Nothing Phone (3a) Pro preview: they Pro now?
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Intro
Nothing has already teased about an upcoming release this Mach 4th — the (3a) "series". What do you mean series? Well, thanks to leaks, we can further fill in the gaps — this year, there will be a Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro. Both midrangers, as Nothing is still not quite ready to release that elusive Nothing Phone (3) flagship.
So, what gives and, more importantly, what's Pro about the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. Naturally, the company has not yet spilled the beans, but it does love teasing us with small details and pictures from time to time.
Here's what we know and what we expect about the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro thus far.
Table of Contents:
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Specs
Something special?
Here's what we know about the Nothing Phone (3a) specs thus far:
| Nothing Phone (3a) Pro | Nothing Phone (2a) Plus |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight 6.44 x 3.05 x 0.33 inches (163.52 x 77.5 x 8.39 mm) 211 g | Size and Weight 6.37 x 3.00 x 0.33 inches (161.7 x 76.3 x 8.5 mm) 190 g |
| Display 6.8-inch OLED 1080p 120 Hz | Display 6.7-inch 1080p 120 Hz |
| Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen3 2.5 GHz, 4 nm | Processor MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 2.8 GHz, 4 nm |
| Software Nothing OS 3 Android 15 | Software Nothing OS 3 Android 15 (updated to) |
| Cameras 50 MP main 50 MP 3x telephoto 8 MP ultra-wide 32 MP selfie | Cameras 50 MP main 50 MP ultra-wide 50 MP selfie |
| Battery Size 5,000 mAh | Battery Size 5,000 mAh |
| Charging Speeds 45 W wired | Charging Speeds 45 W wired |
| Prices ~$400* | Prices $399 |
These are preliminary specs based on leaks, teases, and speculation. The final information will be available when Nothing officially announces the Phone (3a) series.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Design and Display
Funky back!
Nothing's signature design includes a transparent back with a stylized tech look underneath, and a set of LED strips in the shape of the Glyph interface. It glows and blinks and breathes in different patterns, depending on what the phone is doing. Like waiting for an Uber, playing music, working with a Pomodoro timer, or charging — this can all be reflected by the Glyph LEDs.
We expect the same with the Phone (3a) Pro, with three LED strips. Far less than the complex Glyph of the flagship Phone (2), but still enough to get the point across. Also, thanks to Nothing's tease posts, we know that the camera module will be a huge circle, with funky-looking lens arrangement.
Phone (3a) Series.
Where technical intricacy meets purity. The essence of Nothing. pic.twitter.com/02UEwkgROl
— Nothing (@nothing) February 24, 2025
Also, the phone seems to pack at least one extra button on its side. It's unclear what exactly it is — could be a camera shortcut button, an action key, a virtual assistant caller, or a quick mute toggle.
Nothing on colors yet, but if history teaches us, we will get the Phone (3a) Pro in Black and White with the possibility for limited edition colors down the line.
In the box, Nothing typically packs the phone and a charging cable.
The screen is expected to be OLED tech with a 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. Of course, peak doesn't mean much — we'll have to wait and test fullscreen brightness!
Nothing Phones historically have an optical under-screen fingerprint scanner and that's what we expect here as well.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Camera
That's a staggered upgrade, ha-ha get it?
No doubt that camera centerpiece on the back will get some heads to turn. The arrangement of lenses is weird, quirky, and definitely oozing some character. What are the cameras, though?
Early reports say 50 MP main, 50 MP zoom camera at 3x, 8 MP ultra-wide, and 32 MP on the front.
Early reports say 50 MP main, 50 MP zoom camera at 3x, 8 MP ultra-wide, and 32 MP on the front.
Interestingly enough, midrangers typically just slap an ultra-wide camera and call it a day. Nothing, conversely, puts much less emphasis on the ultra-wide camera and will be giving us (reportedly) a 50 MP 3x zoom camera. That should be great for portraits!
More to come as official info becomes available.
More to come as official info becomes available.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Performance & Benchmarks
Switching to Snapdragon
Last year's Phone (2a) series had a MediaTek Dimensity inside — a 7300 Pro, that was worked on by both companies in partnership. Which is a bit surprising to see reports saying it will shift to a Snapdragon this year. Supposedly, the Phone (3a) Pro will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor inside.
It's a cut-down version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, made to power mid-range gaming phones. So, we presume it will work pretty great inside the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, which aims to be an everyday all-rounder. The chip is built on an older 4 nm process and still hangs on well in benchmarks, though it only achieves 30% of the top score of the Snapdragon 8 Elite in Geekbench. But hey, different classes.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Software
We'll be getting an update of Nothing OS 3 here, on top of Android 15. We fully expect camera app improvements, possibly new widgets, and some form of AI update. Now, Nothing doesn't throw all its eggs in the AI basket, though the company has shown the desire to put resources into specific small features that actually matter. Like the News Reporter widget that aggregates news for you and reads them out aloud.
The Nothing Phone (2a) came with a promise of 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security updates. We'll see if that changes with the (3a) series.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro Battery
5,000 mAh standard?
We also assume no changes in charging speeds, so that'd be 45 W wired and no wireless charging.
Should you buy it?
The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro seems... interesting, to say the least. A very confident move by Nothing to release two Phone (3a) models without refreshing its flagship line (the Phone (2) will be 2 years old in July). While it's early to say whether the Phone (3a) Pro has the juice, it definitely has the tech community's ears perked. Stay tuned for next week's reveal and we'll have more for you!
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