Nothing Phone (3a) VS TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G

Both phones share the same broad design philosophy — neither is rugged-built or foldable, and both carry a water-resistant rating — but the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G has a measurable ergonomic edge. At 190 g versus 201 g, it is 11 grams lighter, and its slimmer 7.9 mm profile versus 8.4 mm compounds that advantage into a noticeably smaller overall volume (99.97 cm³ vs 106.44 cm³). It is also 2 mm narrower, which matters for one-handed use and all-day pocket comfort. The Nothing Phone (3a), while taller, simply occupies more space in every dimension that affects how a phone feels in the hand.

Where the Nothing Phone (3a) reclaims ground is ingress protection. Its IP64 rating guarantees full dust-tightness (the ″6″ digit), whereas the TCL's IP54 rating offers only partial dust resistance (the ″5″ digit). Both handle water splashes equally, but in dusty environments — workshops, outdoor trails, sandy beaches — the Nothing Phone (3a) offers meaningfully stronger protection for its internals.

In summary, the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G wins on everyday ergonomics and portability, while the Nothing Phone (3a) wins on environmental durability. Users who prioritize a lighter, slimmer feel will prefer the TCL; those who frequently expose their phone to dust or gritty conditions will benefit from the Nothing's superior IP64 rating.

The display category is where these two phones diverge most sharply. The Nothing Phone (3a) uses an OLED/AMOLED panel, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G relies on an LCD IPS screen — and that distinction carries real consequences. OLED technology delivers true blacks (each pixel turns off individually), richer contrast, and more vibrant colors by its very nature. The Nothing also supports HDR10 and HDR10+, meaning compatible streaming content and photos will render with a wider, more accurate range of brightness and color. The TCL supports neither HDR standard, so it simply cannot display that additional visual information regardless of the content source.

Smooth motion is another dividing line. The Nothing Phone (3a)'s 120Hz refresh rate produces visibly more fluid scrolling, animations, and gaming compared to the TCL's 90Hz panel. The difference is perceptible in everyday use, not just benchmarks. Add to this the Nothing's Always-On Display capability — absent on the TCL — and the gap in day-to-day convenience widens further, as glancing at notifications or the clock no longer requires waking the screen. On raw size and pixel density, the two are essentially tied: the TCL edges out a marginally larger screen (6.8″ vs 6.77″) and a fractionally higher pixel density (395 ppi vs 387 ppi), but neither difference is discernible to the human eye at typical viewing distances.

The verdict here is clear: the Nothing Phone (3a) holds a decisive display advantage. Its OLED panel, HDR10+ support, higher refresh rate, and Always-On Display collectively represent a substantially more capable and visually immersive screen — advantages the TCL's modest size and density edge cannot offset.

The performance gap between these two phones is substantial and runs through virtually every processing metric. The Nothing Phone (3a) is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 built on a modern 4 nm process, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G carries a MediaTek Helio G92 on an older 12 nm node. Smaller semiconductor size is not a cosmetic distinction — it directly translates to greater power efficiency and higher achievable performance within the same thermal envelope. Both phones share an identical 5W TDP, yet the Nothing extracts dramatically more from that budget thanks to its newer architecture.

The Geekbench 6 scores make the real-world consequence concrete. The Nothing Phone (3a) scores 1162 single-core and 3239 multi-core, versus the TCL's 441 single-core and 1407 multi-core — roughly 2.6× faster across the board. Single-core performance governs how snappy everyday tasks feel: app launches, UI responsiveness, typing. Multi-core determines heavier workloads like video processing or sustained gaming. The Nothing wins decisively on both. Memory compounds this further: 12 GB of DDR5 RAM at 3200 MHz with 25.6 GB/s bandwidth versus the TCL's 8 GB of DDR4 at 1866 MHz and 13.41 GB/s means the Nothing can keep more apps active in the background and feed its CPU data nearly twice as fast.

