Side-by-side technical data
Nothing Phone (3a) vs Nothing Phone (3)
Comparison between Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3): camera, battery, fast charging, display, performance and colors, side by side. More phones from Nothing.
NeoTeo's verdict
Which of the two is the better buy
The Nothing Phone (3) is the more complete choice, with clear gains in performance, cameras, and endurance, plus a sharper, brighter display. The Nothing Phone (3a) is lighter and thinner, making it the better fit when those qualities matter more than the upgrades.
Both have 120 Hz AMOLED displays, but the Phone (3) reaches 4500 nits and 460 ppi, versus 3000 nits and 387 ppi on the Phone (3a). It also offers stronger water and dust resistance, IP68 versus IP64. The trade-off is a heavier, thicker body: 218 g and 9 mm against 201 g and 8,4 mm.
The Phone (3) pairs a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, plus 65 W wired, wireless, and reverse charging. The Phone (3a) has a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, 12 GB, and 256 GB, with 50 W wired charging. The Phone (3)’s main camera has a 1/1,28″ sensor versus 1/1,56″, and its telephoto camera offers 3 x optical zoom against 2 x. The Phone (3a) only has the wider telephoto aperture: f/2 versus f/2.7.
Nothing Phone (3a)
The Nothing Phone (3a) is the better buy for those who prioritize a lighter, thinner phone: 201 g and 8,4 mm.
Nothing Phone (3)
The Nothing Phone (3) is the better buy for those who want stronger performance, a 1/1,28″ main camera sensor, and wireless charging.
The verdict
Your pick: Nothing Phone (3), ahead on Performance & hardware, Camera, Connectivity and Battery & charging.
| Category | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Design & display | 7.8 | 8.1 |
| Performance & hardware | 5.9 | 8.6 |
| Camera | 7.5 | 8.3 |
| Connectivity | 7.3 | 8.6 |
| Battery & charging | 5.9 | 8.6 |
Which one is for you?
Nothing Phone (3a), if you care about…
- Weight
- 201 g
- against 218 g
- Body Thickness
- 8.4 mm
- against 9 mm
Nothing Phone (3), if you care about…
- AnTuTu Score
- 2,300,545
- against 828,429
- RAM Capacity
- 16 GB
- against 12 GB
- Wi-Fi Standards
- Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g
- against Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
- Storage Type
- UFS 4.0
- against UFS 2.2
Specification comparison
Performance
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Model | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 |
| Processor Process Size | 4 nm | 4 nm |
| Graphics GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 810 | Qualcomm Adreno 825 |
| Storage Type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.0 Best value |
| Maximum CPU Clock | 2.5 GHz | 3.21 GHz Best value |
| Maximum Storage Capacity | 256 GB | 512 GB Best value |
| AnTuTu Score | 828,429 | 2,300,545 Best value |
| Geekbench 6 Single-Core | 1,162 | 2,041 Best value |
| Geekbench 6 Multi-Core | 3,239 | 6,833 Best value |
| CPU Description | Octa-core processor with 1 Cortex-A720 core at 2.5 GHz, 3 Cortex-A720 cores at 2.4 GHz, and 4 Cortex-A520 cores at 1.8 GHz. | Octa-core: 1×3.21 GHz Cortex-X4, 3×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720, 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 and 2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A720. |
| Processor Type | Octa-Core | Octa-Core |
| 64-Bit Processor | Yes | Yes |
| RAM Capacity | 12 GB | 16 GB Best value |
| RAM Type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR5X Best value |
| AnTuTu version | v10 | v11 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme | 1,064 | 4,588 Best value |
Design
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Body Colors | Black, White, Blue, Green | Black, White |
| Body Thickness | 8.4 mm Best value | 9 mm |
| Body Width | 77.5 mm | 75.6 mm |
| Body Height | 163.5 mm | 160.6 mm |
| Weight | 201 g Best value | 218 g |
| Usable Surface | 88 % | 88.5 % Best value |
| Body Materials | Glass, Plastic, Polycarbonate | Glass, Aluminium Alloy Best value |
| Resistance Features | IP64 | IP68 Best value |
| Waterproof Depth | — | 1.5 m |
| Drop Resistance Class | C | C |
| Repairability Class | C | C |
| Drop Test Count | 90 | 90 |
Battery
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Efficiency Rating | C | A Best value |
| Battery Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,150 mAh Best value |
| Battery Type | Li-Polymer | Si-Carbon Li-Ion Best value |
| Fast Charge Power | 50 W | 65 W Best value |
