Nothing Phone (3A) Series Review: two winners, a clear choice

The Nothing (2A) telephone was one of my favorite phones from 2024, combining an excellent price with a really good overall experience. Now, the Nothing Phone (3A) series has arrived and after using both devices, I think the company nailed it once again, but I also think there is a clear choice for customers.

Eccentric drawings and updates

A great aspect of the charm of nothing was in hardware design, so let’s start from there. The Nothing (3A) telephone is an evolution of the phone design (2nd), I repulsive the design of the transparent back and making it pop more than it has done. The blue color is easily the best of the deck, but the white color of my review unit exceeds the black color that was the main push of the last time. The new design of the camera also invokes pixels vibrations, which I like. The contrast of the black buttons on the white phone (3A) also looks fantastic. I have a big complaint on the buttons, but we will get to the software section.

So, there is Phone (3A) Pro. The general aspect is basically the same, but the camera module is gigantic and funky. I am not a big fan of a single aesthetic point of view, but ergonomics still worsens because that gigantic protrusion is not very comfortable in hand as it is just a little too low to help with the grip.

The hardware as a whole has improved throughout the line this year. The backplate plate leaves plastic subject to fingerprints for glass and the plastic frame still seems robust and resistant. The phone (3A) seems unquestionably better in my hands than the professional, with its much better balanced weight and, again, that camera bump does not get in the middle.

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Under the hood, the updates include the move to the Snapdragon 7 Jan 3 chip which works quite fresh and retained through everyday use without sweating. It is quick enough combined with 8 GB of RAM, even if it is not impossible to slow it down. Firm I used the phone (3A), more examples of bit of delay or hiccups I found. It is far from slow, and it is still an update compared to last year, but these phones are not quite flagships. Personally, I wouldn’t have seen anything to adopt a better mediatek chip than to pay the money for a Snapdragon. For the same overall cost, we could probably have obtained a faster phone.

The “glyphs” lights are still in place on the back of the device but, honestly, they seem more and more an expedient. Nothing has not yet found a “app killer” for this function and three generations, I still find myself forgetting that it is there, since it is never really useful.

The other great hardware update this year is the display. His Very Lighting, solving one of the biggest complaints I had on the phone (2a) last year. Inside and outside, the display holds really well to any condition that I launched, something I appreciated because the spring season reported my precious daylight.

The experience of the software of nothing claims with the pixel

As usual, however, my favorite thing for the use of a phone is not the software, and nothing OS 3.1 keeps it in the lead.

Nothing Android skin is clean and well optimized, at the point where it often feels more stable than a pixel. It also tends to provide many more Google features, just like the first days of OnePlus. You will get more customizations on the home screen (including icon packages), support for the blocking screen widgets and more. However, he also feels familiar for someone who is more comfortable on a pixel. The things of the quality of life such as biometry that do not fight each other, the small useful shortcuts and other small small things add up to an experience that I really like and I do not feel as if I had to change to satisfy my preferences. For those who have never heard at home on a pixel, nothing functionality and customizations added could actually make the experience more attractive.

But they are not even huge on where the experience is going.

Nothing is trying some new ideas in recent times and some are good. The rapid settings renewed with tiles capable of being excellent are excellent. But the new layout of the drawer of the “intelligent” apps is only a coal copy of one of the worst aspects of iOS, the “library of the apps”. I am happy that it is not the default setting, but I’m not sure I like the idea of ​​anything that pulls ideas (and bad) from others. This is a brand that I have learned to appreciate largely because it tends to find unique solutions and interesting interpretations of functionality.

A perfect example of this, however, is the first big leap in nothing in the AI ​​race. “Essential Space” is a new functionality found in the telephones series (3A) which, outside the AI ​​of Google tools, is one of the few convincing ideas that I have seen. The “essential key” on the side of the device takes a screenshot (or the image) to which it is therefore possible to add a vocal note by holding down the button. While the app collects these elements that I save, generates reminder, lists of things to do and more.

The essential space is a really interesting idea, but it is one that I am fighting to attract my daily life.

I think it is largely because it is not very predictable. Like many characteristics of artificial intelligence, the essential space is open, promising to do … something With whatever you give it. Therefore, it takes some time to find any actual use case for the app. The best case of use I found so far was the one I just came across randomly. As I attended a concert I purchased the parking time and I take a screenshot with an essential space of the receipt and the assignment of the time. It was more therefore I would have something easier to find later, since the essential space screenshots are separated from normal ones, but what I was happy to see what several hours later when I received a memory that the parking time was ending. It’s really useful!

In my head, the essential space is like a more targeted version of the Pixel screenshots. Where the Google app benefits from having access to Everything is fine Screenshot you took, the essential space is more caring. You can choose what happens to us, by doing it, if nothing else, good for organizing your catches.

