Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MP |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 50 W |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz |
| AnTuTu | 1620000 | 820000 |
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Weight | 170 g | 201 g |
Between the iPhone 16 and Phone (3a), the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in antutu / weight, while the Phone (3a) wins on front camera / wired charging. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 60.1 and the Phone (3a) scores 62.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (60.1 vs 62.4). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 16 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 antutu, weight, pixel density, among others. The single most decisive one: AnTuTu — 97.56% more. 1620000 vs 820000.
Pick the Phone (3a) if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are front camera, wired charging, refresh rate, among others. The single most decisive one: Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
Both ship with comparable ram, 5g support, optical image stabilization, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - iPhone 16 or Nothing - Phone (3a)?
Nothing - Phone (3a) leads the current Mars Score by 2.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, pixel density, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - iPhone 16 if…
Apple - iPhone 16 has the measurable edge on antutu score, weight g, pixel density ppi.
Choose Nothing - Phone (3a) if…
Nothing - Phone (3a) has the measurable edge on front cam mp, wired charging w, refresh rate hz.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 97.56% more. 1620000 vs 820000.
- ▲Weight — 31.00 g less. 170 vs 201.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.86% more. 460 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 150.00% more. 50 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Battery capacity — 40.41% more. 5000 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 10.98% more. 6.77 " vs 6.1 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 glead | 201 g |
| Thickness | 7.8 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP64 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.1 " | 6.77 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 387 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 3000 nitslead |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 1620000lead | 820000 |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 17.0 GHzlead | 10.8 GHz |
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 3561 mAh | 5000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 50 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has 40.4% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or Phone (3a)?+
iPhone 16 is 31g lighter — 170g vs 201g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3a) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3a) supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.