The elegant all-rounder presses all the right buttons - Nothing Phone (3a) review
With an extra AI button.
Why spend more than $380 on a smartphone? For this price, you get the Nothing Phone (3a) with excellent everyday performance, great runtimes, 6 years of updates, a 120-Hz AMOLED screen and the unmistakable Glyph design. It also features a zoom camera, which is a real rarity for a mid-range phone.Manuel Masiero, 👁 Daniel Schmidt (translated by Daisy Dickson) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict on the Nothing Phone (3a)
The Nothing Phone (3a) is by no means a feature monster, but it is one of the best smartphones currently available in the price range of up to $400. Its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is easily enough for everyday tasks and has enough reserves for gaming. Other advantages include its high-quality finish including a glass back and Glyph interface, good cameras, very smooth Nothing OS as well as long battery life and fast charging. Its 6-year update guarantee is also a welcome bonus.
However, if you want better cameras, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro and its 3x telephoto zoom may be more of interest to you. The phone's AI features shouldn't play a major role in whether you purchase it, as they are still in the test phase.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
You can currently purchase the Nothing Phone (3a) via Nothing's online store for $379.
Table of Contents
- Verdict on the Nothing Phone (3a)
- Specifications
- Case - The Nothing Phone (3a) with a glass back
- Connectivity - Up to 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage on the Nothing phone
- Software - The Nothing Phone (3a) with a local AI assistant
- Communication and GNSS - The Nothing Phone (3a) with WiFi 6 and precise GPS
- Telephone functions and call quality - The Nothing Phone (3a) without eSIM support
- Cameras - Triple camera with 2x optical zoom and Glyph photography assistance
- Accessories and warranty - The Nothing Phone (3a) without a 50-watt power supply
- Input devices and operation - Responsive display with a 1000-Hz sampling rate
- Display - Bright AMOLED panel with PWM dimming
- Performance - The Nothing Phone (3a) with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
- Games - Up to 60fps is possible
- Emissions - No noteable throttling under load
- Battery life - 5000-mAh battery with long runtimes guaranteed
- Notebookcheck total rating
- Possible alternatives compared
Nothing has released a new version of its mid-range smartphone. The Nothing Phone (3a) replaces the Nothing Phone (2a) and features all the typical Nothing trademarks, namely the Glyph interface and transparent back. The successor model has improved in two areas in particular: cameras and artificial intelligence.
Its camera ensemble has gained a lens, which means that the Nothing Phone (3a) now has a telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom in addition to the main and ultra-wide-angle lenses. And similar to Apple, there is also a new physical button. Named the Essential Key, it sits next to the power button and brings the Nothing Phone (3a)'s AI functions to life.
Specifications
Case - The Nothing Phone (3a) with a glass back
Nothing has retained its design language with the Nothing Phone (3a), as it once again has a transparent back, which is now made of glass instead of plastic. Unlike the Nothing Phone (2a), its IP64 certification means that the smartphone is significantly better protected against the elements—although it isn't completely waterproof.
Under its transparent back again sits the Glyph interface, which has been slightly modified compared to the Nothing Phone (2a), but still consists of three LED strips. The rest of the design on the back isn't based on the look of the New York subway map this time, but is instead inspired by Japan. Another new feature is a second button next to the power button, which can be used to activate the AI functions. The front and back are connected by a sturdy aluminum frame.
Weighing in at 201 grams, the Nothing Phone (3a) is slightly heavier than its predecessor. This is mainly due to its slightly larger size, as the phone's AMOLED panel has increased in size from 6.7 to 6.77 inches. In addition to our test device's white colorway, you can select between blue and black.
Connectivity - Up to 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage on the Nothing phone
In the DACH region, where this test was carried out, the Nothing Phone (3a) is available in two memory/storage variants, namely with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, and with 12 + 256 GB. In India, Nothing also sells the smartphone in a third variant with 8 + 256 GB.
In terms of its other features, the Nothing Phone (3a) takes a lot from the Nothing Phone (2a), but uses the latest Bluetooth version, namely Bluetooth 5.4. Two nano SIM cards fit into its SIM slot, but no eSIMs can be activated. The phone's USB-C port runs at USB 2.0 speed and achieved a data throughput of 28.1 MB/s using our external Samsung PSSD T7 reference SSD.
Software - The Nothing Phone (3a) with a local AI assistant
The Nothing Phone (3a) runs Nothing OS 3.1, which is based on Android 15. It hardly differs from stock Android in terms of how you operate it, but it features its own accents in the shape of its black and white design and pixel look. If desired, you can switch to the classic Android look at any time.
