Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: You are not a "Pro" just because your name says so
Intro
Nothing will be announcing its new pair of mid-range phones on March 4, and the pricier of the two will be the Phone (3a) Pro. Judging by the reports, it seems to be a direct successor to last year's Phone (2a) Plus, and it is expected to have a similar price of around $400.
On the other hand, we have something like Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE, the company's latest fan edition that offers a lot of what you would expect from a flagship, but at a lower price. Still, at $650, it is $250 more expensive than the 3a Pro, so if Nothing's latest mid-ranger is good enough you might be able to save quite a bit by opting for it.
We will take a look at all of the differences and similarities these two phones will have, and yes, there are some similarities despite their huge price difference.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs Galaxy S24 FE expected differences:
| Nothing Phone (3a) Pro* | Galaxy S24 FE |
|---|---|
| Similarly sized at 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm and 211 g | Comes in at 162 x 77.3 x 8 mm and 213 g |
| The screen is slightly larger (6.77 inches, possibly marketed as 6.8 inches) | Slightly smalle screen at 6.7 inches |
| Higher peak brightness at 3000 nits (at least on paper) | 1900 nits display peak brightness |
| FHD+ resolution and around 387 PPI pixel density | FHD+ resolution with slightly lower 385 PPI since it is a smaller display |
| Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset (4nm) | Exynos 2400e (4 nm) flagship-level chipset from Samsung |
| 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage | Comes in two variants - 8/128 GB and 8/256 GB (some regions have 12/256 GB) |
| 50 MP main camera with an f/1.9, PDAF, OIS | Same 50 MP camera as on the Galaxy S24 |
| 50 MP telephoto with 3x zoom | 8 MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom |
| 8 MP ultrawide camera | 12 MP ultrawide camera |
| 5000 mAh battery | 4700 mAh battery |
| 50W wired charging, 50% in 19 min, 100% in 56 min (rumored charging times) | The same 25W charging with 47% in 30 min, 100% in 1h 21 min charging times |
| No wireless charging | 15W wireless charging |
| $400 | $649 starting price |
Table of Contents:
Design and Size
Unique and fascinating, but not as durable
It's indisputable that Nothing's phones stand out from the rest of the pack with their transparent back panels. It is definitely a device that will catch more attention than the S24 FE's understated and mass aesthetic.
What's more, the Phone (3a) Pro is even said to come with the iconic Glyph LEDs system, which we last saw on the flagship Nothing Phone (2a). The leaks show something more diluted though, with less LEDs so not as much customization options. Still, it's nice to see this OG feature come to the company's mid-range phones.
For all its cool factor, however, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro probably won't be as durable as the S24 FE. We don't know much about the materials that will be used for the build, but rumors say that it will have an IP64 dust and water resistance certification. That's better than the IP54 rating of its predecessor, and it means that the phone is fully protected from dust, but it is still not as good as the IP68 rating for the S24 FE.
It's debatable who thought of this first, but the fact of the matter is that Nothing struck gold with the design of the first Nothing Phone. The transparent back and the exposed ribbon cable and wireless charging coil gave that phone the distinct look needed in a smartphone world where phones look almost the same from every angle.
The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus and the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro both follow the same design language with slight differences.
The cameras inside the Nothing Phone (3a) are placed differently and accentuated by black circles, and the whole camera system is placed inside a visible circle (from the leaked images we've seen so far). The placement of the ribbon cables is also different, but all in all, the design language is the same.
The cameras inside the Nothing Phone (3a) are placed differently and accentuated by black circles, and the whole camera system is placed inside a visible circle (from the leaked images we've seen so far). The placement of the ribbon cables is also different, but all in all, the design language is the same.
We still don't know if the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro will sport a glass or a plastic back, but chances are it's going to be plastic, just like the one on the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, to lower the cost.
Both phones are pretty hefty and not really compact at all. For the most part, we expect them to have very similar dimensions.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro rumored dimensions and weight:
163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm, 211 grams
Galaxy S24 FE dimensions and weight:
162 x 77.3 x 8 mm, 213 grams
The color situation is a bit monochromatic at the moment, but to be fair, this is kind of mandated by the transparent back. We have gray and black on the back, and these are sort of plastic covers of the internals.
Both phones are pretty hefty and not really compact at all. For the most part, we expect them to have very similar dimensions.
Nothing Phone (3a) Pro rumored dimensions and weight:
163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm, 211 grams
Galaxy S24 FE dimensions and weight:
162 x 77.3 x 8 mm, 213 grams
The color situation is a bit monochromatic at the moment, but to be fair, this is kind of mandated by the transparent back. We have gray and black on the back, and these are sort of plastic covers of the internals.
