Let me start with this: I wasn’t planning to switch phones. My OnePlus 11R was doing just fine. But then came the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro — and I just had to see what all the hype was about.
Because let’s be honest, budget phones usually don’t excite anyone. They’re the definition of “it’ll do” — practical, predictable, and painfully boring. But the Nothing 3a series? It caught my eye. Not just for the transparent design, but for how confidently it promises a flagship experience at a mid-range price.
So I made the switch. For two full weeks, the Phone 3a Pro became my daily driver. And now, it’s time to tell you exactly how that went.
That First Impression: “Woah, what phone is that?”
No kidding — the very first time I pulled out the 3a Pro in front of my friends, they all did a double take.
“Wait… what phone is that?”
I knew then that Nothing had nailed something most phone brands completely forget about: curiosity. The transparent back, the Glyph lights, the visible (but fake) internal bits — it’s such a head-turner. Even people who don’t care about tech got curious.
The design is just fun. That clean, industrial look. The perfectly cut-out frame. It looks premium. And more importantly, it feels like something new — something different.
That said, the phone isn’t small. It has a flat, boxy feel and is pretty wide in the hand. I don’t have tiny hands, but I still found it a bit chunky to use one-handed. Also, at 211g, it’s definitely on the heavier side. If you’re coming from something slimmer or curved, you’ll feel the difference.
But honestly? I got used to it. The design is so striking, it kind of makes you forgive the bulk.
Display: You’ll Want to Watch Everything on This
Colours pop. Blacks are deep. And it gets bright — like, really bright. I was using it under the blazing Delhi sun and had zero issues with visibility. Peak brightness goes up to 3000 nits in HDR mode, which is pretty crazy for a phone under ₹30,000.
Whether I was watching Netflix, scrolling Instagram, or just reading stuff online, everything looked sharp and immersive. It even has a 10-bit panel, which sounds fancy, but if I’m being honest, I couldn’t really tell the difference from an 8-bit screen. Still — nice to have.
But the one thing that bugged me? The speakers.
Yes, it has stereo speakers. But no, they’re not balanced. The bottom speaker is significantly louder than the top one. Block it while watching something or playing a game, and you’ll immediately notice the drop. It’s a bit disappointing, especially when the rest of the media experience is so good.
Performance: Solid for Everyday Use, But Not a Speed Demon
Under the hood, the Phone 3a Pro runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. My unit came with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Now, I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do multitask a lot — switching between apps, checking Google Maps, watching Reels, replying on WhatsApp. For most of these tasks, the phone held up just fine.
Apps opened quickly, animations were smooth, and I didn’t notice any lag during day-to-day use.
That said, there were a few moments — especially when switching between Maps and Spotify during my office commute — where the phone felt a little strained. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it reminded me that this isn’t a flagship chip.
Gaming-wise, casual titles like Subway Surfers, Clash Royale, and even BGMI on medium settings ran smoothly. But if you’re planning to push the phone with Genshin Impact or heavy multitasking, it might not be the best choice.
Software Experience: So Clean, So Calm
This was my first time using Nothing OS, and wow — what a breath of fresh air.
It’s clean. It’s minimal. It actually feels… designed.
The monochrome theme looks classy, the icons are uniform, and the built-in widgets are genuinely useful. No ads. No bloat. No random notifications from apps you never wanted.
It’s the kind of software experience that just gets out of your way and lets you use your phone in peace.
The phone ships with Android 15 out of the box, and Nothing has promised 3 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security patches. That’s decent — although not quite as long as Samsung or Google, who now offer 6 years of OS updates too.
Still, compared to many other phones in this segment that are bloated with unnecessary features, Nothing OS feels premium and polished.
Camera: Great Main Shooter, Zoom Bonus on Pro
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Both phones share the same 50MP Samsung main sensor (with OIS and EIS)
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There’s an 8MP ultra-wide sensor (Sony)
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The Pro adds a 50MP periscope zoom lens (3x optical, 60x digital)
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The front camera is 32MP on the 3a, 50MP on the Pro (with 4K support)
Now, how do they perform?
The main sensor is excellent in daylight. You get crisp shots, natural skin tones, and surprisingly good dynamic range. Colours are slightly boosted, but not cartoonish. Honestly, it gives you results you’d be happy to post right away.
The ultra-wide, though, is just okay. It works, but the details aren’t as sharp, and the colours don’t always match the main sensor.
The zoom lens on the Pro is a sweet bonus. 3x photos are sharp. Even 6x looks decent. Beyond that, it becomes more of a party trick than something useful — but still, it’s fun to have.
Selfies on the Pro are top-notch. Sharp, well-lit, and the 4K video support makes it great for vlog-style videos.
Battery Life: Easily Lasts a Full Day
The battery life on this phone is reliable, and that’s always a relief.
You get a 5,000mAh cell on both models. I was regularly getting a full day with 20-25% left by bedtime — and that includes video calls, navigation, Instagram scrolling, and taking photos throughout the day.
Charging is 50W wired, and it takes about 50 minutes to go from 0 to 100%. Not the fastest in the world, but fast enough.
Sadly, there’s no charger in the box. I had to use my old OnePlus charger, and it worked fine — but yeah, Nothing’s “eco-friendly” approach does mean spending extra for many users.
The Annoying Stuff: What I Didn’t Like
No phone is perfect — and the Nothing 3a Pro definitely had some issues for me.
First, transferring data was a nightmare. The Nothing Transfer app crashed repeatedly. Samsung Smart Switch didn’t work either. Even Google Drive backups didn’t restore properly.
After a few hours of trying, I gave up and manually reinstalled everything. That’s not a great experience for someone switching from another phone.
Second, the call quality isn’t great. The earpiece volume is low — really low. In crowded places or outdoors, it was genuinely hard to hear the other person. I also noticed some minor network drops, even though my SIM worked fine in other devices.
These are small issues, but they affect basic usability — and Nothing needs to fix them.
Price and Final Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Now the big question: should you buy the Nothing Phone 3a or 3a Pro?
Here’s the pricing in India:
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Nothing Phone 3a – ₹24,999
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro – ₹29,999
At these prices, you’re competing with phones like:
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OnePlus 12R – better chip, faster charging, more reliable
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iQOO Neo 10R – similar specs, better audio and thermal performance
But here’s the thing — those phones don’t turn heads. They don’t spark conversations. They don’t make you feel excited about using them.
The Nothing 3a series does.
If you care about performance above all else, the OnePlus or iQOO might be better picks.
But if you want a phone that feels premium, looks unique, has clean software, takes good photos, and actually brings some joy to everyday usage — the Nothing Phone 3a is a great choice.
My Pick? Go With the Standard 3a
It looks just as good. It runs just as smooth. And for most people, that’s more than enough.
Would I switch back to my OnePlus 11R? Honestly… I’m tempted to keep the 3a Pro around. It’s not perfect. But it’s fun. And that’s something I didn’t expect from a mid-range phone.
What about you? Would you pick design and clean software over brute specs?
Let me know.