The Glyph interface on the back consists of three LED strips that can display notifications, incoming calls and a timer, among other things. What exactly should be displayed can be configured in detail by the user.
The Essential Key, which is located next to the power button, calls up the Essential Space. This is an AI hub designed to help users with everyday tasks. If you press the Essential key once, the smartphone takes a screenshot to which you can add a text or voice memo. The app then automatically analyzes the information, saves it in the Essential Space and reminds the user of upcoming appointments or interesting products, for example.
If you press the Essential Key twice, you switch directly to the Essential Hub where you can browse through all the content you have added so far. Essential Space has nothing to do with clouds, as it works locally. It is currently still in the test phase, but had no problems understanding us in German during our test. It is now also possible to add camera recordings. Other hub features such as a cataloging function for images, text and audio will follow in the coming months.
Nothing is set to provide 3 years of Android upgrades for its smartphone. Android security updates will be available for 6 years.
Sustainability
With a carbon footprint of 51.3 kg CO2, the Nothing Phone (3a) is said to be the most sustainable Nothing smartphone to date. Its aluminum frame is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum. Six circuit boards are made from 100% recycled tin. Nothing states that 85% of the steel used is recycled. Over 60 percent of the plastic parts are said to come from sustainable sources.
Nothing doesn't offer spare parts or repair manuals for the Nothing Phone (3a). However, the smartphone can be sent directly to the manufacturer for repair.
Communication and GNSS - The Nothing Phone (3a) with WiFi 6 and precise GPS
The Nothing Phone (3a) supports a good range of frequencies for 5G. It connects to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN networks via WiFi 6. Connected to our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, it achieved fast and largely stable transfer rates that peaked at 938 Mb/s.
The Nothing Phone (3a) determines its current position using the satellite navigation services GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS, each of which operates in single-band mode. On a walk of just over 3.5 kilometers, the smartphone located us as precisely as the Garmin Venu 2 fitness smartwatch, making it well suited for navigation purposes.
Telephone functions and call quality - The Nothing Phone (3a) without eSIM support
The Nothing Phone (3a) supports VoLTE and Wi-Fi calls, but no eSIMs.
It delivers good call quality and can suppress ambient noise quite efficiently. This works just as reliably in loudspeaker mode, although we often had to speak a little louder during our test in this case, as we otherwise sounded too quiet for the person we were talking to.
Cameras - Triple camera with 2x optical zoom and Glyph photography assistance
Like its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (3a) has a 32 MP selfie camera that offers good image quality and achieves a solid bokeh effect in portrait mode. It can record videos at up to 1080p at 60 frames per second.
Instead of a dual camera like the Nothing Phone (2a), the Nothing Phone (3a) now has a triple sensor. A new feature is its 50 MP telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom. The main camera still has a resolution of 50 MP, while the ultra-wide-angle lens has been reduced from 50 to 8 MP.
In daylight, the Nothing Phone (3a) rewarded us with beautiful photos during our test. Although they aren't quite flagship quality, they look very good for this price range. The images' sharpness is good and the colors appear nice and crisp without looking unrealistic. Even in low light conditions, the main camera still takes decent photos. The Glyph interface can be used to brighten up subjects.
Its photographic possibilities are extended by a 2x telephoto zoom, which captures lots of detail up to a magnification of 5x. Beyond that, however, things quickly become blurred, especially if you use its maximum zoom level of 30x. The phone's ultra-wide-angle lens is the weakest in its camera ensemble because, with a resolution of 8 MP, its possibilities are quite limited. Its images are not particularly sharp and are noisy at the edges.
The device's main and telephoto cameras record videos in decent quality in up to 4K at 30 frames per second. If 60fps is required, you can only record at 1080p.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Daylight photoDaylightUltra-wide angle5x zoomLow-light photo
In our test lab, the phone's main camera once again proved its good imaging performance. It captured colors precisely and displayed the test chart clearly even in 1 lux of residual light.
Accessories and warranty - The Nothing Phone (3a) without a 50-watt power supply
The Nothing Phone (3a) comes with a USB-C cable, a SIM tool and a booklet with safety instructions. A protective film is applied to its display straight out of the box.
The Nothing online store offers only a small selection of accessories for the phone. In addition to protective covers and headphones, you can also get a 45-watt power adapter there. This would be enough for the Nothing Phone (2a), but the Nothing Phone (3a) can be charged at up to 50 watts.