Display Differences
Reports are stating that the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro will boast 3000 nits of peak brightness, although those tend to be over exaggerated numbers. Still, it gives an indication of what we can expect from the display, and it's a lot more than the 1900 nits of peak brightness of the S24 FE.
Size-wize, the two screens are similar, with the Nothing Phone rumored to have a 6.8" one vs the 6.7" of the FE. Where there might be a noticeable difference is in the durability of the glass. Samsung uses Gorilla Glass Victus+, which Nothing probably can't afford to put in a such a budget device.
Performance and Software
With the higher price comes better performance
Don't let that "Pro" in the name mislead you. There won't be a flagship-level chipset powering the Phone (3a) Pro like the Exynos 2400e inside the S24 FE. Instead, you will likely get a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.
So, in other words, we expect the Fan Edition to be the more powerful phone, offering a smoother experience and better support for gaming and AI features. Of course, it is worth noting that the S24 FE costs $250 more than the $400 price tag we expect the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro to come with.
When it comes to RAM and storage, the 3a Pro is said to come with only one option: 12/256 GB. That is also an option for the Galaxy S24 FE in some regions, but in the US you can get it either in 8/128 or 8/256 GB variants.
Camera
It's the battle of budget triple cameras
This time around Nothing is said to have added a 3x telephoto camera to its more expensive mid-ranger. It is a 50 MP telephoto camera with a periscope lens, to be exact, which will be challenging the S24 FE's 8 MP 3x telephoto camera. There's a big difference in resolution between the two, big enough to make a difference when we start comparing them. so we are eager to do so.
With the ultra-wide cameras things are the other way around, kind of... The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro comes with an 8 MP one vs the 12 MP ultra-wide on Samsung's latest Fan Edition. In this case, the difference in resolution is not that big, so it probably won't make much of a difference. Instead, it will be down to each manufacturers image processing software, and Samsung has had plenty of time to dial that in, whereas Nothing is still figuring it out.
For its main camera, the S24 FE is rocking the same 50 MP one that powers the S24 series, which does splendid job and is one of the best we've tested. On the other hand, the Phone (3a) Pro is said to have the same 50 MP camera as the Phone (2a) Plus, which was much less impressive during our camera tests in comparison.
If the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has any chance of challenging the S24 FE in the camera department, its only shot is with that new telephoto camera. Otherwise, we doubt it will match the performance of Samsung's premium mid-ranger.
Battery Life and Charging
The Galaxy only has wireless charging going for it
The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is said to have a 5000 mAh battery capacity, which the standard nowadays for most phones. That's a bit more than the 4700 mAh battery powerfing the S24 FE. If we were to take a wild guess about which one would have longer battery life, we'd say the 3a Pro has a better chance here, simply judging by its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus.
As far as charging is concerned, we expect the same 45W on the (3a) Pro, so it should also take less time to charger compared to the Galaxy and its 25W. That said, the S24 FE comes with 15W of wireless charging, which is something the Nothing Phone does not offer.
Specs Comparison
This is a quick look at the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs Nothing Phone (2a) Plus specs.
| Nothing Phone (3a) Pro* | Galaxy S24 FE |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm, 211 g | Size, weight 162 x 77.3 x 8 mm, 213 g |
| Screen 6.8" OLED 120Hz | Screen 6.7" OLED 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 4nm | Processor Exynos 2400e 4nm |
| Versions: 12/256 GB LPDDR5 | Versions: 8/128 GB 8/256 GB LPDDR5X |
| Cameras: 50 MP main 8 MP ultra-wide 50 MP 3x telephoto 32 MP front | Cameras: 50 MP main 12 MP ultra-wide 8 MP 3x telephoto 12 MP front |
| Battery: 5,000 mAh | Battery: 4,700 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 50W wired No wireless charging | Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless |
*rumored specs
Summary
Even at this preliminary stage, we can see a clear evolution in the upcoming Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. Is it enough to justify the "Pro" moniker? We don't think so, but companies are using these names quite lavishly, so we will give Nothing a pass on that. The phone seems to tick a lot of boxes—it has a big, bright OLED screen that can go up to a 120Hz refresh rate, a big battery and fast wired charging, a new Snapdragon chipset (which is still a midrange one), and a flexible triple camera system.
We don't know the exact price tag for the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, but we expect it to be around the same $399 zone as the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus. And for that kind of money, it's a real bargain. There's little to no reason to go for the older Nothing Phone (2a) Plus; it has very similar specs, except for the better ultrawide camera and the lack of a telephoto. We will update this comparison with all the test results and give you a final verdict soon.
We don't know the exact price tag for the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, but we expect it to be around the same $399 zone as the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus. And for that kind of money, it's a real bargain. There's little to no reason to go for the older Nothing Phone (2a) Plus; it has very similar specs, except for the better ultrawide camera and the lack of a telephoto. We will update this comparison with all the test results and give you a final verdict soon.
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