Nothing Phone (3a) vs Nothing Phone (4a)

Nothing Phone (3a)

A 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED that punches well above its price — bright, smooth and a consistent highlight.

• It's a 6.77-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, rated 800 nits typical / 1,300 nits HBM / 3,000 nits peak with Ultra HDR support.
• The brighter AMOLED hits up to 3,000 nits peak in HDR — one of the highest figures seen on paper at this price.
• The display holds up well watching content indoors and outdoors, a genuine class highlight for a budget phone.
• It's a 1080p panel at 387ppi with a 19.93:9 aspect ratio — sharp and smooth, with the usual budget-tier 1080p ceiling.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A genuine highlight for the price — a big 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED that's bright, sharp and HDR-capable, beating similarly priced rivals.

• 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits typical / 1,600 nits HBM / 4,500 nits peak at 1224x2720 (440ppi).
• The 6.78-inch display is 23% brighter than the 3a, reaching 1,600 nits outdoors with a 4,500-nit HDR peak.
• Brightness goes up to 4,500 nits peak, remaining easily readable outdoors — the display is very strong for this price range and one of the standout features.
• In the real world it hits around 700 nits peak SDR and ~1,550–1,600 nits in HDR, with 460ppi and dynamic 120Hz.

Nothing Phone (3a)

A 50MP main co-engineered with Samsung plus a genuinely useful 2x telephoto — strong for the price, though the 8MP ultrawide is weak and it can't match the Pixel.

• It packs a 50MP main with OIS, a 50MP 2x telephoto, an 8MP ultrawide and a 32MP front camera.
• The dedicated 2x telephoto is a clear upgrade over the Phone 2a and takes genuinely good-looking shots at 2x.
• A telephoto camera at this price is a good one to have — unusual for a sub-$400 phone.
• It's a shame the camera doesn't stack up against the Pixel 9 series, and the weaker zoom is a real downside versus pricier rivals.
• The 8MP ultrawide is pretty bad — it's really only there for the occasional wide perspective shot.
• Video tops out at 4K30 on the main and telephoto (no 4K60), with 1080p60 on the front camera.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A standout 3.5x periscope telephoto at this price and a solid main camera, undercut by an under-optimised zoom and a basic ultrawide.

• A triple setup — 50MP main, a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide — undoubtedly one of the best experiences at this level.
• The telephoto has been tweaked to a much better 3.5x (80mm) zoom factor.
• A telephoto with optical zoom at this price is great, but this is the worst optimisation I've seen on a 3.5x camera — expect disappointment if you buy for the zoom.
• The 3.5x optical-zoom telephoto is one of the biggest highlights, adding much more flexibility than most competitors in this price range, and the cameras are surprisingly capable.
• Each camera here feels better than what you'd get on Samsung at the price, and the main is solid with nice detail.

Nothing Phone (3a)

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 handles everyday use and casual gaming at 60fps, but it can stutter under heavier loads and the UFS 2.2 storage is slow.

• It runs a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
• You can find ways to make it stutter when gaming or moving through heavy apps, but the performance still can't be faulted for the price.
• Gaming is solid for a budget phone — Call of Duty Mobile, Genshin Impact and Asphalt all held ~60fps at default settings (33–37°C).
• Demanding titles like Genshin or Wuthering Waves can't hold a constant 60fps for more than 30 minutes or at higher settings.
• The slow storage and processor raise real questions about long-term performance expectations.
• Nothing's software is well optimised — there are occasional stutters when heavily loaded, but overall it runs nice and smooth for the price.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.

• Gaming is absolutely possible on this device, with solid everyday performance for the class.
• There's no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades over the 3a, even if the design doesn't stand out as much as the Pro.
• After 24 hours the home screen is extremely customisable and feels massively more functional than iOS, with no responsiveness complaints.
• Gesture-based navigation is fully supported and the overall experience is good thanks to Nothing's optimisations.

