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Nothing Phone 3 is set to release worldwide on July 15, 2025, and is said to be the company's first flagship in the premium category. Although priced quite high, it comes with top-of-the-line specs and build quality, and is said to compete with the top names in the industry. That said, it'd be nice to see how it'd compare against Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which was a mid-range smartphone released earlier this year.
If you're in the market looking to purchase a new phone, you might be split between the two devices. This guide will provide a thorough comparison of the two smartphones and help you make an informed decision before your purchase.
Disclaimer: Some parts of this article are subjective and may reflect the writer's views.
Nothing Phone 3 vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro: What are the differences?
Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Phone 3a Pro are both excellent daily drivers that feature powerful hardware, good cameras, and decent battery life. However, with one being a flagship and the other a mid-range phone, there's quite a lot of difference between the two.
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Here's a detailed comparison of the specifications:
Also read: 5 best budget gaming phones in 2025
Performance
The new Nothing Phone 3 comes packed with top-tier performance featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor, which offers excellent ray tracing performance even on the most demanding mobile titles. Phone 3a Pro, on the other hand, offers good mid-range power with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. It may not perform as well as the former, but it is sufficient for most games.
Both devices come with different RAM and storage variants, which should provide smooth performance regardless of whether you're multitasking, gaming, or performing editing workloads.
Display
Both Phone 3 and Phone 3a Pro feature the same 6.77-inch AMOLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This is great for gaming and viewing multimedia, especially because of the rich colors of the AMOLED display panel. Gaming visuals would be super smooth with the 120 Hz refresh rate.
However, the difference is quite evident when it comes to the display brightness, with Phone 3 featuring up to 4500 nits of peak brightness compared to 3000 nits on Phone 3a Pro. This is something you should consider if you're someone who spends a fair share of time outdoors.
While the main display specs remain the same, there are quite a few things that are different on the new phone. For starters, it comes with a higher resolution 1260 x 2800 display, compared to 1084 x 2392 on Phone 3a Pro. Not only that, but it also comes with a better Corning Gorilla Glass 7i screen, which is stronger and less prone to scratches.
Thus, in terms of display, Phone 3 is the better option in terms of display resolution, brightness, and screen material.
Camera
Phone 3 takes it up a notch in terms of photography, featuring three 50 MP cameras, each capable of capturing superb pictures. The sample pictures show great detail and rich color tones, especially for outdoor photography. Phone 3a Pro's camera setup looks great as well, featuring two 50 MP cameras along with an 8 MP lens. Looking at sample pictures, we see that it offers decent-quality pictures for a mid-range smartphone.
In terms of video, both phones shoot up to 4K video, but Phone 3 captures it at a higher framerate of 60 FPS. Moreover, the higher quality sensor on the device helps it capture sharper videos compared to the Phone 3a Pro.
However, the difference between the two phones is very noticeable, particularly when it comes to clarity and detail. Nothing's Pro camera system does a splendid job in terms of color science, with both phones producing vibrant pictures with great depth. That said, both Nothing Phone 3 and Phone 3a Pro are excellent for mobile photography, but the former would be the clear winner in terms of clarity, color depth, and videography.
Battery life
Nothing Phone 3 features a 5150 mAh battery compared to Phone 3a Pro's 5000 mAh battery. Based on the analysis provided so far by some reviewers, we see that the new Phone 3 easily lasts an entire day's use, which is not surprising considering its efficient processor and larger battery. The latter, on the other hand, also lasts upwards of 12-13 hours, which is almost half that of Phone 3.
Price
The pricing of both phones is widely different, as we're comparing a high-end flagship to a mid-range smartphone. While Phone 3a Pro has 8 GB RAM variants, they are currently out of stock. Here are the prices for the two devices:
Nothing Phone 3:
- 12GB+256GB: $799
- 16GB+512GB: $799 (discounted, original price is $899)
Nothing Phone 3a Pro:
- 12GB+256GB: $459
Also read: OnePlus Nord 4 vs Nothing Phone 3a: Which is the better Android smartphone?
Final verdict
This concludes the comparison of Nothing Phone 3 and Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Being a flagship phone, Phone 3 beats the latter in almost all fields, making it the clear winner in this comparison. It's faster, has a better camera, and lasts a little longer than Phone 3a Pro.
However, this does not mean Nothing Phone 3a Pro is to be looked down on. It offers some of the best features in the segment for the price, making it a solid option for those on a tighter budget.
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