I made the Phone (3a) Pro my primary device in this week, and here’s my sincere feedback. At the end, I’ll include a pros and cons table as a summary.
🔲 Design
It’s really strange and very bold. It’s definitely different from the competitors and even from their own previous products, but it still keeps their design essence.
The first thing I noticed when unboxing this device was the corners. They’re less rounded, and I really like them. In fact, I hope they become even less rounded in future models.
What’s more, I really appreciated the return of the flat glass back, like in the Phone (1)!
For someone who loves symmetry like me, the camera’s position creates a bit of discomfort. Why doesn’t the second camera follow the circle like the first camera and the flashlight? I was hoping for an explanation in the YouTube video about that choice. Is it for engineering reasons? Or maybe another sign of the brand’s nonconformity?
I made a sketch to better explain what I mean:
1.1 Colors
Personally, I don’t like the black version. I think Nothing should have kept the deep, dark black from the Phone (1) or continued with the dark gray from the Phone (2). In the renders, the black version looks really cool, but once you have it in your hands, you can’t fully appreciate the components on the back and all the details. Even under light, they’re not very visible. Plus, fingerprints are a bit noticeable and annoying.
The platinum version, on the other hand, looks amazing, original, and feels more premium! It’s definitely the best choice.
1.2 Material
Compared to the Phone (2), the sides have a matte finish, and I like the smoothness. It feels so pleasing to the touch—I love it! However, it will probably get scratched over time. We’ll see how it holds up. The aluminum on the Phone (2) definitely feels more premium, but I assume they made this change to optimize costs or reduce weight.
1.3 Dust
Because of the dark color, you’ll notice some dust, especially around the bezel. It’s a bit difficult to remove, even with a microfiber cloth.
1.4 Weight
The weight might not be for everyone. If you thought the Phone (2) was a bit too heavy (201g), this one is slightly heavier due to the camera bezel (216g). At first, it feels like it might tip forward, but it actually helps with the grip.
1.5 Bezel
I can already imagine all the posts from users complaining about the phone being unbalanced on a desk because of the bezel. But actually, it has its advantages:
- It acts like a built-in stand, and it’s more stable when you tap the sides of the phone (unlike the Phone 1 and 2, which wobble because of the camera placement on one side).
- Nothing, as a brand, uses its design to encourage you to place your phone face down, reducing distractions.
My question is: how will cases work with this design? Will they add too much bulk to the device?
⚡️ Performance
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 combined with Nothing OS optimization is incredible. I tested it with Call of Duty at 120fps and very high resolution, and it performed flawlessly without overheating.
I did notice a slight lag with Google Maps just once, but I’m pretty sure it’s the app’s fault, as all other apps and overall performance are smooth and fast.
It’s true that Phone (2) has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and technically, it’s better than (3a) However, the 7s Gen 3 is still a solid choice for casual gamers who enjoy smooth performance in popular titles like Call of Duty, as well as content creators who need to run multiple apps simultaneously without lag. While it may not handle extreme multitasking or high-end gaming like a flagship device, it strikes a great balance between performance and efficiency for everyday creative and entertainment needs.
📸 Photography
This is where things get interesting. The camera is the biggest improvement in this phone. On every Nothing post, the top comment is usually a complaint about the camera. But now, the game has changed.
You can now shoot photos at 50MP in 3x zoom, which is insane 🔥.
The phone offers 3x, 4x, and 6x optical zoom, and the results are incredible. Even the 60x digital zoom isn’t bad, thanks to improved AI processing. Here are some examples:
We also need to take a moment to talk about the macro mode, which goes up to 6x. The quality and detail in these shots are incredible (especially considering that in this mode, you can “only” shoot in 12MP).
However, I noticed that indoors, whether it’s day or night, photos tend to be darker with a lot of contrast, and sometimes they need retouching. Despite that, even though the photos aren’t taken in RAW, they don’t look bad at all! This is especially true when it comes to shadow details.
The front camera is slightly larger than the Phone (2)’s, and the quality has improved too!
🌘 The (quickly) night mode has better color reproduction. While the Phone (2) tended to make darker areas look purple, now we get a more natural dark color. That said, you can still notice some camera noise in certain situations.
✨New Incredibly Camera Feature ✨
Recently, Nothing released OS 3.1, which includes a cool new feature: camera presets, and you can even create your own! It’s quite easy, and I really love how simple they made it.
You can also select a default preset, so every time you double-press the power button, the camera opens with your chosen preset.
Another really cool feature is the ability to share your presets. It generates a virtual card with a QR code, so others can scan it and use your preset!
You can’t manually adjust each color like in Lightroom, but you can import a LUTs file from your device, which acts as a filter for your preset.
My only pain point in this section is that when selecting a default preset, it only works if you click directly on the radio button. The first time, I was clicking around the screen and options, and I couldn’t figure out why nothing was happening. I expected the entire line to be clickable.
🔘 New button
I have to be honest—I didn’t think this button would be useful for me, but I’ve changed my mind. I’m the kind of person whose brain works at the speed of light, and I often deceive myself into thinking I’ll remember all my thoughts. Spoiler: I always forget them!
