Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Mid-Range Excellence with a Unique Twist

Nothing arrived with a clear mission: to inject excitement back into tech. Last year, they experimented with the Phone (2a), targeting the “affordable premium” segment – that sweet spot where price and performance attempt to achieve perfect harmony. This gave the brand a much-needed boost.

Now, we have the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, building on the same DNA but with upgraded internals and a refreshed design. The product’s core value proposition remains delivering the best possible user experience for the price. The key question is: Does the Phone (3a) Pro offer enough of that signature “Nothing-ness” to stand out, or does it fade into the background? After a week of testing, we have some answers.

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Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Specifications

• Display: 6.77” AMOLED, 120 Hz, 1300 Nits peak, 1080 x 2392 pixels, 387 PPI, Panda Glass
• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
• RAM: 8/12 GB LPDDR4X RAM
• Storage: 128/256 GB UFS 2.2  
• Cameras: 
• Main: 50 MP Samsung GNJ, 1/1.56-inch, f/1.88
• Ultrawide: 8MP Sony IMX355, f/2.2
  Telephoto: 50MP Sony LYT-600, 1/1.95-inch, f/2.55
• Front: 50 MP Samsung JN1, 1/2.76-inch, f/2.2
• Speakers: Stereo
• Battery and charging: 5,000 mAh, 50W wired, reverse wired
• IP rating: IP64
• Biometrics: Under display fingerprint scanner, 2D face unlock
• Weight: 211g
• Build: Polycarbonate/ Glass Back, plastic frame

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Unboxing

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro comes in a new Nothing-designed sleek box with the Phone (3a) Pro branding on it. The cover displays the name of the phone in both text. Upon opening the box, the phone is revealed, looking quite premium. The phone boasts a polycarbonate construction. Inside the box, you’ll find a Type-C to Type-C cable, SIM ejector tool, and some documentation.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Design & Build

The Phone (3a) Pro’s design is, undoubtedly, its most divisive aspect. It’s where Nothing’s commitment to differentiation is most apparent, and it’s likely to polarize opinions.

Let’s start with the back. The Phone (3a) Pro uses a polycarbonate frame with a glass back to elevate the premium feel. While the plastic is well-finished and doesn’t feel cheap, it’s more susceptible to wear and tear. Our grey review unit resisted smudges well, but the black variant is reportedly a fingerprint magnet.

The camera module is the most… unique element. The three lenses are arranged in a circular pattern to accommodate the periscope lens. They’re housed on a raised circular island, prominent enough to rival dedicated camera phones costing nearly three times as much.

This placement, combined with the surrounding Glyph LEDs, creates a distinctive look. Some will find it quirky and charming; others may not. The frame is also plastic, with a matte finish, and its rounded edges make the phone comfortable to hold. Button placement is standard: volume rockers on the left, power button on the right. The Phone (3a) Pro also includes a fourth button, dubbed the “Essential Key,” with a unique design and function (more on that later).

The front is far more conventional. A 6.7-inch display is surrounded by slim, symmetrical bezels, creating a modern aesthetic. The hole-punch selfie camera is centered at the top.

Overall, the design is a mixed bag. It’s undeniably different, aligning with Nothing’s core principles. The camera module is a bold, love-it-or-hate-it statement. While not universally appealing, it’s certainly not boring and definitely sets the phone apart.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Display

The Phone (3a) Pro features a 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. These are pretty standard specs for this price range, but Nothing’s magic lies in the tuning. Colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and animations.

Brightness is adequate, peaking at 1300 nits, similar to the Phone (2a) Plus. It’s perfectly usable outdoors, even in direct sunlight, though it might not be as dazzling as some top-tier flagships. The 1084 x 2412 resolution (387 PPI) provides sharp visuals. Nothing emphasizes that the panel is slightly taller than its predecessor, with less rounded corners and slim, symmetrical bezels.

The display is HDR10+ certified, meaning it can display a wider color gamut and higher dynamic range when viewing compatible content. HDR videos on platforms like Netflix and YouTube will appear more vibrant and lifelike, with greater detail in both highlights and shadows.

The in-display fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable. Overall, the display is a strong point. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s more than sufficient for daily use, media consumption, and gaming.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Speakers and Haptics

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro boasts dual speakers – the earpiece doubles as one, with a dedicated unit at the bottom – and they deliver impressive sound. Even at maximum volume, the audio remains remarkably clear, with distinct vocals and well-defined instruments. The sound separation is truly commendable. The phone’s haptics, while functional, could use some refinement.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Software

Software is arguably where Nothing most strongly differentiates itself, especially in the mid-range segment. Nothing OS 3.1, built on Android 15, is a breath of fresh air compared to the often-bloated and heavily customized Android skins found elsewhere.

