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Nothing Announces Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro
London-based technology brand Nothing has announced its latest smartphones, unveiling a duo that delivers on design, functionality and features without breaking the bank. The new Phone (3a) Series marks a refresh of Nothing's "mid-range" offering and builds on last year's Phone (2a) – however, it would be safe to say that the new pair of smartphones are "mid-range" in name only, with both Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro packing several upgrades between them as well as a completely new AI platform designed for and launching with the new series, making them a solid choice for Android users regardless of budget.Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro share a large 6.77-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display that delivers an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. The phones build on their predecessors with a 480Hz touch sampling rate in normal usage, a 100% increase, and can reach 1,000Hz when used in Gaming Mode. Put simply: this increased sampling rate equates to smoother and more responsive scrolling. Visibility in bright light has also been improved on the new phones and both models achieve 1,300 nits of maximum, consistent brightness outdoors, and – when playing HDR content – can reach 3,000 nits with highlights boosting.Both phones are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Mobile Platform chipset, a capable processor that launched in 2024 that excels at extending battery life. In fact, Nothing says it worked directly with Snapdragon to optimize the chipset for the new Phone (3a) series and claims it uses "8% less power" that translates to "30 minute more [battery] power" than the same chipset found in other phones. The brand also states that the new phones feature a "33% faster" CPU compared to the Phone (2a), with an Adreno 800 Series GPU that brings an 11% improvement to graphics on the device.Smartphones haven't changed much in recent years in terms of their form factor and overall look, but pushing the expectations of its own product's design has been key Nothing's brand since its launched in 202o. The new Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro have been redesigned from the ground up, with upgraded glass panels on the back replacing the previous series' polycarbonate (plastic) body. This has resulted in a more premium feeling device, but the change also plays a more practical role and Nothing says the move from plastic to glass has allowed it to upgrade the devices' IP rating to IP64, making them more water resistant and completely protected from dust. The camera design on both phones has also been updated to "celebrate each new camera system" – Phone (3a) Pro, in particular, stands out, featuring a large circular camera bump that's easily the first thing you notice when holding it. It's a bold design choice that goes against the typical smartphone design grain: while most brands have tried to reduce the footprint cameras take up on their devices, Nothing has gone all out with a camera bump that's big enough to be a conversation starter.Opinion is sure to be split on Phone (3a) Pro's camera, but the relatively large housing isn't without reason: it's home to a periscope zoom lens with a 70mm focal length equivalent that Nothing calls "flagship-grade". Periscope lenses use a prism or lens to manipulate light in a way that allows for a much greater zooming ability without adding too excessively to a phone's overall bulk. The periscope lens on the Phone (3a) Pro is combined by a 1/1.95-inch Sony LYTI 600 sensor and a relatively large f/2.55 aperture which, together, deliver respectable zoom images. On the other hand, Phone (3a) opts for a 50MP telephoto lens with a f/2.0 aperture and a 50mm equivalent focal length. It features 2x optical zoom and has the ability to achieve a 30x ultra zoom with the help of "AI clarity-enhancing algorithms". Both models share the same 50MP main camera, but the Phone (3a) Pro benefits from a larger sensor that allows it to achieve better low light imagery and 43% faster auto-focus. The selfie camera on both phones has also been upgraded and can now record in 4K, with Phone (3a)'s boasting 32MP and Phone (3a) Pro's 50MP.The Phone (3a) Series features the best battery life the brand has ever offered, with both models including a large 5,000mAh battery for "up to two days of use on a full charge". Additionally, both phones can be super-fast charged and can achieve 50% of power "in under 20 minutes". Nothing is delivering the new phones with Nothing OS 3.1 built-in – a customized version of Android 15 that includes the Nothing Gallery photo app and updated versions of the Camera and Weather apps.Lastly, Nothing is launching a new AI platform with the Phone (3a) Series. Essential Space, arriving in early access, is described by the brand as an "AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations" that can "capture, process and remember" things in a practical and user-friendly way. Nothing says that it has designed its new AI platform with users in mind first and foremost, claiming that it will function "just like a
London-based technology brand Nothing has announced its latest smartphones, unveiling a duo that delivers on design, functionality and features without breaking the bank. The new Phone (3a) Series marks a refresh of Nothing's "mid-range" offering and builds on last year's Phone (2a) – however, it would be safe to say that the new pair of smartphones are "mid-range" in name only, with both Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro packing several upgrades between them as well as a completely new AI platform designed for and launching with the new series, making them a solid choice for Android users regardless of budget.
Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro share a large 6.77-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display that delivers an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. The phones build on their predecessors with a 480Hz touch sampling rate in normal usage, a 100% increase, and can reach 1,000Hz when used in Gaming Mode. Put simply: this increased sampling rate equates to smoother and more responsive scrolling. Visibility in bright light has also been improved on the new phones and both models achieve 1,300 nits of maximum, consistent brightness outdoors, and – when playing HDR content – can reach 3,000 nits with highlights boosting.
Both phones are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Mobile Platform chipset, a capable processor that launched in 2024 that excels at extending battery life. In fact, Nothing says it worked directly with Snapdragon to optimize the chipset for the new Phone (3a) series and claims it uses "8% less power" that translates to "30 minute more [battery] power" than the same chipset found in other phones. The brand also states that the new phones feature a "33% faster" CPU compared to the Phone (2a), with an Adreno 800 Series GPU that brings an 11% improvement to graphics on the device.
Smartphones haven't changed much in recent years in terms of their form factor and overall look, but pushing the expectations of its own product's design has been key Nothing's brand since its launched in 202o. The new Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro have been redesigned from the ground up, with upgraded glass panels on the back replacing the previous series' polycarbonate (plastic) body. This has resulted in a more premium feeling device, but the change also plays a more practical role and Nothing says the move from plastic to glass has allowed it to upgrade the devices' IP rating to IP64, making them more water resistant and completely protected from dust. The camera design on both phones has also been updated to "celebrate each new camera system" – Phone (3a) Pro, in particular, stands out, featuring a large circular camera bump that's easily the first thing you notice when holding it. It's a bold design choice that goes against the typical smartphone design grain: while most brands have tried to reduce the footprint cameras take up on their devices, Nothing has gone all out with a camera bump that's big enough to be a conversation starter.
Opinion is sure to be split on Phone (3a) Pro's camera, but the relatively large housing isn't without reason: it's home to a periscope zoom lens with a 70mm focal length equivalent that Nothing calls "flagship-grade". Periscope lenses use a prism or lens to manipulate light in a way that allows for a much greater zooming ability without adding too excessively to a phone's overall bulk. The periscope lens on the Phone (3a) Pro is combined by a 1/1.95-inch Sony LYTI 600 sensor and a relatively large f/2.55 aperture which, together, deliver respectable zoom images. On the other hand, Phone (3a) opts for a 50MP telephoto lens with a f/2.0 aperture and a 50mm equivalent focal length. It features 2x optical zoom and has the ability to achieve a 30x ultra zoom with the help of "AI clarity-enhancing algorithms". Both models share the same 50MP main camera, but the Phone (3a) Pro benefits from a larger sensor that allows it to achieve better low light imagery and 43% faster auto-focus. The selfie camera on both phones has also been upgraded and can now record in 4K, with Phone (3a)'s boasting 32MP and Phone (3a) Pro's 50MP.
The Phone (3a) Series features the best battery life the brand has ever offered, with both models including a large 5,000mAh battery for "up to two days of use on a full charge". Additionally, both phones can be super-fast charged and can achieve 50% of power "in under 20 minutes". Nothing is delivering the new phones with Nothing OS 3.1 built-in – a customized version of Android 15 that includes the Nothing Gallery photo app and updated versions of the Camera and Weather apps.
Lastly, Nothing is launching a new AI platform with the Phone (3a) Series. Essential Space, arriving in early access, is described by the brand as an "AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations" that can "capture, process and remember" things in a practical and user-friendly way. Nothing says that it has designed its new AI platform with users in mind first and foremost, claiming that it will function "just like a second memory". While Essential Space is still being developed, one of its early features lets users to save on-screen content (like screenshots) with added voice notes, allowing you to recall the content at a later date with context that might be missing otherwise.
Nothing Phone (3a) is available to pre-order today via Nothing's website, with pricing starting at £329 GBP / $379 USD. Phone (3a) Pro will be available to pre-order from March 11, with pricing starting at £449 GBP / $459 USD.
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