Nothing unveils Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro at MWC

Khaleej Times

11-03-2025

Nothing recently introduced the Phone (3a) Series in Mobile World Congress (MWC), elevating its mid-range lineup with advanced features. Building on the acclaimed Phone (2a), it boasts an advanced triple-camera system with optical zoom, a powerful Snapdragon® processor, a brighter, more responsive display, and Nothing OS innovations like Essential Space— all wrapped in two uniquely refined designs.
Design
Both the Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro feature a more sophisticated look and feel, with upgraded glass back panels, enhanced symmetry in the internal structure, and refined visual details and elements throughout the finish. The design celebrates each new camera system through Nothing's trademark exposed aesthetic and cutting-edge engineering, while meticulously optimising the integration of advanced hardware. The Phone (3a) Series also upgrades its durability to an IP64 rating and achieves Nothing's lowest carbon footprint on a smartphone to date, with 51.3kg of CO2e.
Camera
The Nothing Phone (3a) Series introduces Nothing's most advanced camera system to date, featuring an upgraded 50MP main sensor and a Sony ultra-wide sensor, along with optical zoom for the first time. All powered by TrueLens Engine 3.0 combining advanced computational algorithms, AI processing, and multi-frame technology to deliver professional-grade, true-to-life photography.
Phone (3a) telephoto camera
Ready to pull you closer to your subject, Phone (3a)'s telephoto camera features a powerful 50MP sensor combined with a fast f/2.0 aperture for detailed shots at its 50mm equivalent focal length. The 2x optical reach lays the foundation for a quality zoom, while the high resolution enables up to 4x lossless in-sensor zoom. When you need to zoom in even further, the Phone (3a) harnesses AI clarity-enhancing algorithms for 30x ultra zoom.
Phone (3a) Pro periscope camera
Flagship telephoto zoom meets ultimate versatility with Phone (3a) Pro's powerful periscope zoom. A total upgrade in hardware, it combines a large 1/1.95-inch Sony LYTIA 600 sensor with a 70mm equivalent focal length and a fast f/2.55 aperture. All this translates to excellent zoom and much more. With optical image stabilisation, Phone (3a) Pro's periscope camera can capture quality photos across lighting conditions, whether indoors or at night, while the optical 3x zoom is a photographer-favourite, portrait-perfect focal length. The high-resolution 50MP sensor delivers lossless in-sensor zooming at up to 6x and when boosted with AI clarity-enhancing algorithms, it unlocks 60x ultra zoom. Where Phone (3a) Pro surpasses even flagship smartphones is its telemacro capture. Able to focus as close as 15cm from a subject, it breaks through periscope limitations that hold back flagship phones.
Main camera
The Phone (3a) features a 50MP main sensor co-engineered with Samsung, integrating on-sensor deep learning processing software algorithms trained on millions of photography scenarios to enhance image clarity, reduce noise, and provide true-to-life accuracy.
The Phone (3a) Pro's 50MP main sensor further elevates the experience with advanced sensor technologies, offering 43 per cent faster auto-focus and double the pixel full well capacity, allowing for more detail in harsh lighting conditions. Zooming out, the Phone (3a) Series' ultra-wide camera boasts a 120o field of view, enabling you to capture more in each frame, while the upgraded Sony sensor enhances low-light performance.
Front camera
Finally, the Phone (3a) boasts a 32MP front camera, while the Phone (3a) Pro features an upgraded 50MP front camera capable of recording high-quality 4K videos with adaptive AI stabilisation and night video enhancement, improving brightness by +74.4% and reducing noise by 33.7 per cent.
Performance
The Snapdragon® 7s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, with breakthrough performance powering select Snapdragon experiences and turbo-charged by Nothing OS optimisations, is on hand to cut down on waiting and level up living. Phone (3a) Series also games faster, delivers more stable frame rates, and goes for longer, thanks to the powerful Snapdragon processor. Getting into some numbers, the CPU is up to 33% faster than Phone (2a), while the Qualcomm® AdrenoTM GPU delivers 11% better graphics. Plus, you get select Snapdragon Elite GamingTM features typically reserved for flagship devices.
Phone (3a) Series is 92% better at processing AI tasks than Phone (2a), making it more future-proofed for whatever AI developments are on the horizon. It also takes full advantage of Nothing OS and Essential Space, saving you time with things like on-device voice to text transcription. RAM Booster uses a combination of physical and virtual RAM to allow users to access up to 20GB, plus a larger 4,500 mm2 vapor chamber reduces temperature by 23 per cent vs. Phone (2a).
Battery and Charging
Phone (3a) Series also lasts longer. With the optimised Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 mobile platform using 8% less power for typical tasks, enjoy 30 minutes more power every day. Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro both have large 5000mAh batteries, delivering up to two days of use on a full charge. With upgraded fast charging now at 50W, Phone (3a) Series delivers a full day's power (50 per cent) in under 20 minutes.
Display
Balancing size and quality, Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro's displays are immersive and brilliant. At 6.77 inches, their flagship size means on-screen content has room to breathe.
Slightly taller and with less rounded corners than past Nothing phones, Phone (3a) Series' displays represent a maturity and confidence befitting of a second-generation device.
At Full HD+ resolution, visuals look crisp with 387 pixels in every inch of screen, and with a fluid 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The standard touch sampling rate is 480Hz, a 100% increase from Phone (2a), and 1000Hz touch sampling rate when in Gaming Mode, swiping through Phone (3a) Series is smooth, and responsive.
Fire up auto brightness and your Phone (3a) climbs up to 1300 nits all by itself, making it viewable under a scorching sun. But peak brightness now reaches 3000 nits, a 131% increase from Phone (2a).
Nothing OS
Nothing OS 3.1 is a fast, smooth foundation tuned for stability, utility and customisation, built with Android 15 at its core - there have also been updates to the Nothing Gallery, Camera and Weather apps. Phone (3a) Series peels back a new level of personalisation. Dial distraction back with a monochromatic theme, hide app labels to clean up your home screen, customise the lock screen and quick settings so everything you need is at your fingertips, and you can even shake up your apps. Phone (3a) Pro also supports eSIM (excluding India).
Phone (3a) Series will get updates for 6 years starting from when the device first became available on nothing.tech. This includes three years of Android updates and six years of security updates in addition to corrective and functionality updates.
Essential Space (early access)
Essential Space is a new, AI-powered hub for notes, ideas, and inspirations. Taking the friction out of logging and recalling content, it can capture, process and remember - just like a second memory.
To make sure Essential Space is always a click away, Nothing created the Essential Key. Easy for a thumb to find and press, it's on the right side of Phone (3a) Series. Press the Essential Key to capture and send content to Essential Space, long-press to record a voice note, and double-tap to head straight to all your saved content. Nothing is made better by its community, and so too is Essential Space. That's why Essential Space Early Access will be available to all customers who purchase a Phone (3a) or Phone (3a) Pro. Early Access will open the doors to the full Essential Space experience, including upcoming features set for launch in the coming months such as Camera Capture, Smart Collections, Focused Search and Flip to Record.
Availability:
Phone (3a) will be available in Black, White, and Blue
8+128GB
12+256GB
Phone (3a) Pro will be available in Grey and Black
12+256GB
Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro will launch in GCC with leading retailers — Jarir, Amazon, Noon, Sharaf DG, Lulu, Xcite, Jumbo, Virgin, EROS on March 20, 2025.