Thanks to @Deepanshu_Saini_ for the chance to be one of the first to try the Phone (3a) Lite through the Community Review Program.
When Nothing announced the completion of the (3a) Series with the addition of the Lite, the community reaction was mixed and understandably so. I’ll admit I was confused at first too. The idea of an affordable phone running Nothing OS seemed to overlap with what CMF by Nothing was meant to represent.
But since CMF is on its way to become its own standalone brand (based in India), the logic behind introducing a lower-cost Nothing phone makes more sense. So, with that context — what’s the Phone (3a) Lite actually like to live with?
📱Design & Feel
As always, Nothing’s design language stands out. The Phone (3a) Lite sticks with that distinct Nothing aesthetic but tones things down, true to its “Lite” name. The rear design is minimal, almost too minimal for my taste, and probably my least favourite among Nothing’s lineup so far. The camera module placement mirrors that of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, and while the raised lenses look clean, the back overall feels a little plain.
That said, I love that the phone is 100% plastic-free, which is great from a sustainability point of view. Some materials feel slightly cheaper, though, especially the buttons, which lack the premium feel of the rest of the (3a) range. The Essential button, however, does have a nice, distinctive tactile feel.
A few design highlights worth mentioning:
Expandable storage via microSD, replacing one of the SIM slots.
The Glyph Light returns, this time as a single dot in the lower-right corner.
There is a 2MP macro, replacing the 50MP telephoto from the CMF Phone 2 Pro — more on that below.
📸 Cameras
I’m not a heavy camera user, so I tend to focus on everyday photography rather than pro-level features. The main 50MP camera performs surprisingly well, photos in good lighting come out sharp and vibrant, easily competing with midrange phones. However, the camera struggles in darker conditions where it's not as well lit, either internally or externally. I’ve included a few sample shots below.
Where it falls short is, unfortunately, that 2MP macro camera. Even in bright, well-lit environments, results were inconsistent and often unusable. I understand Nothing’s reasoning, they’ve said this choice was based on community photography trends, but I’d argue a telephoto lens would’ve offered broader appeal. I've included a few shots below.
Hopefully, future software updates can squeeze more performance out of the macro mode. I also found on more than one occassion that the camera would lag after pressing the shutter button, producing unusable results, and sometimes the processing would take a little bit too long. Again, hopefully these are things that the team can work on.
🔋 Everyday Use & Battery Life
The phone ships with Nothing OS 3.5, and I’ve already received a couple of updates since unboxing, a good sign. As usual, the OS is clean, smooth, and wonderfully minimal. Animations feel fluid, and multitasking is effortless.
I’m not much of a mobile gamer, so I didn’t stress-test performance heavily, but day-to-day use, social, calls, streaming, media consumption has been snappy and reliable.
Battery life is another strong point. I consistently got around 20 hours of use per charge, more than enough for a full day. Charging overnight fits perfectly into my routine anyway.
The only software feature I found missing was Essential Search, which was present on the Phone (3). You do get Essential Space, but I hope Search makes a return soon.
📲 Lock Glimpse & Pre-Installed Apps
This part stirred a lot of discussion, and honestly, I get why.
When Lock Glimpse and pre-installed apps appeared, it felt out of step with Nothing’s minimalist and user first philosophy. Many, myself included, were disappointed, it felt like a shift towards the very bloatware approach Nothing had promised to move away from.
To their credit, Akis and the team addressed this openly, which helped calm things down. I now understand the reasoning, though I still think the rollout could’ve been communicated more clearly.
As for the apps themselves: yes, seeing Facebook pre-installed was strange, but it was easily removable. I also skipped Lock Glimpse during setup, so it never bothered me. The key thing is, this feature was optional, not forced.
💭 Final Thoughts
From £249, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a compelling budget device. It shares a lot of DNA with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, in fact, it’s practically its twin, save for some tweaks in design, camera, and NFC support (missing from the Indian CMF variant).
If you’re new to Nothing and want an affordable entry point into the ecosystem, complete with the unique Nothing OS experience, this phone makes perfect sense.
If you already own a Phone (1) or Phone (2), it’s probably not an essential upgrade, but it’s a solid, value-packed option for anyone looking to stay in the family without overspending.
