Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The 6.77-inch AMOLED display is a highlight, with 120Hz refresh rate, 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness, and 480Hz touch sampling. A massive upgrade from the Phone 2a's 1,300 nits, it delivers excellent outdoor readability, rich colors, and smooth scrolling. FHD+ resolution is standard for the price class but perfectly adequate.

• 3,000 nits peak HDR brightness with 120Hz refresh — excellent outdoor readability and smooth scrolling
• 480Hz touch sampling rate delivers responsive input — particularly noticeable in gaming and fast scrolling
• Nothing OS monochrome aesthetic underuses the AMOLED's color capabilities — feels understated for such a vibrant panel

OnePlus 13R

The 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display delivers 120Hz, 2780x1264 resolution, and 4,500 nits peak brightness — one of the best screens at this price.

• LTPO AMOLED panel delivers sharp, vibrant visuals with excellent color reproduction across sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts
• Real-world auto brightness of around 1,223 nits provides comfortable outdoor visibility in direct sunlight

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 handles everyday tasks — social media, browsing, multitasking — without issue. However, it's the weakest area of the phone. Benchmark scores (~810K AnTuTu) trail competitors like the Poco X7 Pro, and gaming at high settings can stutter. Some reviewers experienced occasional lag, while others found it perfectly smooth for non-gaming use.

• Smooth for everyday tasks — social media, browsing, and productivity run without noticeable stutter
• Gaming performance actually worse than the older Phone 2a — Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 trails Dimensity 7200 Pro in GPU tasks
• Occasional sluggishness and lag reported during extended use sessions

OnePlus 13R

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers flagship-tier burst performance, but lab testing reveals significant thermal throttling under sustained workloads.

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers exceptional burst performance, making it one of the most powerful phones at this price
• Day-to-day performance is silky smooth — no lag, hiccups, or slowdowns with OxygenOS optimizations
• Thermal throttling is a concern: 3DMark tests show GPU stability of only 54% with CPU throttling to 64% under extended load

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The camera system is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro's biggest selling point. The 50MP main sensor with OIS delivers detailed, vibrant daylight shots, while the 50MP 3x periscope telephoto is virtually unheard of under $500 — producing excellent portraits and zoom shots. The 50MP selfie camera is above average. However, the 8MP ultrawide is a weak link, low-light performance divides opinion, and video is limited to 4K/30fps.

• 50MP 3x periscope telephoto is a genuine rarity under $500 — excellent for portraits with natural bokeh
• 50MP main sensor with OIS produces detailed, vibrant 12.5MP binned shots with good dynamic range in daylight
• 8MP ultrawide is a clear weak link — cannot record 1080p/60fps and lacks detail
• Video limited to 4K/30fps — no 4K/60fps option, and telephoto lacks 4K video entirely

OnePlus 13R

Main camera and new 2x telephoto deliver solid results, but the 8MP ultrawide is a consistent weak point that drags down the system.

• The 50MP main camera produces sharp daylight stills with wide dynamic range and vibrant-but-accurate colors
• The new 50MP 2x telephoto is a significant upgrade over the old macro lens, delivering sharp images with nice colors
• The 8MP ultrawide is the clear weakness — soft, lacking detail, with limited dynamic range that reviewers universally criticize
• Video recording is limited: 4K restricted to select cameras with mediocre stabilization compared to the competition