MWC 2025: Nothing Phone (3a), Phone (3a) Pro first impressions

The Nothing Phone (3a) and the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro launched globally and in India amidst the chaos of MWC 2025. We recently got our hands on them at an exclusive Nothing event, and immediately noticed that the phones fit the carefully-curated ‘Nothing’ mould.  

In essence, they feel like a natural evolution of last year’s Nothing Phone (2a) series. On offer are an improved camera array, a brighter display, and smarter software, all while keeping the price competitive.  

Speaking of which, prices for the Nothing Phone (3a) starts at Rs 24,999, while the Pro variant will be available from Rs 29,999. The phones don’t reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but they do refine it. Let’s delve deeper. 

Design: Glass back, familiar style

Nothing has retained its signature transparent back but has swapped last year’s plastic for hardened glass, making the phones feel more premium. Both models now come with an IP64 rating, meaning they can handle dust and light water splashes (but don’t dunk them in water).  

A notable addition is the Essential Key, which acts as a shortcut to Essential Space, an AI-powered organiser. A quick press takes a screenshot, a long-press records a voice memo, and a double-tap opens Essential Space for managing saved content. 

The Glyph Interface is back with its customisable LED lights, useful for notifications, ringtones, and even as a camera fill light. While not drastically changed, it remains one of Nothing’s most recognisable features. 

If you liked Nothing’s previous designs, you’ll feel right at home. The Pro model has a larger camera bump due to its periscope zoom lens though, and the look can get be a tad polarising. Hate it or love it, you won’t be able to look away from it. The design definitely grabs eyeballs. 

Display: Brighter and better for outdoor use

The 6.77-inch AMOLED screen on both phones is big, smooth, and vibrant with a 120Hz refresh rate, making everything feel snappy. The real upgrade is the brightness levels, with a peak of 3,000 nits. You can actually use these phones under direct sunlight without squinting.  

Whether you’re watching videos, scrolling social media, or gaming, the display should definitely be an improvement over last year. We’ll test it out thoroughly in our review to tell you how much of an improvement it is. 

Cameras: Where the Pro stands out

Both models share a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide lens, but the big difference is in zooming and selfies. The Nothing Phone (3a) has a 2x telephoto lens, while the (3a) Pro gets a more advanced 3x periscope zoom, which should help with clearer, more detailed shots from a distance. The Pro model also gets a 50MP selfie camera, compared to the 32MP shooter on the regular Phone (3a).  

ALSO READ: Nothing OS 3.0: When will the update release?

If you take a lot of selfies or like zooming in without losing quality, the (3a) Pro is the better pick. Otherwise, the standard (3a) will be enough for most people. 

Performance, battery: Incremental updates

The Nothing Phone (3a) series swaps the MediaTek Dimensity chipset for a Qualcomm one this time around. The phones are powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, which is a popular mid-range workhorse with impressive performance.  

Stay tuned for our full review to know exactly how it performs in these phones, but the Qualcomm chip (in theory) should provide significantly better AI performance thanks to its superior NPU. You also get up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage.  

Battery life remains largely unchanged at 5,000mAh, and the charging speeds also remain the same at 50W.  

Nothing Phone (3a), Phone (3a) Pro: First impressions

While we will reserve our full judgement for the review, our initial impressions of the Phone (3a) series are pretty good. With better materials, a brighter display, improved cameras, and smarter AI features, it feels like a solid step up from the Phone (2a).  

For everyday users, the Nothing Phone (3a) delivers great value, while the (3a) Pro is for those who want better zoom and selfies. Either way, these phones seem like serious contenders in the mid-range market this year.