It’s hard to find anything in common between the Korean tech giant Samsung and the London-based startup Nothing, except their love for feature-packed Android smartphones. However, in doing so, both companies adopt a totally different approach.
While Samsung packs in decent hardware in a lowkey, subtle, yet classy chassis, Nothing kicks it out of the park with radical aesthetics that appeal to a slightly smaller yet significant target audience. Today, we’ll compare the closest rivals (by price) in the mid-range segments: Samsung’s Galaxy A26 and Nothing’s Phone (3a).
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Tech Specs
| Samsung Galaxy A26 | Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Dimensions | 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm | 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm |
| Weight | 200 grams | 201 g |
| Screen | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen; 120Hz | 6.77-inch AMOLED screen, 120Hz |
| Chipset | Exynos 1380 (5nm) | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4nm) SoC |
| Memory and storage | 8GB, 128GB/256GB | 8GB, 128GB/256GB |
| Cameras | Rear: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP Front: 13MP | Rear: 50MP + 50MP + 8MP Front: 32MP |
| Operating System | One UI 7.0 (based on Android 15) | Nothing OS 3.1 (Android 15) |
| Software Support | 6 years of OS updates | |
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh, 25W fast charging | 5,000 mAh; 50W fast charging |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP64 |
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Design
Materials
The Samsung Galaxy A26 uses Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and the back, while its frames are made from plastic.
The Nothing Phone (3a), on the other hand, uses hardened Panda Glass on the front (to protect the screen) and a polycarbonate frame with metal buttons.
Whether the company uses the Panda Glass on the back isn’t clear at the moment, but the glass back sure adds some premium feel to the phone.
Dimensions & Weight
- Galaxy A26: 164 x 77.5 x 7.7 mm; 200 grams
- Phone (3a): 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm; 201 grams
The Galaxy A26 is noticeably thinner than the Phone (3a), although both weigh similarly.
Also Read: Phone (3a) Pro vs. Galaxy A36: Which Mid-Ranger Is Better For You?
Design
Samsung seems to have cut some corners with the Galaxy A26’s design. For instance, the phone has a water-drop notch at the front. Though the bezels are symmetrical on three sides, there’s a thick chin at the bottom (which doesn’t scream 2025).
On the back, the phone has a pill-shaped, vertically-stacked camera setup that looks similar to the Galaxy A36 and the Galaxy A56. Otherwise, the back panel is covered in solid color (with the company’s mascot toward the bottom).
If the Galaxy A26 and the Phone (3a) were on a spectrum of aesthetics, they would be on opposite ends. Nothing’s latest mid-ranger not only has a punch-hole screen at the front and symmetrical bezels all around, but it also features a unique see-through back panel.
In addition, you get three modules of the Glyph Interface around the circular camera module, which light up when you receive notifications or make up for fill light while capturing portraits in low-lighting conditions. As Nothing likes to call it, the Phone (3a) is one of the more interesting handsets in the segment.
Colors
- Galaxy A26: Awesome Black, Awesome Mint, Awesome White, and Awesome Peach
- Phone (3a): Black, White, Blue
IP Rating
While the Galaxy A26 has an IP67 rating (up to 1m for 30 minutes), the Phone (3a) has an IP64 rating (good against water splashes or light rain).
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Display
The Galaxy A26 has a 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (385 ppi) and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.
On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (3a) features a 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen (with up to 1000Hz touch sampling rate in the gaming mode) and 1300 nits in the high-brightness mode (3000 nits peak brightness). The screen’s resolution remains similar to that of the Galaxy A26 (387 ppi).
While the Galaxy A26 is bright enough for indoor and moderately-lit outdoor usage, the Phone (3a) will do better under direct sunlight. Further, its screen looks modern, thanks to the symmetrical bezels.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A26 vs. Galaxy A36: What Are The Differences?
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Performance
Samsung equips the Galaxy A26 with the Exynos 1380 (5nm) SoC. If the chip sounds familiar, that’s because it also powers the Galaxy A34 and the Galaxy A54. The processor comprises four 2.4GHz performance cores and four 2.0GHz efficient cores.
Further, it features the Mali-G68 MP5 GPU, 8GB of memory, and up to 256GB of internal storage. What’s good is that the phone lets you use a microSD card slot and expand the storage to up to 2TB.
