Nothing Phone 3a vs Phone 3a Pro: Standard wins over Pro this time

So, here’s the thing—2025 isn’t exactly the year for “Pro” models, at least not when it comes to the Nothing Phone lineup. That’s right, we’re talking about the Nothing Phone 3a and its slightly more expensive sibling, the Phone 3a Pro. And trust me, the differences might not be worth the Rs 5000 bump. Wait, wait, I have my reasons for saying that.

To break it down, there are only two major differences between these two phones: one, the Pro model gets a periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and OIS; and two, a better 50-megapixel selfie camera (compared to 32-megapixel on the regular 3a). So which one offers a better deal? Let’s find out in this in-depth comparison between the Nothing Phone 3a and the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.

The Major Difference – Camera

Alright, let’s start with the camera because that’s the place where the Pro really tries to flex. It features a 50-megapixel periscope lens compared to the 50-megapixel telephoto lens on the standard variant. In zoomed shots, the Phone 3a Pro clearly holds its ground—it captures sharper details and the OIS really helps with stability. On the other hand, the standard Phone 3a struggles a bit while zooming. Its lack of OIS becomes pretty noticeable, especially when your hands aren’t steady.

Coming to portraits, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro has an edge as it captures slightly more detail and dynamic range. Sometimes, the regular 3a washes out colours a bit. But honestly, that’s something that most users won’t even notice.

Main camera performance is where things flip. The regular 3a brings more AI-based enhancements and punches up the colours. The Pro sticks to a more natural tone. It really depends on your preference, whether you like vibrant photos or more natural-toned ones.

In low-light conditions, both phones perform well at 1x. But the Pro, again, takes the lead when zooming into darker scenes. And yes, selfies are better on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro with more detail and a natural skin tone.

That said, here’s the truth. Unless you zoom a lot or are obsessed with selfies, the regular Phone 3a camera is more than enough.

Nothing and its DESIGNS!

On the design front, both phones still carry that iconic transparent back with Glyph lights. But the Pro version has amped that up a notch. Oh, that camera module looks wild. It looks somewhat like a satellite camera stuck on a smartphone. I love it. The standard 3a sticks to a cleaner, more familiar look with a new glass back this time.

But the Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels heavier and the camera bump messes a bit with weight distribution. Also, both phones come with Panda Glass on the front and an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance. 

Display and UI: Same Vibes

When it comes to display and software, things are exactly the same. Both phones come with  gorgeous AMOLED displays, 120Hz refresh rate, and punchy visuals. When we tested both the displays in our test centre, the difference in colour accuracy was negligible (delta E 1.4 vs 1.5). Not something you’ll notice without a microscope.

And then there’s the UI, Nothing OS. Clean, minimal, smooth, and just fun to use. It’s the same on both devices, so no complaints here.

Performance and Battery

Surprisingly, both the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are powered by Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Benchmark scores are nearly identical, and the thermal performance is solid. I didn’t notice any overheating or throttling issues.

However, battery life is one area where the standard Phone 3a wins! It gave us 12 hours and 2 minutes in mixed-use testing, while the Nothing Phone 3a Pro lagged behind with 11 hours and 17 minutes. The charging speeds, however, are the same on both phones. They juice up from 0-100% in just  60 minutes.

Is Phone 3a Pro only there to make Phone 3a look better?

Now, here’s the deal. The Phone 3a Pro is a cool phone, no doubt. That zoom lens, better selfies, and bold design give it a distinct vibe. But is it worth ₹5000 more? For most people, probably not. The regular Phone 3a hits that sweet spot of performance, design, and value.

So if you have the budget, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is also not a bad phone. But if you are on a budget, and do not like the loud camera bump on the Phone 3a Pro, the standard Phone 3a seems like a better option.