Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Review: Second Fiddle

Value When Reviewed

$459

Finest Costs Immediately: Nothing Telephone (3a) Professional

For a corporation that’s by no means made a flagship telephone, Nothing actually will get lots of consideration. 

The British agency, based by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has aggressively focused the mid-range phase because it started releasing telephones in 2022. And with all its handsets boasting eye-catching designs, customisable ‘Glyph’ lights and retro-inspired software program, they immediately stand out from the competitors. 

In 2025, Nothing has taken the weird step of launching its Telephone (3a) Sequence earlier than the common Telephone (3). There are two fashions once more this yr, although the usual (3a) is now joined by a ‘Professional’ as an alternative of a ‘Plus’. 

Regardless of its title, the latter nonetheless prices simply £449/$459. Is it the very best telephone at this value level, and are there sufficient causes to purchase it over the £329/$379 common Telephone (3a)? I spent two weeks with the Telephone (3a) Professional to seek out out. 

Design & Construct

• Semi-transparent again with ‘Glyph’ lights
• Enormous rear digital camera bump
• IP64 water and mud resistance

In my hands-on with the Telephone (3a) Professional, I described it as “essentially the most uncommon telephone I’ve ever tried”, and I stand by that. 

As somebody who reviewed the Telephone (2a), that may come as a shock. Certainly, the semi-transparent again and signature ‘Glyph’ lights we’ve come to affiliate with Nothing telephones each stay. Nevertheless, there are a few key {hardware} modifications that make the (3a) Professional really feel like a really totally different telephone. 

The one you’ve in all probability already seen is the rear digital camera module, an enormous disc that takes up practically your entire high half of the telephone. It’s an enormous departure from the Telephone (2a) and (3a)’s cameras, that are way more discreet. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Now, I don’t have an issue with the way in which it appears, although I want the design of different Nothing telephones. However the additional bulk it provides to the system quickly will get annoying. 

The digital camera bump stands proud considerably from the again of the telephone, making it wobble when attempting to make use of face-up on a desk. It’s a disgrace as a result of the glass again is grippy sufficient to make going case-free a sensible possibility. 

And at 211g, the Telephone (3a) Professional is considerably heavier than each the 201g common Telephone (3a) and 190g Telephone (2a). For those who’re coming from any sub-200g telephone, this can be a distinction you’ll discover. 

The opposite large change is the addition of a bodily button to the plastic sides of the telephone. And no, it’s not an Apple-inspired Motion Button or Digital camera Management button.

As a substitute, it’s what Nothing is looking the ‘Important Key’ – a shortcut that permits you to rapidly seize voice notes, photographs and screenshots, all of that are despatched on to the AI-enabled ‘Important Area’ app. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

I’ll speak extra about its performance within the ‘Software program & Options’ part, however what I’ll say is that it’s very delicate. I can’t let you know what number of instances I unintentionally pressed it when taking the telephone out of my pocket or looking for the ability button. 

A giant factor the telephone has in its favour is sturdiness. The (3a) Professional feels very well-built, and would possibly simply be the hardest glass-backed telephone I’ve tried. You additionally get an improved IP64 score, that means it’s totally dust-resistant and might survive splashes of water, although full submersion is out of the query. 

Sadly, the Telephone (3a)’s eye-catching blue end isn’t obtainable on the Professional. As a substitute, you get a selection between the uninteresting gray I examined or a traditional black. If you’d like a vibrant telephone, the (3a) Professional ain’t it. 

Display & Audio system

• 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display screen
• Optical under-display fingerprint sensor
• Stereo audio system

Telephone shows have gotten so good not too long ago you could get a flagship-quality display screen on a mid-range handset. And that’s undoubtedly true for the Telephone (3a) Professional. 

It boasts a 6.77-inch, Full HD+ (1080 x 2392) flat AMOLED panel that’s up there with the perfect. It affords the wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks we’ve come to affiliate with OLEDs, making it excellent for video content material and social media. 