I want to see this function grow, but I think it needs two things to do it. First of all, a better use case. With its first users, nothing should attract some cases of particularly good use to make a better tone. The app itself should also offer some suggestions. Nothing has plans even for some more features with essential space, such as “flip to register” that can record and therefore summarize the audio when simply falling the phone in the face. Secondly, it must remain convenient. There is evidence that this app could cost up to $ 120/year, which is too too much for what it offers. Id Perhaps Pay $ 20-30 per year for this functionality, but not $ 10/month. Moving the elaboration locally could help there, since it is all currently done in the cloud. But, with the phone (3A) which is a budget device without a ton of power, we may have to phone (3) for that version of this app.

But, to return to a problem, the essential key was poorly thought of my eyes. The positioning of the button directly under the power button leads to almost constant accidental pressures. It should be towards the upper part of the device to avoid it because, at this moment, it is more annoying than it is actually worth.

Out of of on of ons, Nothing Telefonte (3A) and Telefono (3A) Pro on top of Android 15. They will get 3 years of important updates of the Android operating system and 6 years of security updates.

A capable camera

Economic phones often fail on the camera, but nothing has done an excellent job with the phone series (3A). Last year’s phone (2a) was fine in terms of camera production, but it was nothing special. This time there is a clear improvement.

The phone (3A) has a solid camera, with a 50 MP Samsung sensor for its main shooter. Occasionally struggle in the lower light or with the processing decisions, but I was happy with it. The blows are incisive and crunchy and the movement does not throw things too bad. The addition of a 2x telephoto lens (on a 50 MP Samsung sensor) resolves my largest complaint, offering only that little extra range to get the shot you want. It is a good camera, even if it is not entirely perfect.

Full samples from Nothing Telephone (3A)

The phone (3A) Pro, in the meantime, essentially launches all its existence on the camera. It has a 50 MP main sensor slightly better from Samsung. A better 50 MP front camera. And finally, a Periscope lens on its 50 MP Sony camera used for telephoto lens for … 3x optical zoom. I am not only sold for this reason the update or the gigantic giving of the camera is worth. The blows are a little better, yes, and the extra range in the zoom is beautiful, but nothing is significantly better. The selfie camera is where I found the greatest improvement, but both struggle in anything that outside the perfect lighting.

These are mid -range phones, so camera improvements can only go so far, and I’m not sure that nothing is delivered enough to separate the two. But the generational improvements are present and both offer solids in general.

Full samples from Nothing Phone (3A) Pro

Battery life is perfectly well

The 5,000 mAh battery within both these devices is medium and medium in the resistance. I am discovering that the battery life tends to be easily a whole day with the change of reserve. I go to bed with about 20-40% remaining on average, which is a rather large range. I never completely killed any of these devices in a single day (including a return flight from Spain, which came out to be a day of 23 hours), but I find that they drain a little faster than I expected, especially compared to the previous generation.

Fortunately, it is far from a problem, since the recharge is very fast. Although there are no “supervision” or other crazy rapid charging methods, the USB-C 50W PD charging is more than enough. In the days when I felt at the bottom, I could connect a decent charger and get a 25% increase in what seemed only a few minutes. It is a pity that does not include the charger (and that the cable included is downgraded), but the recharge situation here is very good.

So wait, how are these phones different?

While wrapping things here, something I want to go back is how these phones actually differ. Because … really not.

Nothing of a telephone (3A) and telephone (3A) pro are identical phones in almost all ways. The same display. The same battery. The same chipset. The same memory and storage. The same … everything. The only differences are reduced to the camera. Instead of immersing myself in this, I will share only a comparison table that has not provided anything:

Final thoughts

Great value, but there is an obvious winner

Nothing has positioned his series “A” on value and I think the phone (2a) nailed it. It was one of my favorite phones from 2024 and I think the phone (3A) is a worthy follow -Up. For $ 379, it offers welcome updates without compromising quality or value.

At $ 459, however, no Phone (3A) Pro is a bit of a different story in my eyes.

Last year, I really fought to understand why the Nothing phone (2a) more existed and, honestly, they are on the same boat for the “professional”. I’m not sure who this product is because, in the end, you don’t receive improvements of $ 80 from this “update”.

As such, my verdict is clear. The Nothing Phone (3A) series offers an absolutely stellar smartphone pair, perhaps some of the best in the sector, but the phone (3A) is the only one you should probably buy.

Unfortunately, these are still very phones not designed for US buyers. The “beta program” allows you to buy Pro (3A) and Phone (3A) in the United States, but you will miss the support of the band on some networks. I cannot even recommend to US buyers, but they are fun to use and I hope it is the phone (3) and the phone (4a) make official debuts in the United States.

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