Nothing Phone (3a)

Unique design that stands out ; Fast charging ; Great Battery Life ; Nothing OS is a joy to use ; 120Hz display

Older chipset struggles to keep up ; Limited water resistance ; Camera isn’t consistent ; Essential key placement is odd

“The Nothing Phone 3a is Nothing’s best phone yet and it offers excellent battery life, a unique experience and an abundance of style. There are a few misses, but while it isn't perfect, the Nothing Phone 3a is really good.”

Unique design ; Feature-packed software ; Fun details add to ownership enjoyment ; Versatile camera takes great photos ; Essential Space AI is intriguing

Average battery life ; Poor wide-angle camera

“The Nothing Phone 3a Pro's unique style separates it from the competition, and hides a cracking camera, strong performance, and great software.”

Sleek, standout design ; Bright, high-quality display ; Powerful performance ; Clean, efficient software ; Fast and reliable updates ; Long battery life ; Great value for the price

Essential Key position could be improved ; Non-expandable memory ; Only IP64 certification

The $300 to $400 price range is highly competitive sector where many manufacturers try to stand out from the crowd with a special feature (or two). With Nothing, their strength clearly lies in the design. However, it is not just the appearance that...

Display ; Software ; Battery

Camera Portrait mode

Best-looking budget phones available ; Great 120Hz OLED panel with eye-friendly dimming tech ; Good battery life ; Excellent triple-camera system (Phone 3a Pro is best) ; Unique, customizable software with no bloat ; Essential Space is an excellent use...

Worse gaming performance than Phone 2a ; Essential Key is easy to press accidentally ; Phone 3a Pro camera island is massive ; Limited availability in the U.S.

The Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro strike a very interesting balance between powerful and affordable. The phones retain Nothing's very distinct design philosophy while integrating AI into the mix and slapping on excellent cameras. That said, the phones...

Dedicated telephoto lens in a sub-$400 phone ; Long-lasting battery with fast-charging ; Bright, colorful display ; Distinctive design

Only available through Nothing's Beta program in the U.S. ; Not much performance improvement from the Nothing Phone 2a ; Essential Spaces tool needs more work

The Nothing Phone 3a lives up to the promise of an affordable phone that delivers impressive features, especially when you look at its colorful screen, consistent camera performance and eye-catching design. But limited availability may convince some...

Distinctive, attractive design ; Cohesive software experience with useful widgets ; Strong battery life ; Vibrant, colour-rich and bright display with smooth refresh rates

Only IP64 water-resistance ; Ultrawide camera is quite poor ; Only 3 years of major software updates

If you don’t want to spend a lot on a phone, of all the phones on the market – it’s the Nothing Phone 3a I’d recommend, pretty much without any hesitation.