Latest news with #3aPro
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Business Standard
30-04-2025
- Business Standard
NothingOS update for Phone 3a and enhanced Essential Space now rolling out
Nothing has started rolling out a new OS update for its Phone 3a and 3a Pro smartphones, bringing a mix of new features and camera improvements. Alongside the OS update, Nothing has also released a separate upgrade for its AI-driven Essential Space hub. Here's what is new: Update for Nothing Phone 3a series: What is new Privacy Space: The highlight of the update is a new feature called Privacy Space, which creates a secure section within the app drawer where users can store apps and data separately. This space is accessible by swiping right in the app drawer and supports its own password for added security. Camera improvements: For the camera, the update adds support for 4K video recording at 30fps via the telephoto lens. On the Phone 3a Pro, the telephoto sensor activates at 3x zoom, while it kicks in at 2x zoom on the standard Phone 3a. The update also brings improvements to the overall image processing which the company said improves skin details and colour balance on selfies, improves brightness for low light shots from telephoto cameras, and more. Also Read Other improvements: The update brings the April 2025 security patch. It introduces a new Hotspot Manager to better control connected devices. It brings support for the newly launched CMF Buds 2. General bug fixes and UI enhancements. How to update to the latest Nothing OS version: Go to the Settings app on a Nothing Phone 3a series device. Scroll down and tap on 'System' settings. Within the System menu select 'System updates.' Check for new updates, and if available tap on 'Download and Install.' The process will start automatically. Essential Space update: What is new Nothing has also released a new update for its AI-powered 'Essential Space'. Introduced with the Nothing Phone 3a series, the AI hub uses the additional 'Essential Key' on the side of the smartphone to record, save and organise visual, text and audio notes. Additionally, this feature automatically sets up reminders and calendar events based on the saved content. The new update brings the following changes: A new 'Reminder detail' page that lets users edit times and contents of AI-created reminders. Faster response times and reduced lag. General performance and stability fixes. It should be noted that the Essential Space update is not a part of the Nothing OS update rolling out for Phone 3a series. Instead, it will update automatically when the smartphone has an active internet connection. The AI-powered Essential Space is currently available on the following Nothing devices: Nothing Phone 3a Pro Nothing Phone 3a CMF Phone 2 Pro About Nothing In related news, Nothing says it continues to be India's fastest-growing smartphone brand. The company said that the Counterpoint Research Q1 2025 India Smartphone Shipment report has named the British consumer technology brand as the fastest growing smartphone brand in India this quarter. As per the report, Nothing has recorded a 156 per cent year-on-year growth. The company also said that this is the fifth consecutive quarter where Nothing has maintained its position as the fastest growing brand in the country.
India Today
27-04-2025
- India Today
Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro launching tomorrow and here are 5 things we already know
After launching its mainstream smartphones -- Phone 3a and 3a Pro-- last month, Nothing is all set to unveil its next-gen budget phone in India. Nothing's CMF Phone 2 Pro is launching in India on April 28. The company has confirmed that the launch event will take place at 6.30PM. While the sale date is yet to be revealed, it is clear that the CMF Phone 2 Pro will be available on Flipkart first. Ahead of the launch, the company has also teased certain details around the phone, including its key hardware features. Let's look at what is coming with the CMF Phone 2 Pro. advertisementCMF Phone 2 Pro launch: 5 things we already knowDesign: Ahead of the launch, Nothing has revealed the CMF Phone 2 Pro's design in full glory. The upcoming phone looks a lot similar to its predecessor, the CMF Phone 1. But, there are a few notable upgrades. First, the Phone 2 Pro sports a triple camera system, an upgrade from the dual-camera setup on Phone 1. Since there is no elevated camera island, the third camera lens looks like a toggle button. Secondly, the Phone 2 Pro will feature a dual-tone back panel, giving it a look of Motorola Razr clamshell devices. (But it won't fold). The texture of both sides is also different, as shown in the teased images. So far, the company has teased two colour options, including orange and grey. Moreover, the company claims that the upcoming device "ultra-slim and ultra-light." advertisement Processor: The CMF Phone 2 Pro is set to feature MediaTek's Dimensity 7300 Pro processor. The