Nothing adds unique touches, like their signature dot-matrix font, custom widgets, and, of course, Glyph Interface customizations. The overall aesthetic is minimalist and stylish. The improvements in Nothing OS 3.1 go beyond the surface. A new and improved behavior-learning algorithm boosts read and write speeds.

Nothing promises three years of Android version updates and six years of security updates – a significant jump compared to the Phone (2a) series and among the best in this price bracket. This is commendable, though not quite as generous as the offerings from Samsung and Google on some of their devices.

Another major addition is the “Essential Key + Space.” Nothing has embraced the AI trend with a unique approach. Essential Space is an AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations. A dedicated app provides access to all past interactions in one place. You can log entries directly by pressing the “Essential Key,” the extra button located just below the power switch.

Shortcuts are available for the Essential Key: a single press for note-taking, a long press for voice recording, and a double-tap to access all saved content. The implementation is neat, but the concept still needs fine-tuning. For instance, the summarization function struggles with local dialects but performs smoothly with English.

In conclusion, the software experience is a definite highlight. It’s fast, fluid, and free of the clutter that plagues many other Android skins. If you appreciate a clean, near-stock Android experience, you’ll love Nothing OS.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Performance

For the Phone (3a) Pro, Nothing has returned to Qualcomm, opting for the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. According to Nothing, Snapdragon SoCs offer better performance and a higher desirability factor compared to their MediaTek counterparts. This is largely reflected in the phone’s general performance.

In everyday use – browsing, social media, streaming video, and light gaming – the Phone (3a) Pro felt snappy and responsive. We didn’t encounter any significant lag or slowdowns. The phone handled games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt, and PUBG Mobile at medium to high settings without issue.

Of course, this isn’t a flagship-level chip. Hardcore gamers demanding the absolute highest frame rates and settings might be slightly underwhelmed. However, for the vast majority of users, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 provides more than enough power.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 performs well, though it trails some competitors. We achieved an AnTuTu score of over 800,000 points (806,076 in our AnTuTu V10 test). Geekbench 6 scores were 1160 for single-core and 3253 for multi-core.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Cameras

The Phone (3a) Pro features a triple-camera system on the rear: a 50MP main sensor with OIS (optical image stabilization), an 8MP ultra-wide angle camera, and a 50MP 3x telephoto sensor. A 50MP camera handles selfies on the front.

The camera app has been redesigned, now resembling those found on competing brands like OnePlus or Samsung. Swiping across the viewfinder allows you to switch between modes like Photo, Portrait, Video, and More. There are also device-specific modes.

To simplify the user experience, Nothing has included a quick mode switcher, accessible by swiping up on the viewfinder within Photo mode. This quick launcher features five presets: “Original,” “Soft Focus” (for 50mm portraits), “B&W Film” (a black & white filter), “Wide Angle,” “Lenticular,” and “Close Up” (for 140mm macro shots). You can customize the order of these presets and set a default.

Additionally, the phone features an “Expert mode” and a “Night mode” that works across all cameras. The main camera defaults to 12MP output and offers up to 6x zoom within Photo mode, while the 50MP mode limits optical magnification to 3x.

The main camera captures good photos in favourable lighting conditions: sharp, detailed, with good dynamic range and accurate colors. OIS helps keep shots steady, even with slightly shaky hands.

The ultrawide camera is surprisingly good. It captures a wider field of view without a significant drop in quality, although there’s some noticeable distortion at the edges (typical for ultrawide lenses).

In low light, the Phone (3a) Pro performs reasonably well. The main camera’s night mode brightens the scene and reduces noise. The results won’t compete with the very best low-light cameras, but they’re certainly usable.

The ultrawide camera delivers decent images in good lighting, although the experience isn’t quite as impressive. There’s some noticeable distortion at the edges of the frame, which is common with ultrawide lenses, but it’s not excessive.

The star of the show is the 3X telephoto camera. It captures surprisingly detailed images regardless of lighting conditions and allows for macro shots that are far superior to the competition.

The selfie camera is also solid. In good light, it produces sharp, well-exposed selfies with good detail. Skin tones are generally accurate, and a decent amount of detail is captured.

The camera app is simple and easy to use. Overall, the camera system is a pleasant surprise. It’s not flagship-level, but it’s more than capable of capturing great photos in a variety of conditions.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Battery Life and Charging

The Nothing (3a) Pro excels in battery life, packing a 5,000mAh battery. While the industry is moving towards SiC batteries even in the mid-range space, Nothing, for reasons unclear, has stuck with conventional battery chemistry. In our tests, we easily achieved a full day of heavy use. Users with less demanding usage patterns could even approach two days on a single charge.

The Phone (3a) Pro supports 50W fast charging, an upgrade from its predecessor’s 45W technology. With the CMF charger, a full charge (1% to 100%) takes less than 58 minutes, while a 50% charge takes around 19 minutes.