Nothing Phone 3a vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro: the minimalist design brand is at a crossroads

Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro; two smartphones on a wooden table
(Image credit: Future / Nothing)

Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro represent where this disruptive tech brand is in the most eye-catching way possible. The Nothing Phone 3a iterates on the previously released Nothing Phone 2a, and cements this model as a modern design classic, while the Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels like a misstep of sorts, a gamble to push for more tech at the expense of minimalism.

I've been playing around with both smartphones for a week now, and my review of both is in progress, but for me these phones reveal a telling crossroads for the brand; this is the moment when Nothing doubles-down on its design credentials but also points to a dicey future, one where expectations for advanced tech could break the design.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Nothing 3a and 3a Pro specs
Header Cell - Column 0

Nothing Phone 3a

Nothing Phone 3a Pro

Chipset:

Qualcomm: Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, Kryo, 8-core, up to 2.5 GHz, Hexagon NPU

Qualcomm: Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, Kryo, 8-core, up to 2.5 GHz, Hexagon NPU

Camera:

Main, 50 MP Samsung (1/1.57-inch sensor), 50MP Samsung Telephoto (1/2.74-inch sensor, 2x optical zoom, 4x in-sensor zoom, 30x ultra zoom), 8MP Sony Ultrawide; Front, 32MP Samsung (1/3.44” sensor)

Main, 50 MP Samsung (1/1.56-inch sensor), 50MP Sony Periscope (3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, 60x ultra zoom, 1/1.95-inch sensor); Front, 50MP Samsung (1/2.76-inch sensor)

Memory:

8+128GB 12+256GB

12+256GB

Display:

6.77-inch AMOLED, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 3000 nits peak brightness

6.77-inch AMOLED, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, 3000 nits peak brightness

Dimensions:

163.52 x 77.50 x 8.35 mm

163.52 x 77.50 x 8.39 mm

Weight:

201g

211g

Price:

£329 / £379

£449

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Editor, Digital Arts & 3D

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
A Xiaomi 14T Pro and nubia Z70 Ultra sitting on a brown desk
I'd take these two phones over the Samsung Galaxy or iPhone in a heartbeat
A liquid silver Xiaomi 15 on a detailed blue background
The Xiaomi 15 is the camera phone Samsung wishes it made
POCO X7
Wait! This new AI smartphone has Google Gemini and a 50MP camera – and costs less than £200!?
Doogee S200 smartphone
The futuristic Doogee S200 has one of the best phone designs I’ve ever seen
Google Pixel 8a
Google Pixel 8a review: all the AI, for less
Honor Magic V3
Honor Magic V3 review: foldable style and power in a lightweight unit
Latest in Tech
A silver Apple Mac mini (M4) on a wooden desk
Apple Mac mini (M4) review: the humble mini-PC remains Apple's greatest hit
A liquid silver Xiaomi 15 on a detailed blue background
The Xiaomi 15 is the camera phone Samsung wishes it made
Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro; two smartphones on a wooden table
Nothing Phone 3a vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro: the minimalist design brand is at a crossroads
Asus laptop deals
Forget MacBooks, Amazon's got some great deals on Asus laptops right now
The Samsung Galaxy S25 on a green background with the text 'Massive deal' next to it.
Quick! Get a Samsung Galaxy S25 for just $300 or the Galaxy S25 Ultra for just $400, with valid trade in
The text, 'lowest price' sits next to a press shot of the Samsung Frame TV, all on a yellow background.
This 42% saving on the Samsung Frame TV is staggering
Latest in News
Amazon and Beverly Hills Polo Club logos
Amazon slammed by judge in 'landmark' logo dispute ruling
An image of a buff Shrek from Shrek 5 trailer
There's a technical explanation for Shrek 5's controversial new look
A liquid silver Xiaomi 15 on a detailed blue background
The Xiaomi 15 is the camera phone Samsung wishes it made
Image of a cat underwater from Best Animated Feature Oscar winner Flow
"Any kid now has tools to make Academy Award-winning films" – Gints Zilbalodis thanks Blender as Flow wins best animation Oscar
Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro; two smartphones on a wooden table
Nothing Phone 3a vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro: the minimalist design brand is at a crossroads
La Chimera and Kinds of Kindness posters
Give us a Best Movie Poster Oscars category, you cowards