Regardless of not matching most flagships’ 1440p decision, element and readability are nonetheless wonderful. I couldn’t inform the distinction between the shows on the Telephone (3a) Professional and the £999/$999 Samsung Galaxy S25+, and I doubt you possibly can both. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

That’s earlier than we even get to the 120Hz refresh fee, which delivers the quick transitions and silky-smooth visuals that make the telephone extra gratifying to navigate. The one slight catch is that the default ‘Dynamic’ mode can solely go right down to 30Hz, moderately than 1Hz, limiting the ability effectivity (and subsequently battery life) advantages.

Nothing advertises as much as 800 nits of typical brightness and 300 nits at its peak, making it one of many brightest shows round. I had no issues with outside visibility, even in vivid daylight. 

Whereas the bezel isn’t fairly as slim as many high-end telephones, I do respect that it’s constant all the way in which across the edge display screen. It offers the system a beautiful symmetry. 

I need to give the under-display fingerprint sensor a particular shoutout. It’s an optical scanner moderately than the extra superior ultrasonic model we see on flagships, however I discovered it to unlock extra persistently and rapidly than any telephone I’ve tried not too long ago. 

On paper, the Telephone (3a) Professional affords an unremarkable pair of audio system. However the audio is surprisingly punchy, providing a depth we don’t typically see on telephones. It received’t exchange devoted audio system or headphones, but it surely’s a lot ok for informal use. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB non-expandable storage

On paper, the Telephone (3a) Professional is nothing (pun supposed) particular with regards to efficiency. Similar to the Telephone (3a), it makes use of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a transparent step down from Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite. 

I used to be initially disenchanted that Nothing determined towards a extra highly effective chip on a telephone that’s £120/$80 costlier. However then I began utilizing it. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Slightly than being a weak spot, efficiency is definitely one of many Telephone (3a) Professional’s major strengths. Alongside 12GB of RAM, the telephone is fluid and extremely responsive, excelling throughout all on a regular basis duties: net searching, social media, messages, electronic mail and taking plenty of photographs. 

It’s additionally very adept at multitasking, permitting me to rapidly change between them with out lacking a beat. There have been some very occasional hesitations and stutters, however they felt like software program bugs moderately than an absence of energy. 

Gaming is the place its limitations start to indicate, with some noticeable dropped frames whereas enjoying demanding AAA titles, so that you would possibly have to drop from 60fps to 30fps to make sure {smooth} gameplay. The Telephone (3a) Professional additionally averted getting noticeably scorching, even throughout these longer classes. 

However except you’re an avid gamer or need to use some critical modifying software program, the Telephone (3a) Professional has all of the efficiency you possibly can ever want. 

The identical might be mentioned for inside storage, regardless of the shortage of help for Micro-SD growth. 256GB is a lot for most individuals, particularly when you depend on cloud storage for lots of your information. 

Nothing Telephone (3a) Professional benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp, f/1.9 major
• 50Mp, f/2.6 3x periscope telephoto
• 8Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide
• 50Mp, f/2.2 selfie

If I may discover one major weak spot with the Nothing Telephone (3a) Professional, it’d be the cameras. Not that they’re particularly unhealthy – certainly, the telephone can take a few of the greatest photographs of any mid-range telephone – however they’re not constant sufficient to be relied upon. 

Let’s begin with the positives. In good lighting circumstances, the principle 50Mp lens is stable. It captures a wonderful degree of element and nice dynamic vary whereas typically avoiding over- or underexposing backgrounds. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Photographs are typically true to life, whereas the telephone handles complicated landscapes and complicated structure equally successfully. 

The massive improve in comparison with the common Telephone (3a) is the 50Mp periscope telephoto, permitting it to supply an extended focal size (and so extra zoom) than an everyday telephoto with out including considerably to the general thickness. 

It means the (3a) Professional can take full 50Mp pictures at 3x optical zoom or 12Mp photographs at 6x optical zoom. Pictures are impressively clear and crisp, to the extent that you just won’t be capable to inform them aside from a flagship telephone such because the Galaxy S25 Extremely. 