Nothing Phone (3a)

A 5,000mAh cell that comfortably lasts a day to a day and a half with no overheating, plus fast ~50W wired charging — though there's no wireless charging and no charger in the box.

• The 5,000mAh battery easily delivers a day and a half, sometimes two, with zero overheating.
• Real-world screen-on time ran roughly 6.5–8.5 hours, including an 8.5-hour run on mobile data with hotspot use.
• Even with the 5,000mAh cell it's still a one-day battery champ, comfortably ending the night with 25–30% left.
• A measured charge test took it 1% to 90% in exactly one hour on a 45W charger, with a 50W charger faster and a full charge in ~1h10–15m.
• It supports up to 50W wired charging but there's no wireless charging — a notable omission even at this price.
• Against newer 6,000–7,000mAh competitors the 5,000mAh capacity is starting to look modest, though it's far from bad.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A ~5,080mAh cell with 50W wired charging — reviewers call endurance strong, but a notable group of owners report disappointing screen-on time.

• The Nothing Phone (4a) features a ~5,080mAh cell which delivers very strong endurance in everyday use.
• The battery grew slightly — about 80mAh in most markets but a more meaningful 400mAh in India — with a 50W PD unit recommended on the box.
• Several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time with moderate use — worse than other phones with similar ~5,000mAh batteries.
• Battery life on this phone is excellent in everyday use.

Nothing Phone (3a)

Nothing OS is the phone's quiet superpower — clean, minimalist and one of the best Android experiences outside a Pixel, with strong long-term support — but the Essential Key underwhelms and ads/bloat are creeping in.

• After 100 days, Nothing has the balance right — good hardware married with a very good software experience; of all Nothing's 2025 products the Phone (3a) is their best.
• Nothing promises 3 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches — reasonable and better than most budget competition.
• Nothing OS is one of the cleanest, most distinctive Android experiences — Pixel-clean but even more minimalist.
• The Essential Key still isn't very useful even months in — and the rumoured ~$120/year Essential Space cost is unwelcome.
• Nothing has started diluting what makes it special with bloatware and lock-screen ads being added across the lineup.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Near-stock Nothing OS is repeatedly singled out as one of the best, cleanest and most customisable Android experiences at any price.

• The UI is pretty much stock Android, which is the best Android experience — Nothing and Pixel offer the best Android experience.
• While hard to compare to Samsung's far more customisable One UI, Nothing's OS is one of the best ways to experience Android.
• The in-house gallery, voice recorder and weather apps have wonderful design consistency, with everything else left as Google's clean defaults.
• The home screen is extremely customisable with built-in and user-made widgets — fresher, clearer and bolder than iOS.

Nothing Phone (3a)

At $379 it's repeatedly called the best-balanced, most distinctive phone in its class — beating the iPhone 16e on spec-sheet and trading blows with the Pixel 9a and Galaxy A56.

• Starting at $379/€379, it aims to deliver a premium experience without breaking the bank — and largely succeeds.
• Coming straight from the iPhone 16e, the Phone (3a) spec sheet on paper makes the 16e's look terrible.
• It's better than most, if not the best, at the price — a phone reviewers are glad exists.
• After a few weeks the reviewer was truly impressed: snappy mid-range performance, good gaming, clean Android, unique design, excellent battery and guaranteed long-term support.
• It's become one of the best-selling Nothing phones of all time, with an enduring battery and clean UI — though recent bloatware additions mar the experience slightly.
• Against the Galaxy A56 it's the better pick for a unique experience, while the A56 wins purely on longer software updates.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Aggressively priced below the Pixel 10a with a more distinctive design and a real telephoto — the standout budget pick for buyers who want personality.

• It's a good chunk of change cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a.
• It fits the perfect budget for buyers who can't afford the ~$1,000 needed for an entry-level iPhone 17, with good hardware and excellent battery.
• A very strong mid-range smartphone that stands out with unique design, great display, solid performance and surprisingly capable cameras — definitely worth a closer look.
• Nothing stands out among the crowd with a brand identity strong enough to turn consumers into fans.