company states that this new chipset will deliver enhanced performance compared to the one used in last year's CMF Phone 1, boasting "up to 10 per cent faster CPU speeds" and "up to 5 per cent improvement in graphics handling." Additionally, it will be equipped with a next-generation NPU, capable of carrying out "4.8 trillion operations per second."Camera system: The device will come equipped with three cameras on the rear: a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens providing 2x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens offering a 119.5-degree field of view. Essential Space: One of the standout features of the CMF Phone 2 Pro will be the introduction of the Essential Key — an additional side button positioned alongside the power button. This new button will activate a feature known as "Essential Space," which creates a dedicated area for storing frequently accessed content such as voice notes, screenshots, and photos. The system is also expected to incorporate AI-driven "Smart Collections," automatically organising files into categories based on their type, minimising the need for manual sorting. It remains uncertain whether the Essential Key will also provide instant camera access, as seen with the Nothing Phone 3a, although early teasers hint at some similarities in According to the company, the Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro will be the "segment's largest and brightest" display. Without giving away more specifics, it says that the upcoming phone will be a gaming hub. For gamers, the phone is expected to offer 120fps gameplay support for titles like BGMI and a fast 1000Hz touch response rate for smooth Phone 2 Pro: Price in India (leaked)According to tipster Yogesh Brar, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is expected to be priced around Rs 20,000, aligning with the pricing of its predecessor, the CMF Phone 1. This estimated figure likely applies to the base variant, featuring 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A higher-end version offering 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage is also anticipated, with a price slightly exceeding Rs 20, these figures are not yet official, they fit within Nothing's CMF strategy of catering to budget-minded consumers. Interestingly, Brar's original post on X (formerly Twitter) was removed shortly after it went live, leaving readers to draw their own context, the CMF brand launched its first phone at Rs 15,999. Now, given, that the upcoming model carries a "Pro" label, a modest price increase was expected — something this latest leak seems to confirm.
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Business Standard
21-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Nothing Phone 3 will launch in Q3 this year, confirms CEO: What to expect
While much of the Phone 3's specifications remain under wraps, Nothing has previously hinted that its next flagship will introduce AI-based "interactions" New Delhi British consumer technology brand Nothing has already launched two smartphones this year, the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro, and is on course to launch its third device this month under the CMF sub-brand—the CMF Phone 3 Pro. While details about the company's next flagship, the Nothing Phone 3, have been sparse, CEO Carl Pei has now shared its expected launch timeline. While responding to a user's question about the Phone 3 on X (formerly Twitter), Carl Pei confirmed that the smartphone is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year. While much of the Phone 3's specifications remain under wraps, Nothing has previously hinted that its next flagship will introduce AI-based 'interactions.' In a video released last year, Pei said the company had been designing and prototyping 'AI Interactions,' which would be 'gradually introduced, starting with Phone (3) next year.' Nothing Phone 3: What to expect The preview video revealed prototype features, including a 'hub'-like home screen designed to present 'contextual and relevant' information from different apps. For example, the operating system was shown automatically surfacing a flight boarding pass QR code directly onto the home screen. This 'dynamic and context-aware' home screen also included social media posts, reminders, and other content tailored to the user's interests. Another major reveal was a personalised AI 'Companion'—an AI voice assistant that users could customise during the onboarding process. The assistant asked questions to determine personality traits like 'thoughtful' or 'funny,' and then presented a voice assistant tailored to those preferences. Nothing is reportedly exploring ways to integrate this AI assistant into various parts of the OS, including the control centre, lock screen, and more. While Nothing has already launched some AI-driven features—such as Essential Space, which acts as a hub for notes, voice memos, screenshots, and automatically creates calendar events—none of these match the scope of features shown in the video. This suggests that Phone 3 could debut a completely new AI experience. The Nothing Phone 3 is also expected to compete with flagship devices from other brands with top-of-the-line specs. It is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with up to 12GB RAM and UFS 4.0 storage up to 512GB.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- The Guardian
