Nothing Phone (3a) Arrives To Give Apple And Samsung A Budget Beatdown
It's the battle of budget phones and for your wallet at the 2025 Mobile World Congress. As expected, Nothing announced two new phones—the Nothing Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro—that continue the company's unique take on overall user experience that encompass the operating system and phone design. The phones boast performance up to 33% better than the previous generation, improved cooling, upgraded cameras, baked-in AI features, and competitive pricing.
Power in perspective.
Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro. Two new signatures. Each refined to capture masterful shots.
Pre-order now. pic.twitter.com/2wYuV3eE84— Nothing (@nothing) March 4, 2025
It was previously expected that Nothing would reveal some new phones at the MWC 2025 tech trade show in Barcelona, and the company didn't disappoint. The UK-based company announced the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro as the new capstone to the Nothing catalog, bringing much improved innards and features over the Phone (2a).
One of Nothing's driving mantras has been to "make tech fun again," which means customers can expect some level of quirkiness and out-of-the-box concepts in the phones they buy. While the look of the new phones definitely breathe freshness into the rather staid bar-phone category, the Phone (3a) arguably carries it better, especially in the rear. The horizontal camera visor matches the aesthetics of the cover plate and Glyph notification LEDs; it's actually quite handsome, in an industrial design sort of way. The Phone (3a) Pro, on the hand, has a look that only a mother could love—randomly-placed camera warts and all.
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Speaking of cameras, if you don't mind the looks, the Pro obviously has the slight leg up. Nestled around the circular camera bump, there's a 50-megapixel f/1.8 primary shooter, Sony Lyt-600 50MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom, 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP selfie. The standard model shares the same main shooter and ultrawide sensors, while the 50MP telephoto has 2x zoom instead. The selfie camera is also smaller at 32MP.
Utilizing an optimized version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor and 12GB of RAM, users can rely on AI to proactively manage their day-to-day in a feature Nothing calls Essential Space. For example, if you're going on a trip, the phone will organize information that you might find helpful on the homescreen such as your flight QR code, suggest supplies/clothes to buy or pack for the trip based on the location and forecasted weather. The AI that runs Essential Space can also help users stay organized by curating any save screenshots, voice memos, images, notes, etc. into one place.
Both devices also have pretty solid displays—6.77-inch AMOLEDs capable of 30-120Hz refresh rates and up to 3,000 nits brightness. Battery size is identical at 5,000mAH featuring 50W fast charging, although wireless charging isn't available, even on the Pro.
You can preorder the Nothing Phone (3a) today for $380, whereas the Pro will be likewise available starting March 11 for $460.
