Nothing has announced the release of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro globally, including in India, and the device is priced starting at Rs 29,999. The Phone (3a) Pro is the first Pro phone in the brand’s A-series devices and aims to live up to its name with best-in-class cameras, software, and more. However, its pricing lies in quite a competitive segment in the Indian smartphone market and more so, its own sibling, the Phone (3a), costs Rs 5,000 cheaper. Here we are to help you decide whether you should buy the Phone (3a) Pro over the Phone (3a) or opt for the cheaper option.
Nothing Phone (3a) and the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro are quite similar smartphones but they differ in two main areas, and those are design and cameras. While we’ll come to the differences, let’s first discuss the similarities. The two devices get the same display, and that’s a 6.77-inch AMOLED FHD+ screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2392 pixels, support for HDR10+, 2160Hz PWM dimming, up to 3000 nits peak brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a 120Hz refresh rate.
They are powered by the same chip — Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. They also get the same amount of storage, up to 256GB, but the Pro gets a 12GB RAM model while the standard one has 8GB only. That might not make for a huge difference for an average consumer but for those who do a lot of multitasking, it’d be noticeable.
They have the same battery, a 5000mAh cell with identical 50W fast wired charging. Connectivity options on the smartphones include 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.4, GPS (L1 + L5), USB Type-C, and NFC. There’s an in-display optical fingerprint sensor for security. The devices run on Nothing OS 3.1 based on Android 15 and will get OS updates till Android 18 along with 4 years of security patches.
The devices also sport the same amount of glyph lights and related features with the same Essential Space button on the right spine.
Coming back to the design, the two devices have their own identities. While the (3a) has a more symmetrical design that carries forward the Phone (2a) design and looks like a true successor, the (3a) Pro tries to break that design similarly and have a distinct look you may not have seen in any other smartphone. The asymmetrical design choice is debatable and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. While it sure will turn heads, it may not be due to the rigt reasons. In total, we feel, the Phone (3a) sports a better look that stands true to its original style.
Speaking of the cameras, on the front, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro gets a 50-megapixel f/2.2 Samsung selfie camera. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has launched with a triple rear camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel f/1.88 OIS-assisted Samsung primary camera, a 50-megapixel f/2.5 Sony periscope telephoto sensor with 3x Optical Zoom and OIS, and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 Sony ultra-wide angle camera.
On the front, the Phone (3a) gets a 32-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera. The Nothing Phone (3a) has launched with a triple rear camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel f/1.88 OIS-assisted primary camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera.
While the Phone (3a) is definitive upgrade over the (2a) in the camera department, Nothing gave the Pro a better telephoto lens to give it extra leverage and appeal over the vanilla version. The periscope lens on the Pro also looks better on paper with the 3x optical zoom (versus 2x on (3a)) along with higher in-sensor 60x Digital Zoom (30x on (3a)). For those without specific camera expectations, the Phone (3a)’s camera system should be sufficient for the average consumer.
Yes, there will be differences due to the better hardware and different sensor on the Pro but in our experience with smartphones, the difference shouldn’t be as huge and definitely not a deal-breaker.
The Phone (3a) starts at Rs 24,999 and the Pro starts at Rs 29,999. For most users, we feel the Nothing Phone (3a) will do justice while the Pro can only be considered if you don’t have budget constraints, have an eye for the unique design, and looking for specific results with the periscope lens.
