Nothing Phone 3a Review: In 2025, only a handful of smartphone brands will still be pushing the envelope when it comes to creative design. Gone are the days of Nokia’s bold, experimental feature phones and smartphones that captivated us with their unique shapes and form factors. I remember the excitement of devices like the N-Gage and Nokia 7600, where the focus was on pushing boundaries and offering something entirely different. Nowadays, Apple has led the charge in turning every smartphone into a flat slab of glass.
Even the most premium foldables, despite their high price tags, have started to look like just another glass slab. While iOS and Android have shaped the modern mobile experience, we’re left with a sea of monotonous icons, basic animations, and predictable transitions. They no longer aim to wow us—they function to deliver apps.
Amid this sea of sameness, Nothing stands out for its bold design philosophy. The brand isn’t afraid to make daring choices that the big players shy away from, creating a refreshing line-up of products that aren’t just different for the sake of it but remain uniquely so as time goes on. With the Nothing Phone 3a, it’s clear that their approach is not only working but thriving.
Nothing Phone 3a Design: Exciting Upgrades and Innovations
- Dimensions: 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.3mm
- Weight: 201g
- Durability: IP64
The design philosophy of the Nothing Phone 2a and the new Phone 3a strikes a perfect balance between nostalgia and futurism. It’s easy to spot the similarities between the two models. The metal section in the top right corner and the distinctive red square, both of which were featured on the Phone 2a, make a return in the Phone 3a.
While the Phone 3a Pro offers a new color option called Blue, we received the standard White model for review. Although the Phone 3a shares design similarities with the Phone 2a, its rear panel is now made of glass instead of plastic. This change eliminates the dust magnet issue, and Gadget360 hardly noticed any fingerprints on the White unit we received.
The Phone 3a features a polycarbonate frame with a soft matte finish that instantly brings back memories of the HTC One X and Nokia Lumia models like the 1020 and 1520. Thanks to its new glass back, the phone now boasts an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. While it’s not particularly impressive, it’s a welcome addition—suitable for minor splashes or light sprays, but definitely not for full immersion. As with most devices, it’s best to avoid water exposure, since water damage isn’t covered under warranty.
The design of the Nothing Phone 3a may not feel entirely new by the brand’s own standards, but it certainly stands out when compared to other mid-range smartphones, which often stick to tired glass, faux leather, or textured backs. In fact, this level of creativity is rarely seen even in the premium segment.
Nothing Phone 3a Display: Impressive Quality at This Price
- Display Size: 6.77 inches, 1080 x 2392 pixels, Full HD+ (387 PPI)
- Display Type: AMOLED, Adaptive refresh rate (60Hz/90Hz/120Hz)
- Protection: Panda Glass
The Nothing Phone 3a features a display similar to its predecessor, the Phone 2a, including the same smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It delivers a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and a typical max of 1,300 nits, ensuring clear visibility even under direct sunlight. Both the protective glass and the flexible AMOLED panel are flat, offering wide viewing angles and reducing glare, unlike some competitors with quad-curved screens that often reflect more light unnecessarily.
Colors in Alive mode are slightly oversaturated, while Standard mode delivers a more natural look. The only drawback is the absence of HDR10 or HDR10+ certification for video streaming—something a few competing smartphones in India do offer.
Also See: OnePlus 13 Review: A Truly Impressive and Game-Changing Upgrade
Nothing Phone 3a UI: A Bold Blend of Art and Functionality
- Software Version: Nothing OS 3.1
- Android Version: Android 15
- Update Commitment: 3 years of software updates, 6 years of security patches
Unlike most smartphone interfaces that seem designed for broad, generic appeal, Nothing OS stands out with its handcrafted, distinctive feel. It took me a day to recognize the custom gallery icon—initially, I thought Google Photos was the default. But once I located it and pinned it to the home screen, it became instantly recognizable and easy to access.