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: funky mid-ranger with real zoom camera
London-based Nothing has brought one of the last things setting top-level phones apart from cheaper mid-range models down to a more affordable price: high-quality camera zoom. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Cameras have long been the battleground of the most expensive phones, each vying for better quality, longer reach and multiple lenses. While much of this costly progress has trickled down to cheaper models, optical zoom cameras are few and far between below the £600 mark. The £449 (€459/$459/A$849) Nothing 3a Pro sets itself apart with the company's trademark transparent, light-up design and a 50-megapixel 3x telephoto camera on the back that rivals phones costing twice as much. It builds on the excellent Phone 2a with a similar set of 'glyph' LED strips on the back that light up in complex patterns for notifications, calls, timers, charging, the volume and other fun things. The transparent glass back reveals an interesting design beneath, but the gigantic camera cluster is the standout element. It is huge and protrudes far enough for it to act like a grip for your finger on the back of the phone. The back and front of the 3a Pro are glass, while the sides are a high-quality plastic. The screen is a large and fast OLED, which looks really good and has fast optical fingerprint scanner under it towards the bottom. Screen: 6.77in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (387ppi) Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 RAM: 12GB Storage: 256GB Operating system: Nothing OS 3.1 (Android 15) Camera: 50MP main, 50MP 3x tele and 8MP ultrawide, 50MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and GNSS Water resistance: IP64 (spray resistant) Dimensions: 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4mm Weight: 211g The 3a Pro has Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, which can't rival the top chips for raw power but is fast enough to make the phone feel snappy and responsive. It can handle most games fine without getting hot and is about 25% faster than the Phone 2a. The battery life is great, lasting about three days between charges with general use, including more than seven hours spent actively using the screen. Gaming and using the camera dents the battery, but even so most should only need to charge it every other day. The 3a Pro runs Nothing's version of Android 15, which offers a relatively clutter-free, fast and unique experience filled with nice design touches based around dot-matrix art. There are plenty of customisation options to tailor the look and feel of the phone, including monochrome and distraction-free themes, but generally it is just a bit more fun than most version of Android. It has a few of Google's AI tools, including Gemini, and various image editing tools in Google Photos. But the big new addition is Nothing's Essential Space app, which acts like an AI-powered notebook capable of collecting and analysing various screenshots, text and voice notes. A dedicated button on the side of the phone captures what's on screen, while pressing and holding records a quick voice note to go with it. The app analyses the content to create summaries, transcriptions and possible actions, such as reminders or to-do lists. Opening the app shows the various things you've captured sorted into collections, such as a cross between Pinterest and a note-taking app such as Evernote. The app is a little basic at the moment and requires a connection to Nothing's servers to work, but the idea is sound and it currently works well as a way of keeping screenshots and other data out of your gallery. The AI summaries, like all AI tools, are a bit hit and miss, and your various captures are stuck on your phone, but it has far more potential than a lot of gimmicky AI features currently being touted by various parties. Unfortunately, you can't customise the side button to do something else, so if you don't like Essential Space it is rendered useless, unlike rivals such as Apple's action button. I also pressed it a lot, mistaking it for the power button, taking a fair number of accidental screenshots in the process. Nothing will support the 3a Pro with three years of Android updates and a total of six years of security updates. That is a year or so behind the best in the business but a lot longer than many rivals, which is good to see. The 3a Pro has three cameras on the back: an 8-megapixel ultrawide, a 50MP main and a 50MP 3x telephoto, the