The Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro have just been announced, showcasing the company's commitment to their ethos of "make tech more fun again." These new smartphones come with enhanced hardware compared to their predecessor, the Phone 2A, and feature upgraded cameras. A standout addition is the innovative Essential Space, designed to help users organize and access miscellaneous screenshots, voice memos, and photographs through a dedicated button.
The Nothing Phone 3A starts at an attractive price of $379, while the more advanced 3A Pro is priced at $459. Both models offer impressive specifications for midrange devices, setting the stage for what Nothing has been focusing on in this AI-centric tech landscape. Both phones are equipped with a 6.77-inch display, making them feel substantial in hand, though the 3A Pro is notably bulkier due to its prominent camera housing.
The differentiation between the 3A and 3A Pro primarily lies in their camera systems. The 3A Pro features a striking round camera housing that includes a 3x periscope telephoto lens, while the 3A has a standard 2x zoom. Both models are equipped with a 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. The telephoto cameras utilize a 50-megapixel sensor for lossless crop zoom—offering 4x zoom for the 3A and an impressive 6x zoom for the 3A Pro.
Both models feature Nothing’s distinctive translucent back panel, which adds a bold aesthetic. However, the camera bump on the 3A Pro can feel awkward, especially for users who may find their fingers brushing against it frequently. After a few days of use, I found myself adjusting to this design quirk, appreciating its Pop Socket-esque functionality.
Under the hood, both the 3A and 3A Pro come powered by the Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. This combination is more than generous for devices in the midrange category. The phones ship with Android 15 and Nothing promises three years of OS updates along with six years of security patches, making it a competitive offering within the budget smartphone market.
The new Essential Space feature is an innovative way to manage your digital clutter. Inspired by features in Google's Pixel Screenshots app, the Essential Space allows users to save screenshots, voice memos, and images in one organized location. This addresses common user frustrations: How do you keep track of inspiration photos or important email snippets? The Essential Space offers a simple solution by leveraging AI to extract relevant information from your saved items.
My initial experience with the Essential Key—which adds items to the Essential Space—required some adjustment. Positioned where the power button typically resides, I often pressed it unintentionally. A single press captures a screenshot, while a double tap opens the app for browsing through saved collections. Although it felt somewhat counterintuitive at first, I've grown accustomed to it.
As a user, I found the Essential Space particularly handy for compiling screenshots of travel details scattered across emails and apps. The feature effectively organizes key information, even creating a to-do list from the details captured. While it didn’t perfectly extract all details for my connecting flight, the software performs admirably when it has complete information to work with. Future enhancements, such as automatic organization of related content into collections, promise even greater utility.
The Nothing Phone 3A is set to be available for order on March 4th, with shipping commencing on March 11th. For those interested in the 3A Pro, it will be available for order starting on March 11th and will ship from March 25th. With their unique features and competitive pricing, the Nothing Phone 3A and 3A Pro are likely to make a significant impact in the midrange smartphone market.
