The phone is as slim as the box it comes in — a compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to hold in the hand, plus flashing lights (Glyph interface) on its back that makes it a complete headturner. We are talking about Nothing’s new mid-range smartphones – Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro – that are visually attractive and a pleasure to use. These retail for under 30k and are a whiff of fresh air, let us find out how.
The Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro come with upgraded glass back panels and refined visual details and elements throughout the finish. They also have IP64 rating; it means the devices are protected from total dust ingress and water spray from any direction. I checked out both the handsets and frankly speaking, there are a lot of similarities between them.
For instance, they are both running the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor and have large 5000mAh batteries, delivering up to two days of use on a full charge. There’s 50W rapid charging too. Nothing OS 3.1 is built with Android 15 at its core that brings user interface redesign, software improvements, AI features, and a redesigned gallery app. The user experience is smooth and seamless with quick responses and no lags or glitches whatsoever.
At 6.77-inches, the display on both devices is immersive with plenty of room to handle on-screen content. At Full HD+ resolution, visuals look crisp with 387 pixels in every inch of screen, and with a fluid 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Swiping through the devices is smooth, and responsive.
While taking photos and shooting videos, both the phones got me all excited due to their plethora of features and ease of use. Phone (3a)’s telephoto camera features a powerful 50MP sensor combined with a fast f/2.0 aperture for detailed shots at its 50mm equivalent focal length.
Likewise, the Phone (3a) Pro comes with advanced sensor technologies, such as the 50MP main sensor and Sony ultra-wide sensor. Zooming out, both the devices’ ultra-wide camera enables you to capture more in each frame; the Sony sensor enhances low-light performance. While the Phone (3a) comes with a 32MP front camera, its higher variant features a 50MP camera. Front or back, the camera system on both is top-notch with sharp images and good video shooting.
Another attraction is the Essential Key. This is a physical button on the phone’s side that, when pressed, opens up Nothing’s AI-powered hub called Essential Space, allowing users to save information, screenshots, voice memos, and more. It is pretty easy and useful.
Overall, these are visually striking devices that perform well for communication, content consumption and imaging-related tasks.