Daily Use Cases
- Walking in the street: You see a poster for an event you’ve been waiting for. Double-tap the power button to open the camera app, hold the Essential Key, and say, “Look for tickets for this.” It takes a screenshot of the screen, and the AI scans your voice, converting it into text. You can also replay the audio recording if needed.
- Tasks and reminders: You’re in a hurry and need to remember tasks for the day, but you don’t have time to write them down one by one. Double-press the button, say your agenda, and it creates tasks that will remind you at the right time.
Multilingual Support
It recognizes any language and transcribes it, though sometimes it’s not 100% accurate
⚠️ Important Note!
English is the main language, the other languages are in beta. So if you start recording in one language and suddenly switch to another, the transcription won’t switch languages. It will keep transcribing in the first language, so the second part won’t be transcribed.
What’s the difference between this and a normal audio message on your own chat on Whatsapp?
It’s basically time-saving. The user journey of this feature improves the experience, but I understand that not everyone will find it essential.
At first, I thought it might be interesting to personalize it further, like an action button. But after thinking about it, I realized it does one thing, and it does it well. There’s no need to overcomplicate it. Plus, we already have lots of widgets that can be added to the lock screen.
🤔 A Funny Thing Happened: After using this button for a while, I was about to send an audio message to a friend on Instagram, and I instinctively pressed the Essential Key button. It only happened once, but it made me think about future possibilities
📲 Software - OS 3.1
In general, I’m very happy with Nothing’s software, especially since the release of OS 3.0, if you will be a new user, you will definitely love it! However, there are a few points that could be improved
🙂 Appreciated
- Transferring data from one Nothing device to another is incredibly easy. It even copies your entire layout and system preferences (if you’re logged in with your Google or email account in the settings).
- The UI of the Camera App has been slightly improved
😬 Need improvement
It’s sometimes difficult to figure out how to personalize the interface. For example, I still can’t find how to hide the Google bar or prevent every app from appearing on the screen after installation.
To access the brightness bar, you have to swipe down twice. When you’re in a hurry and trying to adjust the brightness with one hand, it’s a bit annoying to have to swipe again with your thumb
I’d like to see more customization options for the Night Shift feature. Specifically, the ability to make the tones much warmer and add a grayscale screen function (not just for icons, but for the entire display). This is something I had on my previous Oppo device, and I really appreciated it. It helps reduce screen time and makes it more comfortable to wind down before bed.
E-Sim support
Finally, many of us requested this, and Nothing listened. E-SIMs are now available, but only on the 3a Pro and unfortunately not in India.
🪫 Battery
It has a 5000mAh battery, just like the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus. With intense use, it lasts a full day. I really appreciate the limited battery charging feature introduced in OS 3.0, which helps extend battery life.
Sadly, there’s no wireless charging, but you can charge other devices with a cable.
The charging speed is incredible — it reaches 49% in about 20 minutes, and in just 5 minutes, you get around 14%.
📱Display
The display is better than before, with Full HD+ resolution and a peak brightness of 1300 nits manually. In specific HDR content, highlights can reach up to 3000 nits.
Compared to the Phone (2), it’s much easier to see the screen in bright outdoor conditions. Additionally, the issue with purple dark pixels at low brightness, which some users experienced on the Phone (2a), has been resolved.
🔦 Glyphs
The glyphs are much brighter than on the Phone (2), but similar to the Phone (2a).
In this section, I still prefer the Phone (2)’s glyph design because of certain details, like the battery level display when charging. I also use an amazing app called Blockit, which shows how much time is left until my phone unlocks on the same glyph. This isn’t possible with the Phone (2a) or (3a).
With the progress bar for Calendar or Uber, I find it a bit inconsistent. The volume and timer are displayed with one glyph, while Uber and Calendar use two glyphs. Personally, I find this strange because, physically, they’re separated. But I assume this is because the feature is still in beta.
👥 Target
This is your new device if:
You prioritize camera quality and enjoy photography.
You like bold, industrial design.
You’re a content creator who needs to run multiple apps smoothly for editing, streaming or multitasking.
You’re an occasional gamer.
You’re a student who finds the Essential Key helpful for organizing thesis ideas or daily tasks.
You’re someone with lots of ideas and projects but struggle with disorganization.
You don’t want to rely on an external battery anymore
🔉 Audio
The speakers are incredible—I’d say they’re on par with a MacBook Pro, I was pleasantly surprised.
I always thought the Phone (2)’s speakers were amazing, but after comparing them with the Nothing 3a, I was blown away. The bass is deeper, and the sound is cleaner and more intense. In comparison, the Phone (2)’s sound feels a bit chaotic.
Conclusion
I think that if you should definitely upgrade if you came from Phone (1) or even Phone (2), despite the processor, if you like photography and quality!!
Resume Pros & Cons
🟢 Pros
- Cameras quality and optical zoom until (x6)
- Sound quality is very intense, clear and with deep bass.
- Better display (No more green or purple dark pixel with low luminance)
- Essential Key feature
- Quality-price ratio
🔴 Cons
- Its weight might be an issue for some users (216gr)
- No wireless charging
