But is quirky, eye-catching design enough? Do the smartphones’ hardware and software work in tandem to deliver a smooth experience that one has come to expect from Nothing? Are these the best smartphones in their price bracket? Let’s find out.
Design
Of the Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro, the non-pro variant is my favourite in this series. Nothing sent me the unit in white for review and it is a stunner. It’s a step up from the Nothing Phone (2a) in nearly every department. It is more refined, uses more premium materials, and even the finish on the plastic sides — which felt a little cheap on the (2a) — gives it a soft, satiny feel.
But more importantly, the stark white of the phone contrasts very nicely with the black metal buttons, so much so that it is eerily reminiscent of the fabled Lumia smartphones. I once used a white Lumia and the Nothing Phone (3a) is its spiritual successor with the now-signature transparent design identity that is all its own.
The Phone (3a) Pro, on the other hand, is interesting to look at. There’s a little too much going on at the back with the massive, circular camera module. The rest of the design is in line with the (3a)’s, with extremely nice finish. I received the grey variant for review.
I’m not a big fan of the camera arrangement on the back. The lenses are arranged asymmetrically and while others might like it, this particular design element is not for me; it just doesn’t seem cohesive enough, but that’s only as far as looks go.
The iconic glyph lights are back, with two curved LED strips at the 10 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions around the camera module, and a straight strip at the 7 o’clock position. This time around, you can use the glyph interface to not only set timers or track your Uber ride or Zomato order, but also volume levels on the phone.
I like the concept that the glyph interface brings that extra little something with each iteration, and I look forward to the day when you can tell what’s happening on your phone without having to look at the display.
Cameras
The Nothing Phone (3a) sports a horizontal camera array, similar to that on the Phone (2a), except there’s an extra camera this time around — a 50MP telephoto camera.
I cannot tell you just how much I appreciate the fact that Nothing did not follow other brands by ‘paywalling’ the extra lens on the more expensive smartphone.
The (3a) Pro comes with a 3x telephoto lens which, in my opinion, is not quite as good as it can be. But this isn’t anything that cannot be fixed through a future software update, and Nothing has been exemplary in releasing regular updates to improve the quality and performance of its smartphones, in addition to the regular security fixes.
Both phones capture photographs that are miles better than their predecessors. In good lighting, details are sharp, colours are accurate, and the telephoto snappers retain an impressive amount of detail. The cameras do struggle, albeit only slightly, in low-light conditions. Again, nothing that cannot be improved through future updates.
I would be remiss not to mention the really cool camera presets Nothing has added — Original, Soft Focus, B&W Film, Wide Angle, and Lenticular. The last one is my favourite. It applies a frosted glass finish to the image, which adds a touch of fun.
Performance and battery
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset powers both devices, and it is more than adequate for moderate-to-heavy use. In my experience, both phones never heated up, and handled heavy tasks with élan.
The battery is among the headlining stars of these devices. On paper, the 5,000 mAh battery might seem a little inadequate at a time when competitors in this price segment regularly pack batteries with capacities exceeding 6,000 mAh. But it doesn’t matter. The Nothing Phone (3a) series is so well optimised that, on Nothing devices, I easily wrung out more than a day of regular use.
Also read: OnePlus 13 Review: This should be your default flagship smartphone
If you do run out of charge, you can top it up fairly quickly thanks to support for 50W charging. There’s no charger included in the box.
They don’t have wireless charging, but I doubt many people will care. I personally would have liked that option, but I completely understand why Nothing didn’t include it in these devices.
Display
There’s not much to say here, except that the 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 3,000 nits is an absolute banger. The visuals are sharp, even in direct sunlight, the colours are well reproduced and viewing content is a pleasure. Sure, there’s no HDR option for YouTube, but would you care? I know I wouldn’t. All that matters is that the display does its job, and then some.
Essential Space
Now we come to a feature that no other smartphone has — Essential Space. Think of this as an AI hub in which you can store your memories, memos and voice notes. I really like the way Nothing implemented this feature. Just below the power button on the right of the screen, there’s an oblong button called Essential Key.
You can press the Essential Key to take a screenshot of whatever is on your screen, and the device will intelligently analyse it and add it to the Essential Space. A long press of the key will let you record a voice memo, which the device then parses and adds as a note; if there are any action items like reminders or tasks in your voice recording, it will add those as well.
For now, it’s work in progress — it’s slower than I’d like in analysing and adding content to Essential Space, and reports have it that Nothing, through a future software update, can add camera functionalities. As of right now, it’s a fun feature that I might not use too often. It has great potential though.
Software experience
This is the star of the show. I’ve always been a fan of Nothing’s unique spin on Android, and Nothing OS 3.1, based on Android 15, is as good as it gets at the moment. The interface is delightfully clean and minimal, with Nothing’s iconic monochromatic icons, retro-chic dot matrix-style font, and the quirky ringtones adding a dash of flavour to an already interesting device.
In conclusion
Priced at ₹22,999 for (3a) and ₹29,999 for (3a) Pro, Nothing’s latest smartphones hit that sweet spot of affordability and functionality by bringing the cool factor. They’re both solid smartphones with extra bells and whistles that users might appreciate. If you want an affordable smartphone that just works and looks cool while doing it, then look no further
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S25 Long-Term Review: Pint-sized powerhouse.