Nevertheless, with out a variable aperture lens (the place the focal size might be adjusted), photographs in between these optical zoom settings depend on the a lot inferior digital zoom. That’s additionally the case past 6x, the place there’s a pointy decline in high quality all the way in which to the utmost 60x. 

The place the telephoto lens actually shines is macro images, permitting you to seize unimaginable particulars from as little as 15cm away. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Telephone (3a) Professional’s macro images is up there with the perfect. 

You’ll additionally in all probability be counting on the telephoto for portrait-style images. Edge detection might be a problem, however I used to be capable of seize some beautiful pet photographs, and I like how a lot flexibility Nothing affords when it comes to the extent of background blur. 

On the entrance, the 50Mp lens is a superb possibility. It retains topics in focus with out blowing out the background, and I’m impressed by the way in which it handles pores and skin tones. With the ability to change from the default 1.2x zoom to a barely wider 1x mode is a pleasant contact. 

That’s lots of positives, so what’s really improper with the cameras? Sadly, there are two large areas the place the Telephone (3a) Professional falls brief. 

The primary is when the lighting is lower than excellent. Low-light environments are the plain instance – even with the long-exposure night time mode enabled, the telephone may be very hit-and-miss. For each spectacular photograph, there’s one other that will get all of it improper. 

The telephone additionally struggles in harsh lighting circumstances. Underneath the intense lights of the MWC present flooring, the Telephone (3a) Professional struggled with readability and color accuracy much more than I had anticipated. I ended up regretting utilizing it for product images whereas out in Barcelona. 

After which there’s the ultrawide. Given it’s simply an 8Mp sensor, I wasn’t anticipating picture high quality to be on par with the principle or telephoto lenses. However the drop-off is so vital that it negated any advantages from the 120-degree area of view. Sadly, for the very best images expertise, it’s greatest to keep away from this lens altogether. 

See extra picture samples within the gallery beneath:

On the video facet, the Telephone (3a) Professional is proscribed to 4K at 30fps. That’s simply nice for most individuals, however the high quality of footage can range considerably. And once more, it struggles in low gentle. 

Total, the Telephone (3a) Professional’s cameras aren’t unhealthy in any respect, particularly at this value. However there are sufficient flaws so that you can look elsewhere if top-quality photographs and movies are necessary to you.  

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 50W wired charging
• No wi-fi charging

The Nothing Telephone (3a) Professional has what’s in all probability the most well-liked battery capability on a telephone: 5000mAh. 

Nevertheless, as we’ve seen up to now, battery life can range massively. Fortunately, the (3a) Professional is among the higher ones I’ve tried, comfortably lasting a full day on a single cost. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

I used it throughout a number of lengthy days at MWC in Barcelona, together with plenty of images, excessive brightness and near-permanent use of cell information and GPS. By bedtime (typically after midnight), I nonetheless usually had round 20-30% cost left. 

Since I acquired again and have been working from residence, I’ve typically gone two days between costs. Primarily, except you intend on gaming day-after-day, you don’t have to fret about battery life on the Telephone (3a) Professional. 

The telephone helps wired charging as much as 50W, however like most telephones as of late, Nothing doesn’t embrace the charger within the field. Utilizing a 65W one I had at residence, it reached 25% after quarter-hour and 47% by the half-hour mark. You received’t get a full cost in an hour, however you’ll in all probability get a full day of utilization. 

Sadly, there’s nonetheless no wi-fi charging, however that’s not an enormous shock at this value level. 

Software program & Options

Nothing’s software program expertise is among the large causes to purchase its telephones.  

The NothingOS 3.1 pores and skin has a really totally different feel and appear to ‘inventory’ Android 15, however solely in order for you it to. Nothing permits you to undertake a Pixel-style residence display screen while you arrange the Telephone (3a) Professional, that means you possibly can keep away from all of its quirks. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nevertheless, when you’re a fan of customisation, I’d urge you to strive it out. There are virtually countless methods to create a glance that’s really yours, combining customized icons with dozens of widgets and Nothing’s signature retro aesthetic. There actually is nothing else fairly prefer it. 

