Nothing has just announced its new Nothing Phone 3a collection atMWC 2025 , which includes the budget - friendly Nothing Phone 3a and slightly pricierPhone 3a Pro .
Considering the 2023Nothing Phone 2earned a 4.5 - ace rating and was hailed by us as a “ great performer that looks different to much every other phone around ” , how does the newNothing Phone 3acompare ?
We ’ve compared the initial specs of the Nothing Phone 3a to the Nothing Phone 2 and play up the independent differences between the two . Keep reading to see whether you should upgrade in Nothing Phone 3a vs Nothing Phone 2 .
Pricing and Availability
Available in three colours , the Nothing Phone 3a has a starting RRP of £ 329 for its 8 GB and 128 GB handset .
In comparison , the Nothing Phone 2 is considerably more expensive , with a current starting RRP of £ 579 . However , as it ’s the sometime of the two , you are more probable to find a deal for the Nothing Phone 2 .
Nothing Phone 3a runs on Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
Although both Nothing Phones run on Qualcomm chipsets , they differ with the generation used . While the Nothing Phone 3a guide on the 2024 Snapdragon seven Gen 3 , the Nothing Phone 2 or else relies on the olderSnapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 .
Nothing promises the Nothing Phone 3a ’s processor results in “ up to 33 % fast CPU ” than last year’sNothing Phone 2aand is “ up to 92 % better ” at CPU AI chore , which makes it more “ time to come - proof ” .
Despite being the sometime chipset of the two , we still found the Nothing Phone 2 ’s performance to be “ very capable ” and delivered “ top - notch workaday performance [ … ] at a speedy tempo ” . We even find oneself high - end gambling titles like Call of Duty Mobile ran well , although it did have a tendency to overheat after a while , so dedicated gamers might be skilful off looking at ourbest play phoneslist rather .
Nothing Phone 3a has three rear cameras
The Nothing Phone 3a is made up with a aggregate of four camera , which include a 32MP front tv camera . Flip the phone over and you ’ll get three rear lenses : a 50MP main , 50MP telephoto and 8MP ultrawide .
Nothing excuse its 50MP telephoto lens has a 2x visual stretch for “ quality rapid growth ” and enables up to 4x lossless in - sensor zoom . It ’s deserving notice that when liken theNothing Phone 3a Pro vs Nothing Phone 3a , the former offer duplicate the lossless zoom .
The Nothing Phone 2 instead has two rearward sensors , a 50MP principal and 50MP ultrawide . We found the lenses could deliver a self-colored photo in most conditions , specially in well - lit environments where “ ginger nut are detailed , bright and tamp down with light ” .
Having say that , we did find the camera was let down in dispirited - light conditions so it ’s perhaps not the most reliable snapper around .
Otherwise , the Nothing Phone 2 shares the same 32MP selfie genus Lens as the Nothing Phone 3a , which is sufficient for video call and selfies , but we did find shots total out as slightly soft .
Nothing Phone 3a has an IP64 rating
Compared to most of thebest smartphonesand theOnePlus 13which sports a whoppingIP69 rating , neither Nothing Phone gas a particularly mellow IP rating . The Nothing Phone 2 has a evaluation ofIP54 , which means it ’s protected from “ limited amounts of dust and splashes of water system from all focal point . ”
It ’s deserving mention that the Nothing Phone 2 ’s low IP valuation is quite rarefied in smartphones , as most flagships sport a mightier IP68 instead .
The Nothing Phone 3a has a slightly higher rating of IP64 , which have in mind the earphone is rubble - tight but is only protected from water splashes “ from all directions ” .
Essentially , while both phones can be used alfresco , they can only really withstand a few drops of pelting and should not be submerged in water , even temporarily .
Nothing Phone 3a has a larger battery
With a 5000mAh shelling , the Nothing Phone 3a andPhone 3a Proboth tout among the big capacitance find in any Nothing phone . Nothing excuse this barrage , combined with the effective Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset , can deliver up to two Day of use on a full charge .
The Nothing Phone 2 has a small battery capacity at 4700mAh . Having read that , we still notice the phone was able to power through an 18 - hour sidereal day which included lots of social medium use , earphone calls , music playback and taking picture . In fact , the handset ended the Clarence Day with 35 % rest .
With this in mind , we can expect the Nothing Phone 3a to brag an improved battery life to the Phone 2 , but we ’ll have to look and see for this .
Nothing Phone 3a has the Essential Key button
A young gain to the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro is the Essential Key release . Found on the right script side of both unexampled phones , pressing the clit acts as a shortcut to Nothing ’s new AI hub , Essential Space , and more .
Speaking of Essential Space , the AI toolkit is currently limited to just the Phone 3a series and acts as a home for your Federal Reserve note , ideas and “ brainchild ” . Nothing promises the blank will take the “ friction out of logging and recalling content ” , much like thePixel Screenshotsapp .
At the time of written material , Nothing has n’t officially confirmed when Essential Space will be usable on the Nothing Phone 2 .
Early Verdict
With a hefty chipset , a 50MP telephoto lens and the sword new Essential Key button , the Nothing Phone 3a is an exciting new increase to the Nothing Phone serial . Considering it ’s cheaper than the Nothing Phone 2 , even at this former stage it ’s an leisurely phone to commend for anyone deciding between the two .
Having suppose that , as you could pick up the Nothing Phone 2 at a disregard toll and it ’s still a solid all - rounder , it might not be worth upgrading just yet .
We ’ll be sure to update this review once we ’ve essay the Nothing Phone 3a .