| Battery Features | Fast Charging, Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator | Fast Charging, Wireless Charging, Reverse Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging, Non-Removable, Rechargeable, Battery Level Indicator Best value |
| Battery Endurance | 43 h 56 min | 56 h 23 min Best value |
| Wireless charging power | — | 15 W |
| Charge cycles | 1,400 | 1,400 |
| Reverse wireless charging power | — | 5 W |
Display
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Display Aspect Ratio | 20:9 | 20:9 |
| Display Technology | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Peak Display Brightness | 3,000 nits | 4,500 nits Best value |
| Display Diagonal | 6.77″ Best value | 6.67″ |
| Display Horizontal Resolution | 1,080 px | 1,260 px Best value |
| Display Vertical Resolution | 2,392 px | 2,800 px Best value |
| Display Pixel Density | 387 ppi | 460 ppi Best value |
| Display Refresh Rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Touch Sampling Rate | 240 Hz | 1,000 Hz Best value |
| Display Contrast Ratio | 1,000,000 :1 | 1,000,000 :1 |
| Display Features | Ultra HDR, Panda Glass, Mohs Level 5, AMOLED, HDR10+, 2160Hz PWM, Hole-Punch Notch, DCI-P3, 10-Bit Panel, Color LED Notifications, Scratch Resistant, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, HDR10, Always-On Display | Gorilla Glass 7i, HDR10+, HDR10, Hole-Punch Notch, 2160Hz PWM, DCI-P3, 10-Bit Panel, Capacitive Touch, Multi-Touch, Frameless, SGS Certified, TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light, TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free Certified, TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification, Mohs Level 5, Always-On Display, Secondary Display |
Sensors
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Placement | Under Display | Under Display |
Sensor
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Features | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing, Cooling System | Fingerprint Sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Gyroscope, Compass, Light Sensor, Cooling System |
Software
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 15 | — |
| OS Family | Android | — |
| OS Version | 15 | — |
| OS Update Support | 3 years | 5 years Best value |
| Google Services | Yes | Yes |
| Widevine L1 | — | Yes |
Connectivity
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| SIM Configurations | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby, Dual SIM | Dual Nano-SIM, Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby Best value |
| Cellular Bands | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900, 3G UMTS B1, 3G UMTS B2, 3G UMTS B4, 3G UMTS B5, 3G UMTS B6, 3G UMTS B8, 3G UMTS B19, 4G LTE B1, 4G LTE B2, 4G LTE B3, 4G LTE B4, 4G LTE B5, 4G LTE B7, 4G LTE B8, 4G LTE B12, 4G LTE B17, 4G LTE B18, 4G LTE B19, 4G LTE B20, 4G LTE B26, 4G LTE B28A, 4G LTE B28B, 4G LTE B38, 4G LTE B40, 4G LTE B41, 4G LTE B42, 4G LTE B48, 4G LTE B66, 5G NR n1, 5G NR n2, 5G NR n3, 5G NR n5, 5G NR n7, 5G NR n8, 5G NR n12, 5G NR n20, 5G NR n28a, 5G NR n28b, 5G NR n38, 5G NR n40, 5G NR n41, 5G NR n48, 5G NR n66, 5G NR n77, 5G NR n78 | 2G GSM 850, 2G GSM 900, 2G GSM 1800, 2G GSM 1900 |
| Cellular Technologies | GSM, HSPA, UMTS, LTE, 5G | GSM, HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Wi-Fi Standards | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g Best value |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO | Dual Band, Tri-Band, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, MIMO, Wi-Fi Password Sharing Best value |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 6.0 Best value |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, LE | A2DP, LE |
| Navigation Systems | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC Best value |
| Connectivity Features | NFC, USB Type-C, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, USB OTG, USB Host 2.0, Computer Sync, Tethering, VoLTE, USB 2.0 | NFC, USB Type-C, USB OTG, USB Charging, USB Mass Storage, Computer Sync, OTA Sync, Tethering, Infrared, VoLTE, DLNA, eSIM |
| USB Version | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
| Max. download speed | 2,900 Mbps | 4,200 Mbps Best value |
| Max. upload speed | — | 3,500 Mbps |
Audio
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone Count | 3 | 3 |
| Audio Features | Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos, A2DP, LE | Stereo Speakers, A2DP, LE |
Technical
| Specification | Phone (3a) | Phone (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Launch price | — | 799 € |
| Model numbers | A059 | A024 |
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