later of which is the standout feature for this price range of phone. The ultrawide camera is reasonable, if a little soft on detail. The main camera is pretty good all round with solid colour and dynamic range, making a decent job of most situations. The 3x zoom camera is arguably the best of the lot, producing nicely detailed images with reasonable reach. All three cameras suffer from a bit of overprocessing, which you can see when you zoom in on photos. The main and telephoto cameras offer an in-sensor zoom to 2x and 6x respectively, but they are not great showing obvious artefacts, while zooming beyond 10x the images start to look more like oil paintings than photos. Overall, the camera on the 3a Pro is one of the best for a mid-range phone and offers a real zoom, which is rare at this price. It won't trouble the top Android or iPhones, however. Nothing says the battery maintains at least 90% of its original capacity for at least 1,200 full charge cycles. The Phone 2a is generally repairable in the UK. Screen replacements cost £89 or batteries cost £29 plus about £35 labour and shipping by Nothing. The device is made of recycled aluminium, copper, plastic, steel, tin and other materials. It has a carbon footprint of 51.3kg CO2 equivalent. The company publishes sustainability reports. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro costs £449 (€459/$459/A$849). For comparison, the Phone 3a costs £329, the Google Pixel 8a costs £499, the Samsung Galaxy A56 costs £499 and the iPhone 16e costs £599. Nothing hits the right notes with the Phone 3a Pro to make it one of the best mid-range phones you can buy. Very few rivals have a real zoom camera at this price, let alone one as good as on the back of the 3a Pro. It has a big, crisp and smooth display, solid mid-range performance and very long battery life. A standout design adds interest to the otherwise dull phone market, while good software with up to six years of support means it will go the distance. Nothing's AI-powered screenshot and note-taking app shows potential, even if it is a bit basic at the moment. But giving it a dedicated button that can't be used for anything else feels like a miss. I would rather choose which app or function to bind to the button. The mid-range smartphone market is rapidly becoming packed with very good options, but Nothing manages to stand out and is worth considering when your old phone gives up the ghost. Pros: good camera with 3x optical zoom, interesting design, great software with six years of support, good screen, solid performance, long battery life, good fingerprint scanner, splash resistant. Cons: AI features need work, extra button can't be customised, only three years of Android version updates, enormous camera cluster protrudes from the back.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Nothing's Phone 3a Pro is a stylish, almost-flagship experience for $459
Nothing doesn't have a Phone 3 yet, instead choosing to make a lateral move to not one, but two new mid-range devices, the Nothing Phone 3a and, intriguingly, the 3a Pro. Reassuringly, Nothing continues to design phones unlike anything else out there. Its retro-future design aesthetic for the exposed-but-not hardware on the rear of the phones, as well as the dot-matrix fonts, animations and software, are all back. Hardware design remains Nothing's biggest strength. I get asked about the Nothing phone more than I do when I'm using the latest iPhone, Samsung's foldables or anything else. It's just different. The Phone 3a series now has a glass backing (upgraded from polycarbonate) and you can still see screw fittings, electronics and a return of Nothing's Glyph lighting system. The Phone 3a is rated IP64, adding better protection this year against rogue water sprays and liquid incidents. Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro hands-on Nothing has once again rejigged the exposed hardware, and the Glyph lighting details are all at the top of the phone, circling the camera unit. On the Phone 3a Pro, courtesy of a new periscope sensor capable of 3X optical zoom, a substantial circular camera unit protrudes from the back. Advertisement If you think the 3a Pro's camera module looks chunky, it also adds roughly 10 grams to its weight compared to the base Nothing Phone 3a. But for camera obsessives, only one of these phones will hold your attention. (Although the blue iteration of the Nothing Phone 3a is gorgeous.) The Nothing Phone 3a Pro's 50-megapixel telephoto sensor can stretch to 3x optical zoom, but it also includes a rather useable, in my early testing, lossless cropped 6x zoom. There's also a 50MP primary sensor with f/1.88 lens, and dual-pixel phase detection auto-focus (PDAF). Nothing has crammed in an ultrawide 8MP sensor with a 120-degree field of view. The 3a Pro also has a telemacro mode and can combine focus as close as 15cm (5.9 inches) away with the zoom of the telephoto. It's a feature that makes macro photography far more useful – and still rare on phones outside of China. The base model Phone 3a's main 50MP camera has single-pixel PDAF, but otherwise keeps the same primary camera specs. Its telephoto stretches to 2x optical zoom, and a third ultrawide 8MP camera. Advertisement While we'll explore the camera more deeply in our review, my early impressions are positive. Images are crisp and Nothing has a knack for curated filters that look good. I especially like the frosted glass effect, which Nothing also offers for wallpaper customization. Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro hands-on Nothing says its TrueLens Engine 3.0 combines AI-powered tone mapping with Ultra XDR, which it co-developed with Google, to tune photos. It involves a burst of 8 RAW images, which are all processed together to adjust the brightness of each pixel up to five times. Nothing's image processing seems to lean towards punchy, high-contrast photos and video. The Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are otherwise identical in specs. Compared to the Nothing Phone 2a, both new devices have a bigger 6.77-inch AMOLED LTPS display, now using Panda Glass rather than Corning's Gorilla Glass. As you might expect from most (but not all) phones, the 3a has an always-on display, can reach 120Hz refresh rates and it now hits 1,300 nits, making it brighter than the company's last phone, too. Once again, the phones both have a big 5,000mAh battery and fast charging at up to 50W. According to Nothing, this means it should take less than an hour to charge the device entirely, while you should be able to get halfway there in 19 minutes. One of the only parts of the Nothing Phone 3a series that hints that they aren't quite at a flagship level is their processor: a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. We'll put that chip through its paces in our review, but it is supposed to help with Nothing's own custom software pecadillos, like the TrueLens Engine. The company says that chip makes the 3a series 92 percent better at AI processing than its predecessor. Advertisement In a nod to both its OnePlus history and the recent trend for adding buttons, Nothing added its Essential Key to the Phone 3a, on the right edge below the power button. Oddly, it has a different finish to the rest of the machined buttons on the 3a and feels a bit cheaper. It works like an AI assistant launcher on other smartphones, like Samsung's Gemini AI launcher, although the AI hooks come later. One press will capture and send content a screenshot to Nothing's Essential Space app, while a longer press will start recording a voice note. You can also double-press to launch straight into the Essential Space app, which is a storage space for all those collections. Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro hands-on Nothing uses the same AI tricks we've seen elsewhere; it just simplifies them. The Phone 3a will transcribe your voice notes, automate reminders, and even describe your photos and screenshots if needed. As I juggle work commitments, other writing projects, life and everything else, this is an intriguing soup of AI tools, storage and automation, all in a single place. This also seems to be Nothing's equivalent of Android's Labs setting. The company is teasing further functionality, such as focused search, flip-to-record, Camera Capture (using the Essential key while in the camera app), Smart Collections of all your notes and more. It seems to be the Notes equivalent of how Google Photos gives you quick and easy access to the images and videos you're looking for. With the Phone 3a Pro's software more broadly, Nothing OS is fun. Despite a learning curve in places, it's playful. The icons, fonts, and animations across Nothing's take on Android 15 add a refreshing touch of personality in a sea of smartphone sameness. Advertisement Perhaps there are a few too many creative cooks, as Nothing's decorative touches jostle with what I assume are Google's baked-in fonts and menus. Some of the icons are hard to discern, too. After powering up the Phone 3a for the first time, a pixelated smiley face appeared on the home screen. I'd tap it and realize it does nothing. It turns out this is Nothing's attempt at showing your screen time – but it doesn't need to be a 2x2 widget. Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro hands-on Advertisement Other nice touches include a monochrome theme (on these monochrome phones), app label removal and a smart app drawer that corrals similar apps together for more straightforward navigation. Availability in the US will come through a Beta Program, like in previous years. The Phone 3a ($379) is available to preorder now in grey, black and blue, with devices landing March 11, while the Phone 3a Pro ($459) in black and grey, goes on preorder March 11 and launches March 25. In the UK, the company's Nothing Store in London will be one of the first places to offer the phone directly, from 11AM GMT on March 8.