Not like Samsung’s One UI 7, Nothing nonetheless combines the notification tray and fast settings into one view, which I personally want. The latter may be very straightforward to make use of, providing satisfying animations that make it really feel very slick and polished. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Whereas there may be some bloatware – many individuals will want to make use of Google apps moderately than Nothing’s personal variations, which regularly can’t be uninstalled – the eye to element is spectacular. Each Nothing app has a constant feel and appear, one thing you don’t typically get from Android skins. 

In fact, the customisation choices lengthen to the ‘Glyph Interface’ of lights on the again, which can be utilized to show incoming calls and notifications, present timer progress and even flash alongside to the music. For those who want visible moderately than sonic cues, it may be very helpful. I simply want extra third-party apps had been supported – at present, it’s simply Uber, Zomato and Google Calendar. 

Nothing has utilized AI fairly sparingly, counting on Google’s Gemini and Circle to Seek for the majority of it. They work simply in addition to on every other telephone and are undoubtedly value having. 

The important thing differentiator is the beforehand talked about ‘Important Area’. It acts as a hub for principally something you need to keep in mind, permitting you to seamlessly add voice notes (that are then transcribed), photographs, movies and screenshots by way of the ‘Important Key’ {hardware} button. 

To entry the total vary of options, together with the automated categorisation of comparable content material, you’ll want to join early entry inside the Important Area app. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nevertheless, I’ve nonetheless discovered that it typically makes errors, misinterpreting some transcribed notes as duties and including screenshots that I don’t need to be there. The AI doesn’t appear superior sufficient to keep away from the app rapidly feeling cluttered, and there’s no method to entry Important Area from one other system. 

Nonetheless, the general software program expertise remains to be wonderful. That extends to help, with Nothing committing to a full six years of updates from launch day, that means it’ll be protected to make use of till 2031. That features three years of Android OS updates and 4 years of safety patches. 

Value & Availability

The Nothing Telephone (3a) is obtainable to pre-order now within the UK and US, costing £449/$459. It’ll be launched on 25 March. 

Within the UK, you possibly can pre-order outright from Nothing and Amazon. Within the US, the telephone is just obtainable to pre-order outright from Nothing at this stage. 

With no networks or operators promoting the telephone on contract, you’ll have to purchase outright and pair it with a SIM deal. See the very best choices within the UK beneath:

It places the Telephone (3a) Professional in direct competitors with a few of the greatest mid-range telephones you should purchase, together with the Samsung Galaxy A56 and OnePlus Nord 4. The upcoming Google Pixel 9a additionally appears set to be an enormous rival. 

Additionally, Nothing’s personal Telephone (3a) prices simply £329/$379 but has rather a lot in frequent with the (3a) Professional. For most individuals, that’s a greater worth purchase. 

Must you purchase the Nothing Telephone (3a) Professional?

Pretty much as good because the Telephone (3a) Professional is, in all probability not. The existence of Nothing’s personal Telephone (3a) makes this costlier telephone a tricky promote. 

The one elementary variations between the 2 concern the cameras, with the Professional getting a greater telephoto lens, improved selfies and 4K video recording. In trade, you’ll should put up with a hefty digital camera bump. 

For those who actually care about images at this value, the Pixel 9a will in all probability be a greater wager. And in order for you the very best telephone that Nothing makes, we’re anticipating a extra premium Telephone (3) later this yr. 

That places the Telephone (3a) Professional in an ungainly center floor, the place it’s top-of-the-line telephones that I can’t suggest. 

Specs

• NothingOS 3.1 powered by Android 15 
• 6.77-inch, 1080 x 2392, OLED, 120Hz 
• In-display fingerprint sensor 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 
• 12GB RAM 
• 256GB storage 
• 50Mp major 
• 8Mp ultrawide 
• 50Mp 3x periscope telephoto 
• 50Mp selfie digital camera 
• As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video 
• Stereo audio system 
• Twin-SIM 
• Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 
• Bluetooth 5.4 
• 5000mAh battery 
• 50W wired charging 
• 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm 
• IP64 licensed 
• 211g 
• Colors: Black, Gray