While the Exynos 1380 SoC can easily handle multitasking, it doesn’t shine in gaming, where you might notice frame drops after some time. The phone scores around 600K points in the AnTuTu 10 benchmark and 1014/2892 points in the GeekBench 6 CPU performance test.
In comparison, the Nothing Phone (3a) rocks a more powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4nm) SoC, which features one 2.5GHz prime core, three 2.4GHz performance cores, and four 1.8GHz efficient cores. Besides the CPU, the chipset has the Adreno 710 GPU, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
The phone scores around 800K points on the AnTuTu 10 benchmark and 1170/3310 points on the GeekBench 6 CPU performance test. Clearly, the Phone (3a) packs in more horsepower than the Galaxy A26. In other words, it is better at handling video games at higher graphics settings.
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Software Support
Out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy A26 runs on One UI 7.0 (based on Android 15). It offers “Awesome Intelligence” features like Circle to Search, Create Filter, Photo Remaster, Object Eraser, and Edit Suggestion. What’s great is that Samsung has committed to providing six years of software and security updates with the handset.
In contrast, the Phone (3a) runs on Nothing OS 3.1 (based on Android 15). The operating system offers a clean user interface with features like partial screen recording, improved lock screen customizations, and an AI-powered Smart Drawer. Regarding software support, Nothing’s three/four years of OS/security updates fall short of Samsung’s commitment.
If longevity is your priority, consider investing in the Galaxy A26. However, if you like to replace your phone every two to three years, you shouldn’t hold back from considering the Phone (3a).
Also Read: iQOO Neo 10R vs. Poco X7 Pro: How Do The Mid-Range Android Handsets Compare?
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Optics
Galaxy A26 Camera Configuration
- Primary camera: 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) sensor
- Secondary camera: 8MP (f/2.2) ultrawide sensor with 120° field of view
- Tertiary camera: 2MP (f/2.4) macro sensor
- Front camera: 13MP (f/2.2)
The primary sensor on the Galaxy A26 is a 1/2.76″ shooter that supports optical image stabilization. It can record 4K30 videos, while the front camera maxes out at 1080p videos at 30 fps.
Nothing Phone (3a) Camera Configuration
- Primary camera: 50MP (f/1.9, OIS) sensor
- Secondary camera: 50MP (f/2.0) ultrawide sensor for 2x optical zoom
- Tertiary camera: 8MP (f/2.2) ultrawide sensor with 120° field of view
- Front camera: 32MP (f/2.2)
The Phone (3a) is the better choice for photography enthusiasts, primarily because of the dedicated telephoto sensor. It provides 2x optical zoom and 4x lossless zoom (cropping into the central portion of the sensor). Further, the handset maxes out at 30x hybrid zoom.
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Battery Life And Charging Rate
Both the handsets sport a 5,000 mAh battery. While the Galaxy A26 supports 25W wired charging, the Phone (3a) supports twice the wired charging speed (50W), which can fuel up the phone in under one hour.
Nothing also claims that the Phone (3a)’s battery will retain over 90% of its charge-holding capacity after 1,200 charging cycles.
Also Read: iQOO Neo 10R Alternatives: Poco F6, Realme GT 6T, Nord 4 and more
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Connectivity
The Galaxy A26 supports 5G, Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6 on Nothing Phone 3a), Bluetooth (v5.3 on the Galaxy A26 vs v5.4 on the Phone 3a), GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C 2.0 port for charging and wired data transfer.
Galaxy A26 vs. Phone (3a): Price And Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy A26 Price
If you’ve been a Samsung user for the last couple of years and wish to upgrade to a familiar yet refined user experience, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy A26. The phone offers a Super AMOLED screen, a capable chipset, and a couple of Awesome Intelligence features.
Though there are phones with better specifications in the segment, no one beats Samsung’s update policy (six years of OS/security updates). This makes the handset ideal for people who don’t upgrade every now and then.
Nothing Phone (3a) Price
The Nothing Phone (3a) is for a slightly younger or enthusiastic audience that wants a unique phone that’s a conversation starter. While its design is among the main selling points, Phone (3a)’s bright screen, capable chipset (can handle video games better), and versatile camera setup make it an easy recommendation.
The phone lacks software support a bit, but so do other models in the segment (unless it is a new Samsung model).
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