One of the reasons I'm attracted to Nothing's smartphones and earbuds is their consistent effort to introduce innovative features. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, with its impressive screen, robust battery life, and versatile triple-camera system, checks many boxes, making it one of the best phones I've tested in 2025 so far, especially at its price point.

##### Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

8/10 The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro distinguishes itself with a vivid 6.77-inch AMOLED display, robust battery life that lasts all day, and a surprisingly effective triple-camera setup, which includes a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM, it manages most tasks smoothly, though it may not handle the latest games at their highest settings. Nothing's iconic transparent design and enhanced Glyph interface add a unique touch, while long-term software support and innovative features like Essential Space and Smart Drawer complete a well-rounded, feature-rich phone.

Pros & Cons- Distinctive, signature design

• Versatile cameras suitable for various scenarios

• Excellent battery life, suitable for all-day use

• Vibrant and high-quality screen

• Extended device support

• Essential Space could use further refinement

• Performance limited by Snapdragon 7s Gen 3

• Inconsistent support in the US

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The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is available directly from Nothing in the US for $459, offered in grey or black. When considering purchase, check network compatibility. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro should work with the major US carriers, but it's advisable to contact customer support to confirm your IMEI is compatible before switching.

Specifications

Brand NothingSoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3Display 6.77-inch AMOLEDRAM 12GB RAMStorage 256GBBattery 5000mAhPorts USB-COperating System NothingOSFront camera 32MPRear camera 50MP main, 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, 8MP ultrawideDimensions 6.43 x 3.05 x 0.33 inchesWeight 211gIP Rating 54

I'm quite fond of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro's design, which evolves the circular aesthetic introduced with the Nothing (2a) in March 2024. It's a more refined and polished look from Nothing, featuring a prominent camera housing for the first time. This housing is crucial as it enhances the camera quality of the Phone (3a) Pro, which I'll discuss shortly.

The iconic Glyph interface with its LED array wraps around the camera housing, offering a fresh take compared to the original Nothing Phone's festive light display. The Glyph interface on the Phone (3a) Pro feels more mature, aligning with the phone's overall design.

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro features a tempered Panda Glass front and a tempered glass back, allowing a glimpse into the phone's internals. While the transparent back has become familiar to many, it still lacks the initial wow factor. My grey (3a) Pro model displays its screws and ribbons attractively.

Though not as striking as before, Nothing's smartphone design remains one of the most distinctive on the market, sparking conversations among those seeing it for the first time.

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is slightly larger than its predecessors, measuring 6.43 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches and weighing a balanced 211g (7.44 oz). For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro weighs 7.0 oz, and the Samsung S25 weighs 6.7 oz.

Vibrant and Bright Display

One of the standout features of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is its 6.77-inch AMOLED display. With a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits (1,300 nits typical), it delivers a high-quality, vivid screen.

I was impressed when testing the battery with an 8K HDR video played at 1080p60; the screen was bright and rich in color. It's also excellent for movies and TV shows, offering good black levels and color contrast.

Gaming is another area where the display shines. Playing Wreckfest, the Phone (3a) Pro maintained a smooth performance, with only occasional frame drops. Though not the most colorful game, Wreckfest looks great and runs well on the Phone (3a) Pro.

NothingOS: Sleek, Yet I Crave More Color

I often wonder if Nothing should consider a different color palette rather than sticking to its monochrome design. The monochrome theme doesn't showcase the AMOLED screen's full potential; a more vibrant or colorful approach could enhance its appeal.

Personally, I customize my Nothing Phone by adjusting apps and backgrounds to add vibrancy. This also addresses my other concern with NothingOS: the difficulty in quickly identifying apps due to their similar monochrome icons. While the style is sleek, I prefer colorful icons for faster app selection.

A new feature, Smart Drawer, helps with this by automatically organizing similar apps into folders, making it easier to locate specific apps.

Nevertheless, I appreciate Nothing's dedication to providing a smooth Android experience, particularly through its extensive widget selection. Customizing the home screen and accessing useful information without additional apps is straightforward. The "AI" wallpaper generator is another useful customization tool, allowing you to select two from 30 combo cards for a unique design.

