Nothing Phone (3a) specifications and in-depth review

Nothing Phone (3a)

Manufacturer: Nothing

The Nothing Phone (3a) is a mid-range Android 15 smartphone with a 6.77″ OLED screen and a distinctly slim profile at 8.4 mm thick, weighing 201 g. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 platform paired with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, making it a capable device for everyday multitasking and media consumption. The phone carries an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance and supports dual SIM configurations alongside 5G connectivity.

On the camera side, the Nothing Phone (3a) features a triple rear setup comprising two 50 MP sensors and an 8 MP shooter, along with optical image stabilization and 2x optical zoom, while the front hosts a 32 MP camera. Video capture tops out at 4K at 30 fps. The 5000 mAh battery supports 50W wired fast charging, though wireless charging is absent. Display highlights include a 120 Hz refresh rate, 387 ppi pixel density, HDR10+ support, and a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, complemented by stereo speakers and Bluetooth 5.4 for audio and wireless connectivity.

Pros
  • The 6.77-inch OLED panel runs at 120Hz with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+ support, and a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, delivering responsive and high-contrast visuals
  • A triple rear camera setup includes optical image stabilization and 2x optical zoom, with extensive manual controls covering exposure, ISO, focus, and white balance
  • The 5000 mAh battery supports 50W wired fast charging, keeping charge times relatively short for a cell of this capacity
  • Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G connectivity are all present, covering a wide range of modern wireless use cases
  • Stereo speakers and a three-microphone array provide capable audio output and voice capture without relying on a single speaker or mic
  • The IP64 rating offers protection against dust ingress and water splashing from any direction, adding a degree of everyday resilience
Cons
  • Wireless charging is not supported, limiting charging flexibility
  • No 3.5 mm headphone jack is present, and none of the high-quality Bluetooth audio codecs — aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, or LDAC — are available
  • The USB Type-C port is limited to USB 2.0 speeds, restricting wired data transfer rates
  • No external memory slot is included, and storage is fixed at 256 GB with no expansion option
  • A charger is not included in the box, requiring a separate purchase to take advantage of the 50W fast charging capability
  • OS updates are not delivered directly from the vendor, which may affect the timeliness of software and security patches
Who is this for?

This device suits users who want a well-rounded daily driver with a large, vivid screen and capable imaging. The 6.77-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate makes it a strong choice for those who consume a lot of video or social content, given the HDR10+ support and high contrast ratio. The triple rear camera with optical image stabilization, broad manual controls, and 4K video recording will appeal to photography and video enthusiasts who want hands-on creative flexibility without needing professional equipment. The 5000 mAh battery paired with 50W fast charging is well suited to heavy daily users who need reliable endurance, while 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.4 make it a practical fit for users who rely on fast, modern connectivity across a range of scenarios.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who regularly use wired headphones will find the absence of a 3.5 mm audio jack inconvenient, and those who expect high-fidelity wireless audio will be disappointed by the lack of aptX, LDAC, or any other advanced Bluetooth codec. The USB 2.0 interface and absence of an external memory slot make this a poor fit for users who frequently transfer large files or need flexible storage expansion. Those who depend on wireless charging — whether for desk pads, car mounts, or overnight convenience — will not find that option here. The device also lacks crash detection and emergency satellite SOS, making it unsuitable for users who prioritize safety-focused features for outdoor or high-risk activities. Finally, users who require the fastest possible OS and security patch delivery may be deterred by the absence of direct vendor OS updates.

Design:

water resistance Water resistant
weight 201 g
thickness 8.4 mm
width 77.5 mm
height 163.5 mm
volume 106.4385 cm³
Ingress Protection (IP) rating IP64
has a rugged build
can be folded

The Nothing Phone (3a) measures 163.5 mm tall, 77.5 mm wide, and 8.4 mm thin, with a total volume of 106.4385 cm³ and a weight of 201 g. It holds an IP64 rating, meaning it offers protection against dust and water splashing, though it is not built to a rugged standard and cannot be folded. These dimensions reflect a conventional candy-bar form factor designed for single-handed use without any special structural reinforcement.

Display:

Display type OLED/AMOLED
screen size 6.77"
pixel density 387 ppi
resolution 1080 x 2392 px
refresh rate 120Hz
touch sampling rate 240Hz
brightness (typical) 800 nits
has branded damage-resistant glass
supports HDR10
supports HDR10+
Always-On Display
supports Dolby Vision
contrast ratio 5000000:1
Has a secondary screen
has a touch screen

The Nothing Phone (3a) uses an OLED/AMOLED touchscreen measuring 6.77″ with a resolution of 1080 x 2392 px and a pixel density of 387 ppi. The panel runs at a 120Hz refresh rate with a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and delivers a typical brightness of 800 nits alongside a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. It supports both HDR10 and HDR10+, while Dolby Vision is not supported. Always-On Display is available, and there is no secondary screen. The display does not feature branded damage-resistant glass.

