Compare Nothing Phone (3) vs Nothing Phone (3a) – The Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Phone 3a are the latest mid-range offerings from Nothing in 2025, targeting users who want a unique design and solid performance. Both support 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks and use Nano-SIM slots, but the Nothing Phone 3 also supports eSIM. The Phone 3 was announced in July 2025, while the Phone 3a launched earlier in March 2025. Both devices feature a sleek build and emphasize the brand’s signature Glyph interface.
Display: The Nothing Phone 3 comes with a 6.67-inch OLED display, whereas the Phone 3a offers a slightly larger 6.77-inch AMOLED panel. Both phones support a 120Hz refresh rate, but the Phone 3 has a peak brightness of 4500 nits compared to 3000 nits on the Phone 3a. In terms of resolution, the Phone 3 features 1260 x 2800 pixels, and the Phone 3a has the resolution of 1080 x 2392 pixels.
The Nothing Phone 3 takes the lead in display.
Chipset (Performance): The Nothing Phone 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 (4 nm) chipset, while the Phone 3a uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4 nm). The Phone 3 comes with up to 16GB RAM options, whereas the Phone 3a has up to 12GB only. Both devices offer storage options up to 512GB, but the Nothing Phone 3 supports faster UFS 4.0 storage, compared to the Nothing Phone 3a. The Phone 3 has an Adreno 825 GPU, whereas the Phone 3a has an Adreno 810.
The Nothing Phone 3 is expected to outperform the 3a due to its flagship-grade chipset and faster memory.
Camera: The Nothing Phone 3 sports a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP periscope telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The Phone 3a has a similar setup with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a smaller 8MP ultrawide lens. The front camera on the Phone 3 is 50MP, compared to the Phone 3a having a 32MP front camera. Both phones support 4K video recording, but the Phone 3 offers additional stabilization features.
The Nothing Phone 3 has a better camera setup overall.
Battery: The Nothing Phone 3 packs a 5150mAh battery (5500mAh for the Indian market), while the Phone 3a has a slightly smaller 5000mAh battery. Phone 3 has a 65W wired, 15W wireless, and a 7.5W reverse charging. Whereas, the Phone 3a comes with a 50W wired charging system but lacks the rest features.
The Nothing Phone 3a has a slight edge thanks to its larger battery capacity.
Price: The Nothing Phone 3 is priced around $ 799 (Rs. 46,999 in India), whereas the Phone 3a comes in at approximately $ 329 (Rs. 28,999 in India).
The Nothing Phone 3a offers better value due to its lower price while still providing solid performance.
Overall, the Nothing Phone 3 stands out as the better phone thanks to its superior display brightness, flagship Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 performance, and advanced camera capabilities. While the Phone 3a offers a larger battery and lower price, the Phone 3 delivers a more premium experience with faster memory, better low-light photography, and smoother overall performance, making it the top choice for users seeking the best from Nothing in 2025.
Nothing Phone 3 vs Nothing Phone 3a: Specification Table Comparison
| Specifications | Nothing Phone 3 | Nothing Phone 3a |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G | Same |
| Announced | July, 2025 | March, 2025 |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.32 x 2.98 x 0.35 in | 6.44 x 3.05 x 0.33 in |
| Weight | 218 g | 201 g |
| Size | 6.67 inches | 6.77 inches |
| Display | OLED, 1B colours, 120Hz, 960Hz PWM, HDR10+, 4500 nits (peak) 1260 x 2800 pixels ~460 ppi density | AMOLED, 1B colours, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1300 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) 1080 x 2392 pixels ~387 ppi density |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, Mohs level 5 Glass front (Gorilla Glass 7i) glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus) aluminium frame IP68 dust-tight and water-resistant (submerged up to 1.5m for 30 min) | Panda Glass, Mohs level 5 Glass front (Panda Glass) plastic frame, glass back IP64 dust-tight and water-resistant (water splashes) |
| Resolution | 1260 x 2800 pixels | 1080 x 2392 pixels |
| OS | Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades Nothing OS 3.5 | Android 15, up to 3 major Android upgrades Nothing OS 3.1 |
| Chipset | 4 nm – Qualcomm SM8735 Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 | 4 nm – Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 |
| CPU | Octa-core 1×3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 3×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A720 | Octa-core 1×2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 3×2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A520 |
| GPU | Adreno 825 | Adreno 810 |
| Card slot | No | Same |
| RAM | 12 GB, 16 GB | 8 GB, 12 GB |
| Internal | 256 GB, 512 GB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 50 MP (periscope telephoto) PDAF, 3x optical zoom, OIS 50 MP (ultrawide) LED flash, panorama, HDR Max – 4K@60fps | 50 MP (wide), dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP (telephoto) PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP (ultrawide) LED flash, panorama, HDR Max – 4K@30fps |
| Selfie | 50 MP (wide) HDR Max – 4K@60fps | 32 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Same |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7 tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 6.0, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC, SBAS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Same |
| Infrared port | No | Same |
| Radio | No | Same |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | Same |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical) accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass Circle to Search | Same |
| Battery | 5150 mAh – International model 5500 mAh – India model 65W wired, PD3.0, PPS, QC4 15W wireless 7.5W reverse charging 5W reverse wireless | 5000 mAh 50W wired (50% in 19 min, 100% in 56 min) |
| Colors | White, Black | Black, White, Blue |
| Expected Price | $ 799 (Rs. 46,999 in India) approx | $ 329 (Rs. 28,999 in India) approx |





