Nothing Phone 3a vs. Phone 2a: Setting the standard again

As a smartphone startup in the 2020s, Nothing is trying to do the impossible by shaking up a huge established market, and it's starting with the midrange sector. Nothing's Phone 2a set the standard for what a midrange phone should be, and now the company is improving on that standard with the latest Nothing Phone 3a. It's only slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but offers a more complete package.

Neither phone is fully equipped for use in the U.S., as carrier support is limited and they are only sold via the Nothing Beta Program. However, both devices are ideal for regions like Europe and India. Starting at £329 or ₹24,999, the Nothing Phone 3a offers an excellent value proposition. But how does it compare to the Nothing Phone 2a? That's what we're going to find out in this comparison.

Nothing Phone 3a vs. Nothing Phone 2a: Design and display

Both the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 2a have a striking design, and they look quite similar. The two smartphones have a "camera island" with rear sensors positioned in the top center of their back. Of course, the Phone 3a's bigger lenses and triple camera system make that camera island look gigantic compared to that of the dual-camera Phone 2a.

The newer model is slightly larger than its predecessor, with the Phone 3a packing a 6.77-inch screen and the Phone 2a featuring a 6.7-inch display. They use similar display technologies, with support for 120Hz refresh rates and an OLED panel. However, the Phone 3a has an LTPO screen, which will result in smoother animations. Both phones support HDR10+ and have a peak brightness rating of 1,300 nits.

The bigger and better theme of the Phone 3a makes it physically larger than the Phone 2a. It measures 163.52 x 77.5 x 8.35mm and weighs 201 grams, whereas the Phone 2a measures 161.7 x 76.3 x 8.6mm and weighs 190 grams. Like most 6.7-inch phones, the Phone 3a's size can feel like a burden at times, and you'll feel the weight. Overall, it's pretty similar to the Phone 2a in that regard.

Nothing also improved the durability of the Phone 3a, supporting IP64 for dust and water resistance. Oddly, the company switched from Gorilla Glass this year, using Panda Glass on the Phone 3a. The important part is that Panda Glass is hardened, so it ideally won't crack easily, but some reports indicate Panda is easier to scratch than Gorilla.

By comparison, the Nothing Phone 2a features an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, and Gorilla Glass 5.

Nothing Phone 3a vs. Nothing Phone 2a: Performance and specs

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Nothing made a big deal out of its switch from MediaTek to Qualcomm for its budget phones this year. The Nothing Phone 3a uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a budget chip recently optimized to improve AI performance. However, in benchmarks and real-world tests, we found that the Phone 3a is worse than the Phone 2a in gaming and graphics performance.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset in the Nothing Phone 2a seems to perform better in graphics tasks, while falling to the Phone 3a in CPU-based tasks. In our review, our own Nicholas Sutrich found that there was a 30-40% drop in benchmark FPS on the Phone 3a compared to the Phone 2a. This was reflected in real-world tests, too, even affecting relatively light games like Minecraft.

With that being said, both phones performed great in daily use. They can each be configured with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, but some configurations are only available in certain regions. In terms of battery, both phones have a 5,000mAh capacity. The Nothing Phone 3a charges slightly faster, with 50W support compared to the Phone 2a's 45W support.

With the Phone 3a, Nothing is promising three full OS upgrades and six total years of security patches. It's starting with Nothing OS 3.1, which is based on Android 15 and includes all the latest AI features from Nothing, including the Essential Space. Although the Phone 2a got the Nothing OS 3 update, it won't get all the new AI features. Its last platform update will be Android 17, so it still has plenty of support left.

Nothing Phone 3a vs. Nothing Phone 2a: Cameras

For the first time, Nothing is offering a telephoto lens on the Nothing Phone 3a. For the regular Phone 3a, the 50MP f/2.0 Samsung telephoto camera only does 2x optical zoom, but it's better than nothing. The main camera is a 50MP f/1.88 Samsung sensor with a 1/1.57-inch sensor size, and it includes optical image stabilization. The third camera is an 8MP, f/2.2 Sony ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view.

Even without support for a high level of optical zoom, the telephoto lens in the Nothing Phone 3a helps it produce better zoom shots than its predecessor, as you can see in the image samples below.

The Nothing Phone 2a has a 50MP, f/1.9 Samsung GN9 main sensor that's very similar to the one on the Phone 3a. Notably, it still supports OIS and 4K30 video recording. That's paired with a 50MP, f/2.2 Samsung JN1 wide-angle lens with an 84.5-degree field of view.

On the front, both phones feature 32MP, f/2.2 cameras — more than good enough to snap all the selfies you need.

Nothing Phone 3a vs. Nothing Phone 2a: Which should you buy?

If you're in the market for a budget Android phone, the Nothing Phone 3a makes a compelling case. It's better than the cheapest Samsung Galaxy A series phones, and it's cheaper than the OnePlus 13R and the Google Pixel 8a — and the rumored Pixel 9a, for that matter. Due to the Nothing Phone 2a's limited availability, you won't find much of a discount on last-generation hardware. That's why the Phone 3a is our pick if you had to choose between it and the Phone 2a.

With that being said, the Phone 2a is still a worthy pick for a daily driver in 2025. The Phone 2a is still fast and runs the latest OS — it's even faster than the Phone 3a in graphics performance. For the Nothing Phone 2a owners out there, an upgrade to the Phone 3a isn't necessary.