The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is the same cloth as other Nothing phones in London. This mid-range Android phone packs reliable specs and a set of flashing LED lights and tops it with an affordable price tag. It offers a lot, but competition in the mid-range market has never been so intense, and Google’s recent Pixel 9A is expected to get a similar all-round performance and match it at $499.
Actually, there is nothing that can offer two phones in its 3A range. The base phone 3A and a slightly taller 3A Pro, I reviewed this for four weeks. The phone is almost the same as the processor, monitor and battery in between. The 3A Pro adds a more powerful camera setup, including a telephoto lens.
7.5
No phone 3a Pro
like
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Long software support period
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Glittery design
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Large, vibrant display
dislike
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Battery life may be better
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Disappointing processor benchmark performance
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The basic model shares most key specifications at a cheaper price
When Google, Samsung, Motorola and Apple all release affordable phone options for customers, Nothing’s 3A and 3A Pro stand out in terms of its attractive design, excellent value and solid cameras, especially when the U.S. imposes tariffs on imported goods.
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The Nothing Phone 3A starts at $379 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In the UK, you can buy a discounted model with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for £329 or a 12GB/256GB model for £379. The Phone 3A Pro costs $459 (£449) for the 12GB/256GB model.
Both phones bring a lot of value to their costs and have enough power for everyday tasks, a vibrant display that is very useful for gaming and cameras, enough to accommodate casual time in the summer sun. How they contradict the new Samsung Galaxy A-series and Pixel 9a when we can finally test Google and Samsung’s latest budget phones.
Glittery design without phone 3A
vanity? Yes, please.
Design is the first thing for these phones. The screws and data ribbons are exposed on the back of the glass, giving it an industrial look that I really like. This may not be the style I chose in my phone, but it is definitely nice to see the design exceeds the plain look of most phones. LED lights (no name glyphs) are scattered on the camera unit on your phone and illuminated to alert you of incoming notifications. They are fun additions to Nothing phones that don’t need anywhere else.
Both phones have a 6.7-inch display that looks bright and vibrant during my test time. They did a good job of opposing the Barcelona sunshine and the cloudy skies of my Edinburgh home. If you use these phones in the bright noon sun, you may find them harder to view, but I certainly see this price worse. With IP68’s waterproof rating, there will be no problem answering calls in a downpour (again: not you, California).
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No phone 3A and 3A Pro Performance
The monitor is vibrant and sharp.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 processor powers the 3A series, which provides fairly low scores in our benchmarks for processor and graphics performance. It lags behind the more expensive iPhone 16e and last year’s Pixel 8A, and its graphics score is especially incredible. But the benchmarks will tell only some stories.
In the real world, I found both phones run smoothly and provide a lot of features for everyday necessities such as email and web browsing. Even demanding games like PUBG do a great job on high resolution settings (I even managed to get the “winner, winner, chicken dinner!”), so don’t think choosing a midrange phone means sacrificing performance. While it may not be the winner of the benchmark, the Nothing Phone 3A has enough features to solve most of the things you want to use.
No phone 3A performance comparison
No phone 3a Pro 1,185 3,265 1,059Pixel 8a 1,675 4,076 2,435iPhone 16e 3,323 8,111 3,014
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Geekbench 6 (single core)
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Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
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3DMark Wild Life Extreme
The 5,000-MAH battery from the Phone 3A Pro didn’t really impress our battery drain tests, but it was far from the worst battery I’ve ever seen. Its battery power is more consistent with last year’s Samsung’s affordable Galaxy A25 5G, but it doesn’t have more quality phones, such as the iPhone 16 or Galaxy S25. As long as you avoid playing games or streaming videos for a few hours, but like most phones, it’s almost certainly full charge every night.
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No phone 3A and AI
Both phones run at the core of Android 15, but nothing can be used to customize the interface extensively with a distinct monochromatic beauty. It looks stylish, but I sometimes have a hard time distinguishing them when app idols simplify them to minimalist black and white buttons. You may like the mono look, though, and if not, you can customize the layout to your liking. There is nothing to guarantee a total of six years of software and security support, which is great, especially considering the price.
