Between the Phone (3a) and Xiaomi 16 Ultra, the Phone (3a) comes out ahead in weight and screen size, while the Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins on antutu and ram. Overall, the Phone (3a) scores 62.5 and the Xiaomi 16 Ultra scores 74.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Xiaomi 16 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.8 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the Phone (3a) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, screen size.
Pick the Xiaomi 16 Ultra if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are antutu, ram, wired charging, among others.
Both ship with comparable main camera, refresh rate, 5g support, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Xiaomi 16 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Weight — 28.00 g less. 201 vs 229.
- ▲Screen size — 0.59% more. 6.77 " vs 6.73 ".
Why Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 259.76% more. 2950000 vs 820000.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 100.00% more. 100 W vs 50 W.
- ▲Pixel density — 34.88% more. 522 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Battery capacity — 20.00% more. 6000 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 80 W vs 0 W.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 glead | 229 g |
| Thickness | 8.4 mmlead | 9.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP64 | IP68lead |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.77 "lead | 6.73 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 387 ppi | 522 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 3000 nits | 3200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh | 6000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 50 W | 100 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 0 W | 80 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 3 years | 5 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Phone (3a) or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has 20.0% more battery — 5000 mAh vs 6000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Phone (3a) or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Phone (3a) is 28g lighter — 201g vs 229g.
Is Phone (3a) waterproof?+
Phone (3a) has an IP64 rating.
Does Xiaomi 16 Ultra support 5G?+
Yes, Xiaomi 16 Ultra supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Phone (3a) or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Phone (3a) or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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