant difference between the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro.
Both have a 50MP wide sensor (different model sensors) and an 8MP ultrawide sensor (the same), although there are subtle differences in implementation. It is pretty good all around, with solid colour and dynamic range. It produces well-balanced and natural colours in daylight, office, and low light.
The Pro has a 3X/60X optical/hybrid 50MP Sony Lyta 600 Periscope sensor – you can shoot 50MP with 3X optical zoom – excellent. The 3a has a straight telephoto 50MP JN5 Samsung 2X/30X sensor.
The 30X is an AI hybrid zoom using the (3a) 8X digital and 2X Optical zoom (no OIS). The 60X (3a) Pro uses the 6X digital and 3X Optical zoom and has OIS/EIS stabilisation, which is a pleasure to use and gives excellent results.
The 8M ultra-wide is reasonable in daylight – the colours don’t match the wide sensor, but overall, having that extra wide shot is nice. The (3a) uses this for the fixed focus macro, but the (3a) Pro uses the periscope for macro for better results.
The read camera video has a maximum of 4K@30fps, but as usual, 1080p@30fps has OIS and EIS and gives a great result. The audio recording is average.
We cannot resist commenting on the (3a) Pro’s massive circular 55 x 5mm huge camera hump but it is pretty convenient to hold the phone, and it does not rock on a desk.
You can even create camera presets and open a default preset when double-pressing the power button.
Summary—This is one of the better mid-range setups, and the Pro periscope sensor is unheard of at this price.
Camera test shots
(3a) left and (3a) Pro right unless indicated
Camera Specs
| Rear Primary | Wide | Wide round 5mm depth camera bump |
| MP | 50.1MP bins to 12.5MP | 50.3MP bins to 12.6MP |
| Sensor | Samsung SK5GN9 | Samsung SK5GNJ |
| Focus | PDAF | Dual Pixel PDAF |
| f-stop | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| um | ||
| FOV° (stated, actual) | 84.5 (72.8 to 85.1) | 84.5 (72.8 to 85.3) |
| Stabilisation | OIS and Qualcomm EIS | OIS and Qualcomm EIS |
| Zoom | 8X digital | 6X digital |
| Rear 2 | Ultra-wide | Ultra-wide |
| MP | 8MP | Same |
| Sensor | Sony IMX355 | |
| Focus | Fixed | |
| f-stop | 2.2 | |
| um | 2 | |
| FOV (stated, actual) | 120 | |
| Stabilisation | No | |
| Zoom | No | |
| Rear 3 | Telephoto | Periscope Zoom and 3x 6x macro |
| MP | 50MP bins to 12.5MP | 50MP bins to 12.5MP |
| Sensor | Samsung S5KJN5 | Sony LYTIA 600 (IMX882) |
| Focus | PDAF | PDAF |
| f-stop | f/2.0 | f/2.55 |
| um | .64 bins to 1.28 | .8 bins to 1.8 |
| FOV (stated, actual) | 49.5 | 33.6 |
| Stabilisation | EIS | OIS and Qualcomm EIS |
| Zoom | 2X Optical 30X Hybrid Digital | 3X Optical 60X Hybrid Digital |
| Video max | good dynamic range good audio 4K@30fps | |
| Flash | Single | |
| Auto-HDR | Yes | |
| Ultra XDR Auto Tone Portrait Optimiser Motion Capture Night Mode | ||
| QR code reader | Yes | |
| Night mode | Yes | |
| DXO Mark | No | |
| Nothing has nailed the tri-camera setup with a decent 50 (Wide) + 50 (Telephoto) and 8 (Ultrawide). All work very well and AI processing is good without being overpowering. |
Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro selfie camera
The selfies are different (3a) 32MP and (3a) Pro 50MP. The image is natural, and the quality is good but quite different, especially when you want to enlarge the image. Both will do a small group selfie.
