Nothing Phone (3) vs Nothing Phone (4a) Pro – Which should I buy?

ayushbagoria

Hello everyone

I am planning to buy a Nothing phone and I am really confused between the Nothing Phone (3) and the newly launched Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

At first I was almost sure I would get the Nothing Phone (3) because it is the flagship and the specifications are really strong. The Nothing Phone (3) has the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, a 6.67″ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 50MP cameras, a 50MP front camera and around a 5150–5500mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging. The Nothing Phone (3) looks like a flagship device with great performance and cameras.

But the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has just launched and honestly the design of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro looks really cool. I also like that the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is the phone and the 144Hz AMOLED display sounds really smooth compared to the 120Hz on the Nothing Phone (3). The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro also has a 6.83″ display a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 a 50MP main plus a 50MP periscope zoom camera a 32MP camera and a 5400mAh battery.

There are some things where the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro actually seems better at least on paper:

- **The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a 144Hz display of a 120Hz display

- The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a bigger 6.83″ screen

- The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a design and a Glyph Matrix system

- The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a periscope zoom camera with zoom capability

- The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a bigger battery**

But of course the Nothing Phone (3) still has the flagship processor, which probably means much better performance for the Nothing Phone (3).

So now I am really confused

Which one would you recommend. The Nothing Phone (3) or the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro?

I would love to hear your opinions, about the Nothing Phone (3) and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

JP

ayushbagoria phone 3 is better option …

phone 3 also has 5500mah battery…

144hz doesn’t apply to all apps.. it’s just for some games… otherwise ui and apps runs at 120hz..

Phone 3 is good option if get it at/around 40k… better os support, better processor… better camera…

Phone 3 will get 5 years of android update upto Android 20-21 and 7 years of security update…

In nothing phones…you get almost same ui experience because every single phone runs on same os flavour… and you’ll not feel difference between 15k phone and 50k phone… so if you’re spending 40-50k why not go for better hardware…

Dimas

ayushbagoria trust me bro, you wouldn’t notice significant difference between 120 Hz & 144Hz refresh rate. And remember that Phone 4a Pro doesn’t have Glyph Button unlike Phone 3. I still believe that camera on Phone 3 still has the best result compared to all Nothing Phones.

L10

ayushbagoria In my opinion, you don’t need flagship specs if it works without noticeable hindrances. If you’ve used a flagship before, you may notice the difference, but for me, the design would be the deciding factor if the spec difference isn’t a lot.

Coldpaw

ayushbagoria Hi, I have been using the Nothing Phone (3) since release and have been enjoying the phone so far. However I can understand you might be torn between both devices, the (4a) Pro looks like a great phone as well.

Here are some reasons why the Nothing Phone (3) might still be a better, although more expensive choice:

Design is subjective, personally I prefer the design of the NP3 over the one of the 4a Pro. I just prefer the all transparent back panel and the underlaying details with the nicely, subtle gradient color.
The phone is optionally available with 512 gigs of memory, for me that was actually an important factor, since there is no memory extension available.
Full IP68 protection: For me that’s just an additional peace of mind knowing I can use my phone without worries in pretty much every environment. The 4a Pro is “just” rated with IP65, so the water protection is more basic.
An additional major Android update: The Phone (3) is said to receive major updates until Android 20, the 4a Pro will get up to Android 19.
Of course the SoC is faster and more powerful, personally I don’t play any games and I am pretty sure for daily operation the SoC of the 4a Pro will also perform very well and deliver a smooth experience.
Wireless charging: While I don’t use it often, I am still glad it is available when I want to use.

The cameras are kind of an interesting matter: The main camera of 4a Pro has a larger sensor, yet the lens is ever so slightly slower, so it catches a bit less light. The periscope cameras seem mostly identical, however again the lens of thr 4a Pro is ever so slightly slower again and catches less light. The ultrawide camera on the 4a Pro has a larger sensor and the lens covers an even wider field of view than the NP3 one does. Overall in terms of cameras I think you’d be very happy with either option.

My personal advice:

Get the phone you are likely more happy with. For me personally that would be the NP3, as I prefer the design, I like that full IP68 rating and don’t want to worry about memory on my phone. Both are great phones IMHO and you don’t go wrong with either purchase. You might want to have a second look at certain features and weight them against the other option for your personal preference, for instance having wireless charging might be completely useless for you.

dineshnavee💫

In my opinion there is no doubt that the Nothing Phone (3) is still the better overall device.

The main reason is the flagship-level processor. The Nothing Phone (3) uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which is significantly more powerful. This means better performance, better gaming, and longer-term usability.

The Phone (3) also has some other advantages:

A larger 5500mAh battery
Wireless charging, which the 4a Pro does not have
A full 50MP camera setup, including a 50MP front camera (both cam support 4k recording)
Flagship-level camera processing

Another important factor is price during sales. The Nothing Phone (3) can often be found for around ₹35k during major sales, especially with bank or exchange offers. Even outside sales it usually comes under ₹45k, which makes it a much better value considering the flagship hardware.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro definitely has the 144Hz display, larger 6.83″ screen, aluminum with transparent design. But apart from the design and a few extra features, it doesn’t really surpass the Phone (3) in the core areas.

If performance, cameras, and overall value are the priorities, I would still recommend the Nothing Phone (3).

sean (1)

Realistically, do you need the extra power from the processor? If not, choose which device makes you happier.

Til21 🇩🇪

Phone (3) has very good connectivity specs that could be useful in the future when you plan using your phone for several years. If you consider using it for just a few years anyway then these aspects don’t really matter imo. Just buy what feels right 🙂

Dimas

Coldpaw either Phone 3 or Phone 4a Pro is good choice. But still, as Carl said “Phone 3 is our flagship for 2026.”

choqao

Get the one that’s close to your budget

sebastien_saillol

One thing to consider is that charging is faster on NP3 (65W)