Performance:

internal storage 256GB
RAM 12GB
AnTuTu benchmark score 816384
Chipset (SoC) name Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
GPU name Adreno 710
CPU speed 1 x 2.5 & 3 x 2.4 & 4 x 1.8 GHz
Geekbench 6 result (multi) 3239
Geekbench 6 result (single) 1162
3DMark Wild Life benchmark 4186
3DMark Wild Life Extreme benchmark 1063
Geekbench 5 result (multi) 3242
Geekbench 5 result (single) 893
GPU clock speed 1050 MHz
Has integrated LTE
RAM speed 3200 MHz
semiconductor size 4 nm
Supports 64-bit
DirectX version DirectX 12
Has integrated graphics
OpenGL version 3.2
OpenGL ES version 3.2
Uses big.LITTLE technology
CPU threads 8 threads
Uses HMP
Has TrustZone
maximum memory bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
OpenCL version 2
maximum memory amount 16GB
uses multithreading
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 5W
DDR memory version 5
shading units 128
turbo clock speed 2.4GHz

The Nothing Phone (3a) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, built on a 4 nm process with an octa-core CPU configuration running at up to 2.5 GHz across 8 threads, using big.LITTLE architecture with HMP support and a TDP of 5W. Graphics are handled by the integrated Adreno 710 GPU clocked at 1050 MHz, supporting DirectX 12, OpenGL 3.2, OpenGL ES 3.2, and OpenCL 2, with 128 shading units. The device comes with 12 GB of DDR5 RAM at 3200 MHz and 256 GB of internal storage, with a maximum supported memory amount of 16 GB and a peak memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. It scores 816,384 on AnTuTu, 1162 and 3239 on Geekbench 6 single and multi-core respectively, and achieves 4186 on 3DMark Wild Life and 1063 on Wild Life Extreme. The chipset integrates LTE, supports 64-bit processing, multithreading, and ARM TrustZone security.

Cameras:

megapixels (main camera) 50 & 50 & 8 MP
wide aperture (main camera) 1.9 & 2 & 2.2f
Has a dual-lens (or multi-lens) main camera
megapixels (front camera) 32MP
has built-in optical image stabilization
video recording (main camera) 2160 x 30 fps
Has a dual-tone LED flash
number of flash LEDs 1
has a BSI sensor
has a CMOS sensor
has continuous autofocus when recording movies
Has phase-detection autofocus for photos
supports slow-motion video recording
has a built-in HDR mode
has manual exposure
has a flash
optical zoom 2x
has manual ISO
has a serial shot mode
has manual focus
has a front camera
Has laser autofocus
Shoots 360° panorama
has manual white balance
shoots raw
has touch autofocus
has manual shutter speed
can create panoramas in-camera
wide aperture (front camera) 2.2f
Has timelapse function
Has a front-facing LED flash
has a dual-lens (or multi-lens) front camera
supports HDR10 recording
supports Dolby Vision recording
has a front-facing camera under the display
Has a RGB LED flash
has 3D photo/video recording capabilities

The Nothing Phone (3a) features a triple rear camera system with sensors at 50 MP (f/1.9), 50 MP (f/2.0), and 8 MP (f/2.2), backed by optical image stabilization and 2x optical zoom. The main camera uses a CMOS sensor without back-side illumination, and supports phase-detection autofocus for photos as well as continuous autofocus during video recording, though laser autofocus is absent. Video can be recorded at up to 2160p at 30 fps, with slow-motion recording also available, while HDR10 and Dolby Vision recording are not supported. Manual controls extend to exposure, ISO, focus, and white balance, though manual shutter speed is not available; burst mode, touch autofocus, panorama, and timelapse round out the feature set. A single LED flash is present at the rear, with no dual-tone or RGB flash, and there is no front-facing flash. The 32 MP front camera sits at f/2.2 in a conventional placement above the display, without an under-display position or a secondary front lens, and does not support 360-degree panorama, RAW capture, or 3D photo and video recording.

Operating system:

Android version Android 15
has clipboard warnings
has location privacy options
has camera/microphone privacy options
has Mail Privacy Protection
has theme customization
can block app tracking
blocks cross-site tracking
has on-device machine learning
has notification permissions
has media picker
Can play games while they download
has dark mode
has Wi-Fi password sharing
has battery health check
has an extra dim mode
has focus modes
has dynamic theming
can offload apps
Has customizable notifications
has Live Text
has full-page screenshots
supports split screen
gets direct OS updates
has PiP
Can be used as a PC
Has sharing intents
has a child lock
Supports widgets
Is free and open source
Has offline voice recognition
has voice commands
Tracks the current position of a mobile device
is a multi-user system
has Quick Start

The Nothing Phone (3a) ships with Android 15 and includes a broad set of privacy controls, covering clipboard warnings, location privacy options, and camera and microphone access management, though Mail Privacy Protection and cross-site tracking blocking are not available. App tracking can be blocked, and the OS supports on-device machine learning alongside offline voice recognition and voice commands. Customization options include dark mode, dynamic theming, theme customization, widgets, and customizable notifications, while focus modes and Wi-Fi password sharing are absent. Productivity features cover split-screen multitasking, Picture-in-Picture, full-page screenshots, a media picker, sharing intents, app offloading, and the ability to play games while they download. The device supports multi-user accounts, a child lock, phone tracking, battery health checks, an extra dim mode, and Live Text for selecting text from images. Direct OS updates from the vendor are not provided, and the Quick Start feature is also absent.