In the United States, the Nothing Phone (3a) is covered by a standard 12-month warranty.
Input devices and operation - Responsive display with a 1000-Hz sampling rate
Although the Nothing Phone (3a) is equipped with a mid-range SoC in the shape of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, it feels like a high-end smartphone during use.
On the one hand, this is because of the display's high touch sampling rate of 1000 Hz and on the other hand, it's thanks to Nothing OS, which runs super smoothly and is hardly slowed down by multiple apps working at the same time. Only very demanding apps occasionally cause minor hiccups or short delays. The phone's good operation is rounded off by the precise feedback delivered by the finely adjustable vibration motor.
You can unlock the smartphone using the fingerprint sensor located under the display, and it recognized us in 9 out of 10 attempts during our test. Logging in using a 2D facial scan via the selfie camera is also possible, but less secure.
Display - Bright AMOLED panel with PWM dimming
The smartphone's AMOLED display has a resolution of 2392 x 1080 pixels and dynamically adjusts its frame rate to 30, 60, 90 or 120 Hz in the standard setting, depending on the content being displayed. In addition to HDR10 and HDR10+, it also supports HLG.
In terms of the display's brightness, the Nothing Phone (3a) has made a big leap forward—at least according to the manufacturer. When displaying SDR content, the average brightness we noted was 1274 cd/m² (APL18: 1202 cd/m²), so slightly higher than its predecessor. Even so, the AMOLED panel is a long way from the promised peak brightness of 3000 cd/m². This also applies to HDR content, where we were able to elicit a maximum of 1179 cd/m² from the display.
The AMOLED screen runs at a low PWM frequency of 90 Hz. At the same time, it uses a PWM dimming frequency to protect the eyes of sensitive users. We measured 741 Hz, while Nothing specifies the value at 2160 Hz.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 1287 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 3.4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.26
| Nothing Phone (3a) AMOLED, 2392x1080, 6.8" | Motorola Moto G75 IPS, 2388x1080, 6.8" | Nothing Phone (2a) AMOLED, 2412x1084, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Poco X7 AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -1% | 19% | 6% | 14% | 23% | |
| Brightness middle | 1287 | 947 -26% | 1033 -20% | 904 -30% | 1147 -11% | 1156 -10% |
| Brightness | 1274 | 946 -26% | 1042 -18% | 912 -28% | 1146 -10% | 1150 -10% |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 95 -2% | 96 -1% | 97 0% | 96 -1% | 98 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.46 | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.9 | 2.53 -33% | 1.6 16% | 2.1 -11% | 1.6 16% | 1.1 42% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.7 | 4.91 44% | 2.5 71% | 2.8 68% | 3.7 57% | 3.1 64% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.4 | 2.1 38% | 1.2 65% | 2.2 35% | 2.3 32% | 1.6 53% |
| Gamma | 2.26 97% | 2.237 98% | 2.07 106% | 2.1 105% | 2.27 97% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 7072 92% | 6733 97% | 6482 100% | 6478 100% | 6368 102% | 6304 103% |
| Contrast | 2059 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 90 Hz Amplitude: 13.58 % Secondary Frequency: 740 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 90 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 90 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8485 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (The amplitude curve at minimum brightness looks flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows the enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness).
Our measurements using a spectrophotometer and the Calman analysis software revealed that the screen can reproduce colors and grayscale fairly accurately. The picture quality is best using the settings below. The panel still shows a slightly cool display (color temperature 7072 K), but this isn't terribly noticeable during operation.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0.96 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.44 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.518 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 2 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.71 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.626 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.087 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 6 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.5 ms). | ||
The Nothing phone can be used well outdoors. If you avoid direct sunlight, the viewing angle-stable AMOLED display is almost always perfectly readable. Deactivating the brightness sensor is of little use, as the screen's maximum brightness is then 760 cd/m².
