When we talk about smartphones that come with a distinctive look, I always think of the Nothing Phones.
They offer an eye-catching transparent design that also features a light-up back panel for added customization.
And today, what we have here for review is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. This device offers notable upgrades from last year’s Nothing Phone 2a Plus. That is why we are going to explore what kind of features it offers, and see if it’s worth the price. Let’s find out!
First, let’s talk about its design. The transparent look of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro showcases impressive creativity. It uses a glass back that has a soft finish, which is not prone to fingerprint smudges.
It also features a chunky, centered, rounded camera module that complements the overall look of the device. Another highlight of the back panel is the LED Glyph Interface placed around the camera module.
In terms of dimensions, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is quite heavy, weighing 211g, heavier than its predecessor.
It has a thickness of 8.35mm and offers an IP64 rating. Around its frame, you’ll find the power and essential keys on the right side, the volume rockers on the left, a microphone on top, and the SIM tray, USB-C port, and speaker grille at the bottom.
Design-wise, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro offers a unique look along with a premium feel.
Although it’s not as durable as other devices on the market that offer an IP69 rating, it’s still a huge upgrade from its predecessor.
Flipping over the device, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro boasts a 6.77″ FHD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2392. It supports HDR10+, and navigating its display feels smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate.
Outdoor use is also not going to be a problem for this device, as it comes with a peak brightness of 3000 nits.
As for the quality of the display, it offers great color saturation and decent viewing angles. Although it has slightly larger bezels, they never bothered our overall viewing experience.
When it comes to the camera department, it usually doesn’t change much compared to its predecessor. However, that’s not the case for this device.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro sports a triple-camera system composed of a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP OIS telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The punch-hole on the front houses a 50MP selfie camera.
Its rear cameras capture images with a wide dynamic range. They offer good detail and sharpness, and color saturation is decent. However, outputs sometimes tend to show deep blacks and strong shadows.
Rear Camera Sample Shots
For low-light photography, it produces sharp and detailed images as long as there’s a decent light source. However, light flares are visible in most photos, especially around lamp posts. The good thing is that there’s very little noise and softness in the image.
Low Light Sample Shots
As for selfies, it captures images with a cooler tone while still delivering true-to-life skin tones. There’s a good amount of detail and sharpness, so facial features are clearly visible.
Selfie Camera Sample Shots
When it comes to video recording, both the rear and front cameras can shoot up to 4K at 30FPS.
Now, let’s talk about performance. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is powered by the 4nm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Its RAM is expandable by another 8GB via RAM Booster. Out of the box, it runs on Android 15, layered with Nothing OS 3.1. I think Nothing OS is one of the cleanest Android skins out there.
It doesn’t come with any pre-installed apps, and the UI’s monochromatic theme looks great. As for the Glyph Interface functions, you’ll find them in the settings, and they now offer wider compatibility.
Multitasking on this device is also not a problem, whether for productivity or entertainment. It remains fast and responsive, even with multiple apps running in the background. We also tried playing Genshin on this device, and it ran great. There were some stutters and frame drops, but they were barely noticeable.
Here are some of its benchmark results.
Benchmark Results
Now, for the battery. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is backed by a 5000mAh battery paired with 50W fast charging. During our video loop test, it lasted about 13 hours and 23 minutes.
As for charging, our test showed slightly slower performance than the advertised speed. From 0 to 100%, it took us around 1 hour and 10 minutes using a 50W charger.
Lastly, the price. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is priced at PHP27,990 for the 12GB+256GB configuration.
Overall, the Phone (3a) Pro delivers solid upgrades over its predecessor. It also looks more premium and has a more durable build quality.
However, considering its price, they could have opted for a bigger battery or even a higher durability rating. Despite that, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pr offers a good balance of innovation and performance.
So, that is our review of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. What are your thoughts about this device? Is its creative design enough to justify the price? Let us know in the comments below.
If you want to have a better look on Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, you might want to check out our review video on our YouTube Channel!
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