| Front | Selfie | Selfie |
| MP | 32MP bins to 8MP | 50MP bins to 12.5MP |
| Sensor | Samsung S5KKD1 | Samsung SK5JN1 |
| Focus | Fixed | Fixed |
| f-stop | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| um | .64 bins to 1.28 | .64 bins to 1.28 |
| FOV (stated, actual) | 89 (76.1 to 88.8) | 81.2 (71.8 to 84.3) |
| Stabilisation | No | No |
| Flash | Screen fill | Screen fill |
| Zoom | No – crop factor 8.2X | No – crop factor 6.6X |
| Video max | 1080p@60fps | 4K@30fps |
CyberShack’s view: Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro are nothing to be sneezed at
After the underwhelming (2a) last year, I could only wish this company all the best in its UK home market. I had no expectations that the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro would lift the bar so much and provide class-leading features and value.
The pick is the (3a) Pro, but that is because I use periscope zoom and an e-SIM. Otherwise, the (3a) 12/256GB version is the sweet spot.
While it will primarily appeal to the trendy types, don’t write these off because chances are they are way better than what you were thinking of buying.
Competition
The (3a) It is the class leader in the $500-599 bracket, substantially eclipsing Samsung A36 for speeds and feeds.
The (3a) Pro is the class leader in the $800-899 bracket. It faces more competition from Google Pixel 9a and OPPO Reno 13 and eats the HDM Skyline for breakfast.
Overall, it has more RAM/Storage, a better camera, better phone reception and a better screen than any competitor.
Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro ratings
| Ratings | Please note that a pass mark is 70/100 | |
| Features | 85 | 85 |
| Nothing has achieved near perfection for a $599/680 mid-range. It has a great camera, screen, processor, phone reception and a very interesting/likeable Nothing OS 3.1 over Android 15. Go for the 12/256GB model | ||
| Value | 90 | 90 |
| It is the class leader in $500-599, substantially eclipsing Samsung A36 in terms of speeds and feeds. | It is the class leader in $800-899. It faces more competition from Google Pixel 9a and OPPO Reno 13 and eats the HDM Skyline for breakfast. Overall, it has more RAM/Storage, a better camera, phone reception, and screen than any other. | |
| Performance | 90 | 90 |
| It has a Qualcomm SD7s Gen 3 processor, which is all you need for daily use and productivity. Considering you would have to spend 2-3 times more for an SD8 Elite processor, this is all you need—and then some. | ||
| Ease of Use | 85 | 85 |
| It is easy once you get used to Nothing OS 3.1 and its iconography. Pure Android 15 with a quirky font! AI is shoved down your throat, but it is there with Google Gemini and its on-device and on-cloud features. Add a two-year warranty, three OS upgrades, and six years of security patches, and you cannot go wrong. | ||
| Design | 85 | 85 |
| I like the design, from the Glyph lights to the square-sided frame. It’s chic without being over the top. | ||
| Rating out of 10 | 87 | 87 |
Pros and Cons
| Pro | ||
| 1 | It has a great, colour-accurate, 10-bit AMOLED screen, and no PWM! | |
| 2 | Excellent energy-efficient SD7s Gen 3 processor with reasonable battery life. | |
| 3 | Great camera—the only thing missing is the (3a) Pro’s periscope zoom. Its 2X/20X telephoto is good. | Great camera – the periscope zoom is 3x/60X, is impressive. |
| 4 | City, suburb, regional and rural phone reception | |
| 5 | Interesting UI over pure Android adds value | |
| Final comment | When I tested the (2a), I wrote that it’s a great second try, but too many issues made it hard to recommend. The score was 76/100. I was pleasantly surprised that the (3a) and Pro were such a quantum leap over the 2a, removing any objections that anyone could have and remembering the incredible value these present. The Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro have our unreserved buy recommendation. | |
| Con | ||
| 1 | For the price – none | |
| 2 | No charger inbox | |
| 3 | Warranty and service via JB Hi-Fi | |
| 4 | Wi-Fi 6E is not implemented here | |
| 5 |
CyberShack Verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro
From $599 to $849
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