Nothing's commitment to long-term support is commendable, offering three years of major Android updates and six years of security updates.

I Want to Love Essential Space

The new Essential Space and Essential Key feature may divide Nothing users. It's the main area where Nothing integrates AI (aside from wallpaper creation), and I see its potential. Currently, Essential Space serves as an AI-powered catalog for your screenshots and voice notes, which over time can provide reminders and prompts to help you stay organized. It's a promising concept that deserves attention from long-term Nothing users.

I've used Essential Space on the Nothing Phone (3a), the more budget-friendly counterpart to the (3a) Pro, with mixed results. Note that my experience is based on the regular (3a) model, as I've had more time with it. Essential Space requires dedication to input screenshots of meeting times and other reminders, along with voice notes to activate its full potential.

As someone who works from home and relies on my calendar, notes, and WhatsApp for scheduling, Essential Space isn't as useful for me. However, it could be invaluable for those with busy schedules needing constant reminders, provided they consistently provide the AI with relevant data.

The challenge with Essential Space is more user-related than a flaw in the feature itself. I found it handy for quickly jotting down article ideas, though a regular voice note might serve the same purpose.

Another issue with Essential Space is the new Essential Key, which I often mistakenly press instead of the power button. Ideally, the Essential Button should be positioned on the opposite side, below the volume keys, to avoid confusion. I eventually adapted to its location on both the regular (3a) and the (3a) Pro, but I still occasionally need to double-check which button I'm pressing.

Solid Performance

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM, providing adequate power for most tasks, though it won't run the most demanding games at high settings.

For instance, during my battery test with Wreckfest, the game was limited to 30 FPS with some graphics settings reduced. While it ran smoothly, it's a step down from devices with the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. You'll notice a performance drop in games like Genshin Impact.

However, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is more than capable for everyday use. I didn't experience any slowdowns with multiple apps or browser tabs open. It's not a performance beast, but it's sufficient for most users.

Impressive Battery Life and Fast Charging

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro's battery life is another strong point, impressing me with both its fast charging capabilities and efficiency under load.

It achieved a 34% charge in 15 minutes and 55% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking just under an hour.

During a one-hour 1080p60 HDR test at 75% brightness, it lost only 8% of its charge, indicating excellent all-day performance, particularly if you reduce the brightness slightly. Playing Wreckfest for 30 minutes at 100% brightness resulted in a 6% drop, which is impressive for those on the go.

Note that Wreckfest was capped at 30 FPS with some settings lowered, but the battery performance remains strong regardless.

Versatile and Capable Camera System

The larger camera housing on the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro houses three cameras: a 50MP main, a 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultrawide.

This setup is impressive, especially since few smartphones at this price offer such a robust telephoto lens with optical zoom. The Phone (3a) Pro is versatile, capable of capturing a wide variety of shots with high quality. The color accuracy is good, likely enhanced by AI processing.

I was particularly impressed with the macro shots, which captured fine details without excessive processing.

Zoom quality is also excellent, maintaining detail and correcting for distance. It performs well with moving subjects, highlighting finer details.

Additionally, the 32MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture produces sharp selfies, and the adjustable aperture adds a nice depth effect.

Overall, the Phone (3a) Pro's triple camera system delivers high-quality images across various subjects.

Is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Worth It?

At its $459 retail price, or even less during sales, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is a great buy. Its 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen is top-notch, and its battery life is impressive for all-day use.

Although the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 isn't the most powerful processor, it offers a solid performance for the price, handling most tasks well. Combined with its excellent cameras, Nothing has once again delivered a compelling smartphone that could be the best budget option of 2025.

##### Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

8/10 The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro distinguishes itself with a vivid 6.77-inch AMOLED display, robust battery life that lasts all day, and a surprisingly effective triple-camera setup, which includes a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM, it manages most tasks smoothly, though it may not handle the latest games at their highest settings. Nothing's iconic transparent design and enhanced Glyph interface add a unique touch, while long-term software support and innovative features like Essential Space and Smart Drawer complete a well-rounded, feature-rich phone.

$459 at Nothing

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