−29%
EUR384,93 was EUR539,–
Nothing Phone (3a)
Nothing Phone (3a) tested: a telephoto camera for the mid-range smartphone
Nothing has given its affordable phone (3a) a bright display, a third camera and a glass back. The manufacturer hopes that the return to Snapdragon chips will result in better AI functions.
The Nothing Phone (3a) stands out from other smartphones in the 300 francs/euro price range with its telephoto camera. Even the more expensive Samsung Galaxy A56 only has an ultra-wide-angle camera next to the main camera. I have a new favourite if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a good smartphone.
Nothing continues its unique design
The 6.77-inch AMOLED display of the Nothing Phone (3a) is slightly larger than its predecessor at 0.07 inches. It achieves a typical brightness of 800 nits. The 100 more compared to the Phone (2a) make the smartphone easier to use in sunshine. The peak brightness also increases significantly to 3000 nits. The display has a full HD+ resolution and a variable refresh rate of 30 to 120 hertz.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The back of the Nothing sets visual accents that stand out from the crowd of smartphones as usual. According to Nothing, the look is calmer, but still eye-catching. The so-called Glyph consists of three LEDs that use different light patterns to individually indicate notifications and other things.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The phone (3a) has an aluminium frame. The glass on the back gives the smartphone an elegant touch. Nothing uses "Panda Glass", an alternative to the familiar Gorilla Glass. With IP64 certification, the Phone (3a) is slightly better protected against dust than its predecessor. The protection against splash water remains unchanged.
The telephoto camera sets new standards in this price range
Nothing has given the Phone (3a) a third camera. This is a telephoto camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels. Its focal length corresponds to the 50 megapixel main camera with a double zoom. The ultra-wide-angle camera remains, but has to sacrifice resolution. The manufacturer has reduced its resolution from 50 to 8 megapixels. The reason: Most people would not have used the full resolution on the predecessors.
Source: Jan Johannsen
As usual with such a high resolution, "pixel binning" is preset. This means that several pixels are combined into one for higher light sensitivity and better image quality. This is why most 50-megapixel cameras on smartphones deliver photos with 12.5 megapixels - including the phone (3a). I have to select the full resolution separately, but I don't usually see any advantage in this.
The main camera of the Phone (3a) delivers images with a high level of detail and natural colour reproduction.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The ultra-wide-angle camera keeps up well despite its lower resolution. The main difference between the two cameras is the focal length.
With the telephoto camera, I can get much closer to the subject. The high image quality is retained.
Source: Jan Johannsen
In the dark, there are differences between the cameras. Only the main camera delivers a clear, detailed image. In terms of colour reproduction, the entire photo is too bright for me. The atmosphere of the night is lost.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The ultra-wide-angle camera and the telephoto camera lose detail at night and distort the colours. In both cases, this is not catastrophic, but more expensive smartphones manage this better.
The front camera delivers selfies with a resolution of 32 megapixels. They look good on the smartphone. When viewed in full resolution on a larger screen, however, the images look pixelated. The phone (3a) has room for improvement here.
Source: Jan Johannsen
Power boost for the AI
With the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, Nothing returns to Qualcomm for the Phone (3a). According to the manufacturer, the main reason is that the chips are better suited for AI applications than the Dimensity chips from Mediatek. Nothing used these for the Phone (2a). However, the remaining computing power of the chipsets remains similar. Bluetooth has been given a mini upgrade to version 5.4, while Wi-Fi remains at Wi-Fi 6.
In the CPU benchmarks, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is slightly stronger than the Dimensity of the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus.
The differences are even smaller in the graphics calculation. The Phone (2a) Plus performs even better than the two new smartphones.
To verify the claim of better AI functionality, I could only use the AI benchmark. Qualcomm and Mediatek use different frameworks for Geekbench AI, which is why the results are not comparable. The AI benchmark attests the Snapdragon a significant increase in performance.
With a capacity of 5000 mAh, the battery of the Nothing Phone (3a) is average. At up to 50 watts, it charges slightly faster than its predecessor at 45 watts. The battery test from PC Mark Work 3.0 measured a decent battery life of 11:09 hours. However, it does not improve on its predecessor.
The phone (3a) only has space for one SIM card and does not support eSIM.
Upgraded Android and the beginning of the AI takeover
Nothing installs Android 15 on the phone (3a) ex works and provides it with its Nothing OS 3.1, which mainly contains visual customisations in the manufacturer's typical design. With three years of OS updates and six years of security updates, the update period is mixed. According to Nothing, however, the devices would hardly be used for more than three or four years and a longer update period for the system would increase the price of the smartphones.
Source: Jan Johannsen
In addition to the new features of Android 15, Nothing has come up with something new with "Essential Space". The app is a collection point for screenshots, voice memos and to-dos. An AI analyses the saved items and summarises the most important content, for example. On the right-hand side of the smartphone is the Essential Key, an extra button for the Essential Space. It can be used to add screenshots or voice memos to the app at the touch of a button.
Source: Jan Johannsen
Essential Space is just the first step in Nothing's vision. The manufacturer wants to make individual apps superfluous in the future. The AI should then take care of all the things that apps used to take care of and, for example, remember where your car is parked.
In a nutshell
Eye-catching design, nice gimmicks, lots of technology and an attractive price
After a brief foray into the realm of top smartphones, Nothing sticks to its roots. The Phone (3a) offers features that are not yet available from the competition in this price range. The smartphone also continues to stand out from the competition with its striking design.
The display of the Nothing Phone (3a) is also easy to use in the sunshine. The hardware performance is mediocre, but completely adequate. The battery life is good and Android continues to complement Nothing with fresh ideas. The update period could be longer.
The features include an excellent main camera and an ultra-wide-angle and telephoto camera, which at least deliver good images in daylight. At night, however, they leave a lot to be desired. The front camera is only sufficient if you don't want to enlarge the selfies.
The Nothing Phone (3a) is currently my favourite smartphone in its price range. To get rid of the small flaws, I would have to spend more money with all manufacturers. The Phone (3a) Pro also costs more, but only justifies its extra price if eSIM or a 20 millimetre focal length are very important to you.
Pro
- Attractive value for money
- Telephoto camera a speciality in this price range
- eye-catching design
Contra
- No eSIM
- Only the main camera is convincing in the dark
Header image: Jan Johannsen
9 people like this article
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