The one spec where the TCL counters is storage: its 512 GB base configuration doubles the Nothing's 256 GB, which is a genuine advantage for users who store large media libraries locally. However, raw storage capacity cannot offset a processor that is generations behind in efficiency and speed. For any user prioritizing responsiveness, multitasking, or longevity as apps grow more demanding over time, the Nothing Phone (3a) holds an overwhelming performance advantage in this category.

Megapixel counts can be misleading, and this comparison is a prime example. The TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G leads with a 108 MP main sensor, but its second lens is a bare 2 MP auxiliary — effectively a depth helper with minimal practical utility. The Nothing Phone (3a), by contrast, fields a genuine triple-camera system with two capable 50 MP lenses and an 8 MP tertiary shooter, giving it real photographic versatility. Critically, the Nothing also includes optical image stabilization (OIS), which the TCL entirely lacks. OIS physically compensates for hand tremor during capture, producing sharper photos in low light and smoother handheld video — its absence on the TCL is a meaningful everyday limitation.

The video and zoom gaps are equally stark. The Nothing shoots up to 4K at 30fps, while the TCL tops out at 1080p at 30fps — a full resolution tier behind. For anyone who records travel footage, events, or content intended for a large screen, that difference is visible. The Nothing also offers 2x optical zoom (lossless, using the second 50 MP sensor) versus the TCL's 0x optical zoom, meaning TCL users are limited to digital cropping, which degrades image quality. Slow-motion recording and timelapse mode are present on the Nothing and absent on the TCL, further narrowing the latter's creative toolkit.

Front cameras are the one area of parity — both offer 32 MP selfie shooters, with the TCL's marginally wider f/2.0 aperture versus the Nothing's f/2.2 being a negligible real-world distinction. Overall, the Nothing Phone (3a) wins this category decisively: OIS, 4K video, genuine optical zoom, and a more capable multi-lens system add up to a substantially more versatile camera package across virtually every use case.

Rarely does a specification group resolve this cleanly: every single OS feature listed is identical across both phones. Both ship with Android 15, both lack direct OS updates, and both share the same comprehensive suite of privacy controls — including camera/microphone permissions, location privacy options, and app tracking blockers. For users concerned about data security, neither phone has an advantage or disadvantage on paper in this category.

The shared feature set is genuinely well-rounded. Productivity staples like split-screen multitasking, picture-in-picture, widgets, and full-page screenshots are present on both. So are quality-of-life additions such as dynamic theming, an extra dim mode, battery health check, and offline voice recognition — features that not long ago were premium-tier exclusives. The one notable shared omission is the lack of direct OS updates, meaning neither phone receives updates pushed straight from Google; both depend on their respective manufacturers for software maintenance.

This category is an unambiguous tie. Buyers should not let OS features influence their decision between these two phones — the software experience, as defined by these specs, is functionally identical from the moment both devices boot up.

Battery capacity is close but not identical: the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G packs a 5200 mAh cell versus the Nothing Phone (3a)'s 5000 mAh. The 200 mAh difference is modest — in practice, it amounts to a marginal buffer rather than a transformative endurance advantage. Both phones sit comfortably in the large-battery tier and should handle a full day of typical use without issue.

Where the two phones trade positions is charging speed. The Nothing Phone (3a) supports 50W fast charging, meaningfully outpacing the TCL's 33W. Faster charging translates directly to less time tethered to a wall: a 50W charger can replenish a 5000 mAh battery significantly quicker than 33W, which matters for users with busy schedules or unpredictable access to outlets. However, the TCL counters with one practical advantage — it includes a charger in the box, while the Nothing does not. For buyers who do not already own a compatible fast charger, that omission adds an immediate out-of-pocket cost to get the most from the Nothing's superior charging speed.

