The mid-range smartphone space is more competitive than ever, and Nothing is again trying to shake things up with the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. Priced at ₹29,999 in India, the phone aims to deliver premium features at a relatively affordable price. It brings Nothing’s signature transparent aesthetic, an AI-powered Essential Key, and a periscope telephoto camera—something rarely seen in this price segment. But does it have what it takes to stand out? Let’s break it down.
Key specs:
Design & display: Nothing’s signature, refined
Nothing has built its brand on a distinct transparent-back design, and the Phone (3a) Pro stays true to that identity. The LED Glyph lights return, acting as notification indicators, call alerts, and charging progress indicators. While some may find them gimmicky, Nothing has carved a niche with this quirky yet functional aesthetic. And quite frankly, it works in Nothing’s favour in standing out in the crowd.
The 6.77-inch OLED display is a winner, complete with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 3,000 nits of peak brightness. It’s bright, vibrant, and smooth, with HDR10+ support, and ensures crisp visuals. The bezels are in an even width across the panel, but flat edges give a premium feel. The overall build quality is solid, packing a recycled aluminium frame, which doesn’t feel as premium but it is surely durable. Speaking of durability, Nothing Phone (3a) Pro offers IP64 certification for dust and water resistance.
In day-to-day use, the phone’s broad aspect ratio is quite odd and single-hand usage can be challenging, especially when having to reach the top half area of the phone. The phone’s camera module, which protrudes weirdly, adds a bit of weight to the top. Compared to the regular (3a), the weight difference is quite evident. It’s not surprising considering the phone weighs 211 grams. To put things into perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra weighs 218 grams.
The volume and power buttons have a solid tactile response, and there’s an additional Essential Key, which adds a new flavour to the phone. Due to the phone’s broad size, the first button you’ll hit when you reach for the phone is the Essential Key, so don’t be surprised by all the accidental screenshots on the phone.
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We’ve got no qualms about the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro’s design. It brings a refreshing taste to the table despite the protruding camera module and the broad aspect ratio (19.93:9).
Performance
Under the hood, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro packs a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The chipset is capable but not groundbreaking—it handles day-to-day tasks and multitasking efficiently but isn’t a performance beast.
We put the chipset to the test, and the phone seemed to handle titles like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile well, but with occasional frame drops at max settings. But Nothing did a smart thing by making its interface snappy and responsive, which gives the impression that the phone is fast. The result is that you won’t feel like the phone is an underperformer in any sense. But if you’re the one to know those little differences, the Phone (3a) Pro loses an edge to Snapdragon 8-series-powered phones in the market.
The NothingOS 2.5, based on Android 15, remains bloat-free and fluid, something that Nothing has consistently done well. I personally loved the UI, the level of customizations it offers, and the freedom to play around with the widgets, wallpapers, and whatnot. In fact, 5 days into using the phone, I was still keen to explore the various settings the phone offered. The Glyph customizations and camera presets took a good part of the day.
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Now, let’s come down to what’s new in this phone—the Essential Key, which is a new AI-powered addition. Having used it briefly, its functionalities feel limited at this stage. It works as a shortcut key for quick access to notes or apps, but there’s room for refinement. In fact, this is something Nothing founder and CEO Carl Pei acknowledges and has a vision to transform this into something big. It’d actually be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Coming to the Glyph customization, which remains a unique selling point, its practical use cases are still limited beyond notifications and charging progress. However, Nothing has been consistent in rolling out software updates, so improvements may arrive over time. Even at this stage, the level of customizations it offers is quite impressive. With each setting, you’d go like “oh, this is useful” and “this one is clever.”
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Cameras
The biggest talking point of the Phone (3a) Pro is its 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. This is rare in sub-₹30,000 phones, giving it an edge over competitors that rely on digital zoom.
In daylight conditions, the main camera produces sharp, detailed images with excellent dynamic range. The 3x optical zoom is a major highlight, delivering clear and crisp shots that outperform typical mid-range zoom capabilities. However, low-light performance is where the camera starts to struggle. Despite OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), noise creeps in, and shots lose detail. The ultra-wide lens is average at best, lacking the clarity of the main and zoom lenses.
The 50MP front camera does a good job for selfies and video calls. Overall, the camera system is a solid performer, especially if zoom photography is a priority.
Take a look at some of the camera samples:
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Battery & charging
Nothing packs a 5,000mAh battery, and it delivers exceptional performance. With moderate use, you can expect two full days on a single charge. Even for heavy users, it comfortably lasts a day and a half. Now, this is where I can sort of settle for that big size of the phone.
Charging is decently fast, thanks to 50W wired charging, but wireless charging is absent, which feels like a missed opportunity. A full charge takes just over an hour, but shorter top-ups can be done within minutes. Oh, Nothing doesn’t give a 50W brick in the box, so that’s another expenditure you must consider, which is about Rs 2,500 for a 45W PD. And that brilliantly designed cable with translucent caps for the USB Type-C ports is also gone in this phone. Alas!
Verdict: Should you buy Nothing Phone (3a) Pro?
At ₹29,999, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is a strong contender in the mid-range segment. Its transparent design, periscope zoom camera, and bloat-free software make it an attractive choice.
The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro excels in design, software experience, and zoom photography, but lacks the raw power of some competitors. It’s a bold, stylish choice for those who prioritize aesthetics and camera versatility over absolute performance. This shouldn’t matter to anyone who doesn’t spend time gaming extensively daily, considering it can still run graphics-intense games pretty well.
The pricing advantage is surely there, but the fact that Nothing Phone (3a) Pro doesn’t come with a PD, which is an added expense unless you don’t already own a compatible adapter. Plus, it’s a new company that lacks an ecosystem, so don’t expect the level of multi-platform ease of use that Apple and Samsung currently offer. All in all, Nothing Phone (3a) Pro does a lot of things right, overshadowing some of its shortcomings.
