Intro
I haven't been able to use the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite much because it doesn't support eSIM, which is a shame because I'd like to use it as my main phone. It would be unfair to give feedback on the battery performance without testing it on a mobile network. But I quickly got used to it.
The arrival of the (3a) Lite was a surprise. I thought the (3a) series had already been decided, so I wasn't expecting a new model. I had thought for a long time that Nothing's CMF brand would be the way they got into the entry-level market. It seems the plan has changed, with this "Lite" model now being the one to go under the Nothing brand.
There's another surprise on the back. After the new Glyph Matrix was added to Phone (3), I didn't think we would go back to Glyphs. Especially not after Nothing announced "We killed the Glyph". However, the (3a) Lite has a small, single-dot glyph. It still has most of the functions you're used to, like Flip to Glyph and Essential notifications, so you can still enjoy the same experience. These are the main Glyph features I often used with my Phone (1), (2) and (3a) Pro, so luckily it was not a good bye yet!
Design & Software
The phone's design is almost too plain to be a Nothing device. The signature transparency and eye-catching details are so subtle that you might not notice them at first. For me, it doesn't have the same look that the brand usually has.
The software has caused a lot of disagreement, and people are talking about it a lot. I encountered "Lock Glimpse" and its integrated pairing ads during the initial setup. I don't think I would choose to use this feature, but I can see why it is included on the cheaper "Lite" model. Because the phone is likely to be sold at a lower price, features like this may be a way to make up for costs that can't be covered by higher-end models.
Hardware
Audio
One of the most obvious problems I've noticed with the hardware is the audio. The difference is very clear when I compare it to the stereo speakers on my (3a) Pro. When watching videos, you can clearly hear the thin, mono sound from the Lite, and this makes watching the video less enjoyable.
Haptics
The haptics of the (3a) Lite feel weaker for me compared to my (3a) Pro.
It's a classic example of a subtle engineering choice that, while functional, clearly separates a "Lite" device from its more expensive sibling in terms of perceived quality.
CPU
It has a Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro on board, which is the same as the CMF Phone 2 Pro and is able to deliver a comparable experience. I think there are already a lot of examples from the CMF Phone 2 Pro and its performance, so I won't do a deep dive here. It's an overall smooth experience during regular browsing and navigating through the OS. I'm absolutely no heavy gamer on Mobile (because that is way more enjoyable on a PC anyway), but the light gaming I tried (Stardew Valley, Bricks Breaker RPG) was also in line with my expectations.
Photography
This part is what I mainly covered during my First Impressions post. If you haven't seen that one yet, you can find it right here: https://nothing.community/d/46141-first-impressions-nothing-phone-3a-lite
It contains a direct comparison with my current (3a) Pro.
Conclusion
I would like to give a shout out to Chris and his (3a) Lite review as well. I definitely recommend reading his review, because he's able to explain the same feeling I had. For the price I do think it's a decent phone for that target audience, but I just don't fit into that audience I think.
