Nothing Phone 3a Pro First Impressions

Nothing has finally introduced its latest Phone 3a series in India and globally. The all-new Phone 3a series brings a lot of improvements and intelligence over the Phone 2a, which was launched last year. This time, we have two models in this series, including the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. While both devices offer almost the same set of features, the company has introduced its first Pro variant in the ‘a' series. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro brings an updated rear panel, a new periscope lens, a new set of interesting AI features, and the popular Glyph interface. I got the chance to use the device for a brief period, and here's everything you need to know about the latest Nothing handset.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro price in India starts at Rs. 29,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage option comes with a price tag of Rs. 31,999. Lastly, we have the top-end variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage that is priced at Rs. 33,999. The brand is providing multiple offers through which you can get the device for as low as Rs 24,999 effectively.

Starting with the design language, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro sticks to the brand's design philosophy. You get a transparent back panel, which is now made of glass. The device is available in two colour options, Gray and Black. I received the former for review, and it sure gives me those Nothing vibes.

The handset comes with a transparent glass back and a large circular camera module.

But what makes it stand out from the other Nothing smartphones is the large circular camera module. The brand says that it used such a protruding circular module to incorporate the periscope lens. You also get the Glyph Interface surrounding the camera module, which looks good. However, such a large camera module makes it a bit difficult to hold the device easily. Moreover, such a large camera module also makes it wobble a bit when you place it on a flat surface.

Moving on, the frame looks sturdy. On the left, you have the volume control button, while the right has a power on/off button alongside a dedicated button to access the new Essential Space feature. At the bottom there is a SIM tray, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a 6.77-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz screen refresh rate.

Coming to the display, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro has a large 6.77-inch Full HD+ flexible AMOLED panel. It is a 10-bit display offering a 120Hz screen refresh rate and up to 480Hz touch sampling rate, which can go up to 1,000Hz in gaming mode. It also features up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, which is useful outdoors. The screen does look vibrant and sharp. I enjoyed watching a couple of HDR videos on this smartphone.

Like its smaller sibling, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor. The handset offers up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.

The smartphone offers three years of Android and four years of security updates.

The device runs Nothing OS 3.1, which is based on Android 15. The company promises three years of Android and four years of security updates with this device, which is quite standard in this price segment. That said, Nothing has added a new Essential Space feature, which is a one-stop solution to gather all sorts of data (screenshots, camera captures and more) that gets tagged for recall using AI. There is a dedicated Essential Key right next to the power button to access this feature. We will talk more about this feature in our upcoming review.

The phone features a triple-camera setup on the rear panel with a periscope lens.

Coming to the cameras, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro offers three rear-facing cameras. The handset features a 50-megapixel primary camera with f/1.8 aperture. It also packs a 50-megapixel periscope camera with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, and 60x digital zoom. Apart from this, the handset also offers an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. On the front, there's a 50-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture for selfies.

As for the battery, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a 5,000mAh battery with 50W fast charging You also get an IP54 rating, which makes it splashproof.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features 50W fast charging and packs a 5,000mAh battery.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro definitely looks like an interesting smartphone in the mid-range. The transparent rear panel and the large circular camera module surely attract attention, even though it makes it difficult to hold for a prolonged period. While the device's core hardware specifications seem satisfactory, I have yet to explore its full potential in various departments. That said, we will discuss all the features of the latest Nothing Phone 3a Pro in the review, so stay tuned.