I really love the Date widget, which presents the current date in a bold, minimalist font. The clever touch? A small folded corner on the widget invites you to swipe up each day, revealing the full date along with any scheduled events. This thoughtful, interactive design actually helped me remember the date more often—proof that small details can make a big impact.
The Do Not Disturb widget lights up in bold red when activated, standing out sharply against the rest of the interface—there’s no missing it. Meanwhile, the Compass widget activates with a tap, accurately pointing north like a traditional compass. I only wish it stayed active for a few seconds upon unlocking the phone, rather than requiring a tap.
Then there’s the charming News Reporter widget, styled like a vintage radio speaker. A single tap brings it to life, reading curated news stories aloud in an AI-generated voice. The speaker bars animate from red to grey as the news plays, visually indicating progress. Even when paused, you can see how many items are left. The nostalgic page-turning sound between stories adds to its old-school charm.
On the fundamentals side, Nothing OS 3.1 introduces the Inter font as a new system font. It’s applied across the UI and even enforced in third-party apps that don’t use custom fonts, creating a more cohesive and polished look. Like other typefaces in Nothing OS, Inter fits right in, elevating the design without drawing too much attention to itself.
Nothing Phone 3a Performance: Smooth, But Not a Powerhouse
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (2.5GHz, 4nm)
- RAM: 8GB (LPDDR4X)
- Storage: 128GB / 256GB (UFS 2.2)
Despite some concerns around the use of UFS 2.2 storage, the Nothing Phone 3a delivers smooth day-to-day performance. The adaptive display intelligently shifts between 120Hz and 60Hz based on brightness when navigating the interface, but drops to 90Hz or 60Hz in most apps, with video and gaming limited to 60Hz.
Gaming performance is solid—Call of Duty: Mobile ran well at Very High graphics and frame rates. The 480Hz touch sampling rate in Game Mode feels adequate, though touch responsiveness could be snappier compared to some rivals in the same price bracket.
Nothing Phone 3a Cameras: Strong Performance for the Price
- Primary Camera: 50MP, OIS, f/1.5 aperture, AF
- Ultrawide Camera: 8MP, f/2.2 aperture, FF
- Telephoto Camera: 50MP, 2X, EIS, f/2.0 aperture, AF
- Selfie Camera: 32MP, f/2.2 aperture, FF
Note: The camera samples and observations are based on the latest software update (received around March 10), which brought significant improvements compared to the previous version. The update (Asteroids-V3.1-250302-1856-IND) also introduced several new features, including the ability to create and share custom camera filters/presets.
Nothing has equipped the Phone 3a with one of the most diverse camera setups in its price range. While most smartphones in this category offer a standard wide + ultrawide combination, Nothing adds a 2X telephoto lens—an exciting bonus for this price segment.
Nothing Phone 3a Battery Life: Long-lasting Performance
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Wired Charging: 50W
- Charger Included: No
Although the Nothing Phone 3a has a slightly smaller battery than its competitors, software optimization ensures impressive endurance. With heavy usage (calls, messaging, camera, and gaming), it lasted over a day, achieving 28 hours and 37 minutes, surpassing the Realme P3 Pro, which has a larger battery.
In the PCMark Work battery test, simulating typical usage, it lasted 17 hours and 40 minutes, outperforming the Realme P3 Pro by 10 minutes despite having a smaller battery.
Charging is slower at 50W, taking 1 hour and 26 minutes to fully charge with a 100W GaN charger. By comparison, the Realme P3 Pro (with a 6,000mAh battery) charges in 1 hour and 6 minutes.
Final Verdict
The Nothing Phone 3a stands out with its unique design, including a glass back and IP64 rating, setting it apart from typical mid-range phones. The display is vibrant with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, though it lacks HDR support. Nothing OS offers a fresh, engaging experience with creative widgets. While performance is solid for everyday tasks, it’s not a gaming powerhouse. The camera setup is impressive for the price, and battery life lasts over a day, though charging is slower at 50W. Overall, the Phone 3a delivers strong value in its segment.