Gemini Advanced, Gemini Live and Circle are available on your phone, and while nothing isn’t thrown in its own AI stuff (I’m thankful for that), it’s already launched a tool that I really like. It is called the Basic Space and it is designed as a central hub for storing your ideas, notes, screenshots and ideas all day long.
The basic space will be filled with all your thoughts and ideas. perhaps.
See your favorite shoes? Turn on the camera and save the lens, along with your voice notes, using the dedicated basic space button on the side of the phone. Need to buy Brie, Vodka, Party Hats and Snake Food on the way home? A long button press will let you decide on your engaging shopping list to add it to your space for later checking.
It’s a good idea in theory, although it still seems to have limited features since its launch in March. The basic space is essentially a hub for screenshots and voice notes, but I think it provides potential usefulness for all your ideas to pour on the ground throughout the day. The fact that it’s both unique and useful is found, and the fact that you use dedicated hardware buttons on your phone is refreshing, meaning it’s easy to use, not to be hidden. There is nothing to emphasize that the basic space is still in beta, with more features along the way – so keep an eye on this space.
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No phone 3A professional camera
Both phones have a 50 megapixel main camera and I’m happy with some of the lenses I’m able to get from the Pro model. The image is clear and has accurate natural colors.
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Taken with the main camera, this photo is full of vitality and sharp.
The image is shot using the main camera using the “warm” photo filter, with nice summer resonance.
The black and white mode gives a cute contrast.
Vibrant fruits used on the main camera in the food market.
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Despite the challenges of challenging high contrast scenarios, the Phone 3A Pro works well and balances bright highlights with dark areas.
Its night mode does a great job of capturing sharp images in low light.
While this doesn’t compete with today’s top camera phones, it can provide a reliable experience if you want to take simple snapshots of your friends on the beach instead of hoping to sweep the photography world. The bigger question will be how the phone’s cameras stack on the Pixel 9a and the new Galaxy A series, but we need to wait to get all three phones side by side to answer that.
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The various filters of your phone offer a variety of ways to add some creativity to your images.
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The super camera provides a balanced exposure in this photo.
Although the base 3A packs a 50-megapixel telephoto camera that can be equipped with 2x optical zoom, the 3A Pro’s 50-megapixel periscope camera offers 3x optical zoom with 6x “sensor” zoom that effectively sees the sensor for longer zoom.
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Shooted at 6x zoom, this lens remains nice and sharp.
The base phone 3A has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera, while the 3A Pro has a 50-megapixel sensor that is larger and can help take clearer lenses.
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Testing the Pro’s front-facing camera is the perfect excuse to get a big beer. The image itself is good, especially considering the relatively low environment.
No Phone 3a Pro: Should You Buy?
There is no 3a (left), no 3a pro (right).
Creating a phone isn’t done well and offers all the essentials at an affordable price. Its processor addresses all your everyday necessities, its camera allows for good snapshots, and six years of software support is a great choice. The flashy design is the cherry on the top.
I was surprised that the difference between the two models was small. Using the same processor, monitor and 5,000-MAH battery (with 50W fast charging), the main difference is the additional periscope zoom and the high-resolution front-facing camera. Is photography important to you? If so, maybe a professional. Otherwise, save yourself a few dollars and choose the basic model.
If you’re desperate to use the new 500 phones right now, these two options are certainly worth considering. But if you can wait a few weeks, it’s worth seeing the effect of the stacking of new affordable models from Google and Samsung.
How do we test the phone
Every phone tested by the CNET Review Team is used in the real world. We test the functions of our phones, play games and take photos. We check the display to see if it is bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyzed the design and build to see what it holds and whether it has a waterproof IP rate. We used standardized benchmarking tools such as Geekbench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations to record high-resolution videos and play fiercely graphic games at high refresh rates, pushing processor performance to the extreme.
From bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes, all cameras are tested under various conditions. We tried special features like Night Mode and Portrait Mode and compared our findings to competing phones with similar prices. We also check battery life by using the phone daily and performing a series of battery emission tests.
Watch the following: Use the 3A Pro camera to disassemble Nothing Phone 3A Pro Shot
Watch the following: No phone 3A unboxing
