Which Nothing Phone 3 model should you buy?

Nothing started out as a hopeful consumer technology startup only half a decade ago, and now it's a growing company valued at over a billion dollars. Nothing's flagship lineup is the Nothing Phone 3 series, and it now includes four different models spanning all price points. The top-of-the-line Phone 3 retails for $799, while the cheapest Phone 3a Lite goes for roughly $329.

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite, Phone 3a, Phone 3a Pro, and Phone 3 all have a lot in common — especially among the three cheapest models. U.S. availability for the lineup is sparse. The Phone 3a Lite isn't available in the region at all, while the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are only available through a beta program with limited cellular carrier support. Only the flagship Nothing Phone 3 is built for true North American use.

Still, the Nothing Phone 3 lineup is highly sought after in Europe, India, and the rest of the world. Even for North American buyers, there's nothing quite like Nothing design. If you're intrigued by the company's 2025 lineup, this guide will help you figure out which Nothing Phone 3 variant you should buy.

Nothing Phone 3 series: At a glance

Nothing Phone 3a Lite: A pass for most

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite is the newest and most interesting device in the Nothing Phone 3 lineup. It's an extremely cut-down version of the Phone 3a that tries to be more affordable, but there's more to it than that. If you look at the specs, the Phone 3a Lite is effectively a CMF Phone 2 Pro in a Nothing-inspired shell with tweaked hardware. It's priced at €249, and for now, it's exclusive to the U.K. and Europe.

The Phone 3a Lite looks more like the flagship Phone 3 than either of the two mid-tier variants, which have a centrally-positioned camera bump. Meanwhile, the Phone 3a Lite's three rear cameras are a bit scattered around the top-left corner, much like the Phone 3. The camera system is highlighted by a 50MP primary shooter, but the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lenses aren't much to speak of.

It has a solid 6.77-inch OLED screen supporting 120Hz refresh rates — the same panel you'll find on the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. With a 3,000-nit peak brightness rating, the Phone 3a Lite's display will look better than you'd expect for the price.

The catch is the Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro processor, which means the Phone 3a Lite simply won't perform as well as the other Phone 3a models. It comes with Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15 out of the box, with three major Android OS upgrades to follow. A pretty large 5,000mAh battery rounds out the hardware experience.

If you're interested in this phone, you should know that Nothing really put the "lite" in the Phone 3a Lite. There are a lot of cut corners here, and some features — like the 2MP macro lens — won't lead to tangible benefits beyond the spec sheet. Unless you're on a tight budget, it probably makes sense to look at the Phone 3a, Phone 3a Pro, and Phone 3.

Nothing Phone 3a: The budget option

The Nothing Phone 3a is the first entry-level model most users should actually consider. It's available for U.S. customers by way of the beta program, and there's also a version available in India. The smartphone retails for $379 / £329 / €329 / ₹24,999, and comes in Black, White, or Blue (U.K./India exclusive) colorways.

Of the four Phone 3 devices, I find the Phone 3a's design to be the most attractive. It features Nothing's classic transparent design with an oval-shaped rear camera bump. There are multicolor accents throughout the chassis and Nothing's iconic Glyph Interface. On the Phone 3a, it includes three individual LED strips that can be used to signal notifications, calls, timers, and more. The body has an IP64 certification for dust-resistance and light water-resistance.

The display is the same 6.77-inch panel you'll find on the Phone 3a Lite and Phone 3a Pro. It'll default to 1,300 nits in high brightness mode, with a 3,000-nit peak. The screen also supports 120Hz refresh rates and DC dimming above 50% brightness for eye-friendliness.

For power, there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor. The chip is paired with 8GB and 12GB of RAM to handle daily performance and light AI processing or gaming. Like the other midrange Nothing phones, the Phone 3a ships with the Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.1 out of the box, with three future Android OS upgrades guaranteed.

Whether you pick the Phone 3a or Phone 3a Pro will likely come down to what camera quality you need. The displays and processors are consistent across both devices, but the Phone 3a Pro has a slightly better main and telephoto camera.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro: The mid-tier buy

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro takes the baseline Phone 3a and adds a fresh design and better cameras. It's available in Grey and Black, and the 256GB/12GB variant retails for £449 / $459 / €459 / ₹33,999.

Starting with the similarities, the Phone 3a Pro has the exact same 6.77-inch display as the Phone 3a. The size, refresh rate, resolution, and peak brightness rating are all identical between models. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip is the same, too. A key difference is that, outside of two India-exclusive models, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro ships with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM as standard everywhere else.

Instead of an oval-shaped camera bump, it's a giant circle on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Users still get the Glyph Interface on the back, and the LEDs work with Nothing OS 3.1 to show notifications and more as expected. The difference is what's behind the camera bump. Despite having two 50MP rear cameras and a third 8MP rear camera, just like the Phone 3a, the Phone 3a Pro's sensors are a bit different.

The main camera is a 50MP, f/1.88 Samsung shooter, and it's accompanied by a 50MP periscope telephoto lens. That gives Phone 3a Pro users up to 3x optical zoom, up from just 2x on the Phone 3a. The ultrawide lenses are the same across models, so the Phone 3a Pro is the upgrade for people who really need extra zoom length.

At $459, the Phone 3a Pro is priced just below the Google Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13R, making it competitive with the best budget Android phones. Still, the U.S. beta-only access will leave some AT&T and Verizon users without service, so it's a hard sell for North American buyers.

Nothing Phone 3: The flagship

The Nothing Phone 3 is the flagship option, and it's the only model in this lineup officially sold in the U.S. — and officially supported by all the nation's cellular carriers. It's priced like a flagship, at $799, but the features are still in midrange territory. Nothing shook things up with the Phone 3, ditching the iconic Glyph Interface for a new Glyph Matrix, but this dot-matrix display seems on its way to being just as iconic.

With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, the Phone 3 is the fastest performer of the series, although it'll still be a step behind Elite-branded SoCs. It ships with either 12GB or 16GB of memory and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. It offers 5,150mAh of battery capacity with 65W fast charging, which, to Nothing's credit, is firmly in flagship territory.

The phone's design won't be for everyone, with Nothing's classic transparent design and asymmetrical rear camera lens placement. The entire rear chassis looks scattered, but in a way, that becomes a statement piece of its own. On the front, there's a flat 6.67-inch AMOLED display covered in Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.

The Phone 3's cameras are extremely solid, packing a trio of 50MP sensors. The primary shooter is a 50MP, f/1.7 lens, and it's paired with a 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide. Our review found that it's the best camera system Nothing has ever shipped, taking clear shots with little visible noise.

Those wanting to buy the Nothing Phone 3, or any Nothing phone for that matter, will do so because of the phone's design and flair. It doesn't offer the best hardware or the most enticing value proposition, but its looks and features are unique. The dot-matrix secondary display on the back is one of the coolest things I've seen on a phone — you can put almost anything on it. With all that in mind, the Phone 3 is Nothing's flagship for a reason.