Battery:

battery power 5000 mAh
has wireless charging
Supports fast charging
charging speed 50W
comes with a charger
has a removable battery
has a battery level indicator
has a rechargeable battery

The Nothing Phone (3a) is equipped with a 5000 mAh rechargeable battery that supports 50W wired fast charging, though wireless charging is not available and a charger is not included in the box. The battery is non-removable and features a battery level indicator. There is no option for wireless charging, and the battery cannot be swapped out by the user.

Audio:

has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack
has stereo speakers
has aptX
has LDAC
has aptX HD
has aptX Adaptive
has aptX Lossless
Has a radio
number of microphones 3

The Nothing Phone (3a) includes stereo speakers and a triple microphone setup, but omits a 3.5 mm headphone jack and does not feature a built-in radio. On the wireless audio side, none of the high-quality Bluetooth codecs — aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, or LDAC — are supported.

Connectivity & Features:

has 5G support
Wi-Fi version Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
SIM cards 2 SIM
Bluetooth version 5.4
has an external memory slot
Has USB Type-C
USB version 2
has NFC
download speed 2900 MBits/s
Has a fingerprint scanner
has emergency SOS via satellite
has crash detection
is DLNA-certified
has a gyroscope
supports ANT+
Has a heart rate monitor
has GPS
has a compass
supports Wi-Fi
Has an infrared sensor
has an accelerometer
has a cellular module
Has a barometer
has an HDMI output
Uses 3D facial recognition
Has an iris scanner
Stylus included
supports Galileo
Has motion tracking
Has optical tracking
Has a built-in projector

The Nothing Phone (3a) supports 5G connectivity alongside Wi-Fi 4, 5, and 6, and accommodates two SIM cards with a maximum download speed of 2900 Mbit/s. Bluetooth 5.4 and NFC are both present, while there is no external memory slot, no HDMI output, and no DLNA certification. The USB Type-C port operates at USB 2.0 speeds. For biometrics, a fingerprint scanner is included, but 3D facial recognition and an iris scanner are absent, and no stylus is bundled. Onboard sensors cover GPS, Galileo, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a compass, while a barometer, infrared sensor, heart rate monitor, and motion or optical tracking are not featured. Crash detection and emergency SOS via satellite are also not available, nor is ANT+ support or a built-in projector.

Miscellaneous:

has a video light
Has sapphire glass display
Has a curved display
Has an e-paper display

The Nothing Phone (3a) includes a video light for recording in low-light conditions, while the display is flat rather than curved and does not use sapphire glass or e-paper technology.

Final Verdict

The Nothing Phone (3a) is a feature-complete Android 15 smartphone that covers most bases a mainstream user would expect — a large OLED screen with smooth refresh, a versatile triple camera system with genuine manual control, solid connectivity through 5G and Wi-Fi 6, and a 5000 mAh battery with 50W fast charging that keeps endurance concerns largely at bay. Its limitations are real but predictable for its tier: no wireless charging, a USB 2.0 port, no expandable storage, and the absence of advanced wireless audio codecs mean it is not the right tool for every user. Still, for anyone whose priorities sit around display quality, daily imaging flexibility, and reliable all-day connectivity, the Nothing Phone (3a) delivers a coherent and well-specified package that holds up well against the demands of modern everyday use.

Popular Comparisons

Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Cubot A40
Cubot A40
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Nothing Phone 3
Nothing Phone 3
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
CMF Phone 2 Pro
CMF Phone 2 Pro
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Honor 200
Honor 200
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Apple iPhone 16
Apple iPhone 16
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
TCL NxtPaper 60 Ultra
TCL NxtPaper 60 Ultra
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Vivo Y400 Pro 5G
Vivo Y400 Pro 5G
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Vivo iQOO Neo10 Pro Plus (China)
Vivo iQOO Neo10 Pro Plus (China)
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Vivo T4 5G
Vivo T4 5G
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 4 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi Turbo 4 Pro
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Oppo K13 5G
Oppo K13 5G
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G
TCL 60 NxtPaper 4G
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
TCL 60 NxtPaper
TCL 60 NxtPaper
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Samsung Galaxy A56 5G
Samsung Galaxy A56 5G
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a)
VS
Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung Galaxy S24