Performance - The Nothing Phone (3a) with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 makes the Nothing Phone (3a) a fast mid-range smartphone. During the synthetic benchmarks, it was almost always in first place, at least among the comparison devices, even if its lead was only minor in some cases. In turn, the Nothing Phone (2a) was better in the AI benchmarks UL Procyon AI and AImark.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1267 - 81594, n=152, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (8460 - 8652, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3's Adreno 810 GPU helps the Nothing Phone (3a) to achieve good graphics performance, however, with the exception of 3DMark Wild Life, it always remained below the level of its predecessor. The AMOLED display was slowed down to 60 Hz in GFXBench.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Score | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | |
The Nothing Phone (3a) showed its best side when it came to browser performance. The smartphone was the first to cross the finish line in all benchmarks, which was likely primarily due to its more up-to-date browser version. During everyday use, pages load quickly and can be scrolled through swiftly.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (118 - 161.6, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 (Chrome 132.0.6834.163) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Firefox 124.2.0) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=151, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (144 - 176, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 (Chrome 132.0.6834.163) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Chrome 123.0.6312.99) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| Speedometer 3.0 - Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1.03 - 34, n=91, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (8.58 - 11.2, n=3) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 (Chrome 132.0.6834.163) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Chrome 123.0.6312.99) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (110 - 149, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 273, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Firefox 124.2.0) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 (Chrome 132.0.6834.163) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (37338 - 45346, n=4) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 (Chrome 132.0.6834.163) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Firefox 124.2.0) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) (Firefox 124.2.0) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=171, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G (Chrome 133.0.6943.49) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (Chrome 123.0.6312.100) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (862 - 1044, n=3) | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) (Chrome 134.0.6998.135) | |
* ... smaller is better
Thanks to its UFS 3.1 storage, the Nothing Phone (3a) delivers above-average data throughput rates for its class, which is reflected in relatively short charging times. During our test, competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G, Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G and the Xiaomi Poco X7 couldn't keep up with their UFS 2.2 storage.
| Nothing Phone (3a) | Motorola Moto G75 | Nothing Phone (2a) | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G | Xiaomi Poco X7 | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 0% | 4% | -50% | -10% | -24% | 28% | 48% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1031.34 | 1023.1 -1% | 1028.37 0% | 529.32 -49% | 950.62 -8% | 947.4 -8% | 1737 ? 68% | 2040 ? 98% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 1001.28 | 868.4 -13% | 952 -5% | 270 -73% | 792.56 -21% | 915.23 -9% | 1164 ? 16% | 1655 ? 65% |
| Random Read 4KB | 245.48 | 285.3 16% | 273.19 11% | 244.24 -1% | 257.91 5% | 100.16 -59% | 286 ? 17% | 283 ? 15% |
| Random Write 4KB | 285.24 | 279.5 -2% | 311.8 9% | 62.59 -78% | 245.16 -14% | 226.88 -20% | 319 ? 12% | 327 ? 15% |
Games - Up to 60fps is possible
Generally, displaying games smoothly isn't a problem for the Nothing Phone (3a). Still, more than 60fps is usually only possible when running older games. In top titles like Genshin Impact, however, you may still be able to reach this, but with the graphics details lowered. Nevertheless, we were still able to run Genshin Impact quite well during our test, reaching an average of 37fps even at maximum detail level—although we did note some stutters from time to time.
We tested the game frame rates using Gamebench.
Emissions - No noteable throttling under load
Temperature
During use, the Nothing Phone (3a) can get quite warm but always remains within a thermally safe range. On the surface, the temperature rose to up to 46.5 °C during our test. Internally, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 was unimpressed by this, as we measured no significant drop in SoC performance during the 3DMark stress tests.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.5 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Steel Nomad stress test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Nothing Phone (2a) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A35 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) | |
| Motorola Moto G75 | |
| Xiaomi Poco X7 | |
Speakers
Nothing has equipped the Nothing Phone (3a) with stereo speakers. They reproduce mids and highs very linearly. However, bass tones are almost completely absent from the sound mix.
Users can connect external audio devices via USB-C and Bluetooth 5.4. The phone's list of supported Bluetooth codecs is extensive and includes SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LDAC, LC3 and Opus.
Nothing Phone (3a) audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A35 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 35% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - 5000-mAh battery with long runtimes guaranteed
During our test, the Nothing Phone (3a) showed no major anomalies in terms of its power consumption. Only when idling did it sometimes require a little more power than its competitors.
Its 5000 mAh battery can be charged at up to 50 watts. A full charging cycle took 1:03 hours in our test with a 65-watt power supply from a third-party provider (Ugreen 2C1A). This means that the smartphone doesn't charge quite as quickly as Nothing claims (56 minutes) and is generally as fast as the Nothing Phone (2a). Although the latter only supports a lower maximum charging power of 45 watts, it is fully charged after exactly one hour with the same power adapter.
According to Nothing, the device's battery should still have more than 90 percent of its capacity after 1200 charging cycles. This corresponds to more than 3 years and 3 months of daily charging.