On balance, this category is a nuanced split rather than a clean win for either side. The Nothing Phone (3a) edges ahead on charging capability, but the TCL's bundled charger and marginally larger battery keep it competitive. Users who already own a 50W charger will prefer the Nothing; those starting from scratch may find the TCL's out-of-box readiness more practical.

Audio is another category where each phone makes a distinct trade-off rather than one simply outclassing the other. The Nothing Phone (3a) drops the headphone jack entirely but gains stereo speakers, while the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G goes the opposite direction — retaining a 3.5 mm audio jack but outputting sound through a single mono speaker. These are genuinely different philosophies, and which matters more depends entirely on how a user consumes audio.

Stereo speakers produce sound from two separate channels, creating a wider soundstage that makes a noticeable difference when watching videos, playing games, or listening to music without headphones. A mono speaker, by contrast, collapses all audio into a single point of output. For media consumption on the device itself, the Nothing's stereo speakers represent a clear experiential upgrade. The TCL's 3.5 mm jack, however, offers something the Nothing cannot — direct, zero-latency wired headphone connectivity without an adapter, which remains important for users with quality wired headphones or those in environments where Bluetooth is impractical. The TCL also includes a built-in FM radio, a feature absent on the Nothing that carries real utility in areas with limited data connectivity or during emergencies. Neither phone supports high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like aptX HD or LDAC, so wireless audio quality is on equal footing.

This category comes down to use case. For shared media and speakerphone calls, the Nothing Phone (3a) has the edge with its stereo output. For personal listening and wired audio flexibility, the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G is the more accommodating choice. Neither phone wins outright — it is a genuine split determined by individual listening habits.

The most consequential difference in this category is network generation. The Nothing Phone (3a) supports 5G; the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G does not. For users in areas with active 5G coverage, this means meaningfully faster download speeds and lower latency on the Nothing — and it also affects long-term relevance, as 4G LTE networks will gradually be deprioritized as carriers continue expanding 5G infrastructure. Wireless LAN follows a similar pattern: the Nothing supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) in addition to older standards, while the TCL tops out at Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). Wi-Fi 6 delivers better throughput and significantly improved performance in congested environments — busy households, offices, or public hotspots with many connected devices. Bluetooth reinforces this trend, with the Nothing carrying the newer Bluetooth 5.4 versus the TCL's 5.1, offering marginally improved connection stability and efficiency.

The TCL answers back in two specific areas. It includes a microSD card slot for expandable storage — a notable omission on the Nothing — which is a practical advantage for users who store large media libraries or want an inexpensive way to add capacity. The TCL also has a barometer, a sensor the Nothing lacks, useful for altitude tracking, weather monitoring, and certain fitness and outdoor applications. These are niche but genuine advantages for specific user profiles.

Shared fundamentals — dual SIM, USB Type-C, NFC, fingerprint scanner, GPS with Galileo support, and a full motion sensor suite — keep both phones well-equipped for everyday tasks. On balance, however, the Nothing Phone (3a) holds the stronger connectivity position: 5G support, Wi-Fi 6, and newer Bluetooth collectively represent a more future-proof wireless foundation that the TCL's expandable storage and barometer cannot fully offset.

This is a compact spec group with one standout differentiator: the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G features an e-paper display layer, while the Nothing Phone (3a) does not. Both phones share a video light, and neither has a curved or sapphire glass display — those points are a clean tie.

The e-paper capability on the TCL is the defining characteristic of its entire product identity. E-paper mode renders the screen in a low-power, paper-like visual style that dramatically reduces eye strain during extended reading sessions and can help conserve battery when full color rendering is unnecessary. It is a niche but meaningful feature for users who read long-form content — books, articles, documents — directly on their phone, or for those who are particularly sensitive to the blue-light-heavy output of conventional smartphone panels.

For the specific audience this feature targets, the TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G wins this category outright — no other spec listed here provides comparable differentiation. Users who have no interest in e-paper reading will find this group a functional tie, but those who do will find it a compelling and uncommon reason to favor the TCL.