Power consumption
| Off / Standby |   0.03 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  0.93 / 1.67 / 1.68 Watt |
| Load |
3.69 / 4.75 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Nothing Phone (3a) 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G75 5000 mAh | Nothing Phone (2a) 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G 5110 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X7 5110 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -38% | -22% | -45% | -15% | -8% | 2% | -36% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.93 | 0.8 14% | 0.81 13% | 0.89 4% | 1.15 -24% | 1.09 -17% | 0.963 ? -4% | 0.875 ? 6% |
| Idle Average * | 1.67 | 1.1 34% | 2.01 -20% | 1.99 -19% | 1.55 7% | 1.28 23% | 1.41 ? 16% | 1.441 ? 14% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.68 | 1.5 11% | 2.07 -23% | 2.14 -27% | 1.57 7% | 1.31 22% | 1.43 ? 15% | 1.584 ? 6% |
| Load Average * | 3.69 | 8.7 -136% | 4.16 -13% | 4.57 -24% | 3.87 -5% | 3.25 12% | 3.56 ? 4% | 6.97 ? -89% |
| Load Maximum * | 4.75 | 10.1 -113% | 7.91 -67% | 12.31 -159% | 7.66 -61% | 8.62 -81% | 5.68 ? -20% | 10.4 ? -119% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXbench (150 cd/m²)
Runtimes
The Nothing Phone (3a) is able to draw good runtimes from its 5000 mAh battery, putting it well ahead in our comparison. The Nothing Phone (2a) and the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G were roughly on par. Only a few other mid-range smartphones, such as the Motorola Moto G75, currently run for even longer.
| Nothing Phone (3a) 5000 mAh | Motorola Moto G75 5000 mAh | Nothing Phone (2a) 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G 5110 mAh | Xiaomi Poco X7 5110 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 9% | 2% | -5% | -10% | -15% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2567 | 3022 18% | 2522 -2% | 2600 1% | 1800 -30% | |
| H.264 | 1610 | 1332 -17% | 1513 -6% | 1401 -13% | 1019 -37% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1233 | 1174 -5% | 1011 -18% | 902 -27% | 773 -37% | 1049 -15% |
| Load | 218 | 302 39% | 293 34% | 262 20% | 361 66% |
Notebookcheck total rating
During our test, the Nothing Phone (3a) delivered a very good price-to-performance ratio and was above average by mid-range standards. However, it features no eSIM support and its AI functions are not yet complete at market launch.
Nothing Phone (3a)
- 04/07/2025 v8
Manuel Masiero
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 79.2%  | Nothing Phone (3a) Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $4.99 Natbok 2 Pack Compatible wit... 2. $7.99 Suttkue for Nothing Phone (3... 3. $9.99 Supershieldz (3 Pack) Design... | 201 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.77" 2392x1080 387 PPI AMOLED |
2. 77.4%  | Motorola Moto G75 Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 710 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $6.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... 2. $8.60 Zeking (2 Set for Motorola M... 3. $3.59 Heenjer 2 Pack for Motorola ... List Price: 299€ | 205 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.78" 2388x1080 387 PPI IPS |
3. 86.9% v7 (old)  | Nothing Phone (2a) MediaTek Dimensity 7200 ⎘ ARM Mali-G610 MP4 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $10.79 Ibywind 2 Pack Screen Protec... 2. $6.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... 3. $5.99 Foluu Clear Case for Nothing... List Price: 329€ | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" 2412x1084 394 PPI AMOLED |
4. 85.9% v7 (old)  | Samsung Galaxy A35 5G Samsung Exynos 1380 ⎘ ARM Mali-G68 MP5 ⎘ 6 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $6.99 Supershieldz (2 Pack) Design... 2. $5.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector C... 3. $6.95 NEW'C 3 Pack Designed for Sa... List Price: 379€ | 209 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.60" 2340x1080 390 PPI Super AMOLED |
5. 75.4%  | Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G MediaTek Dimensity 7025 ⎘ IMG BXM-8-256 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $6.99 Natbok 2+2 Pack 3D Screen Pr... 2. $5.99 Natbok 2 Pack Compatible wit... 3. $6.25 Anoowkoa[2 pack for Redmi No... | 190 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2400x1080 395 PPI AMOLED |
6. 77.7%  | Xiaomi Poco X7 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.1 | Amazon: 1. $7.99 Suttkue for Xiaomi Poco X7 P... 2. $10.79 Ibywind Screen Protector For... 3. $227.50 Xiaomi Poco M6 Pro 4G Lte Gs... | 185.5 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI AMOLED |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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