Between the Phone (3) and Phone (3a), the Phone (3) comes out ahead in antutu and ram, while the Phone (3a) wins on screen size. Overall, the Phone (3) scores 68.7 and the Phone (3a) scores 62.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Phone (3) edges ahead on the Mars Score (68.7 vs 62.5), but the 6.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Phone (3) if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are antutu, ram, wired charging, among others.
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. Its strongest claims are screen size.
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 Phone (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Nothing - Phone (3) wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 150.00% more. 2050000 vs 820000.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 12 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Wired charging — 30.00% more. 65 W vs 50 W.
- ▲Pixel density — 18.86% more. 460 ppi vs 387 ppi.
- ▲Weight — 5.00 g less. 196 vs 201.
- ▲Battery capacity — 3.00% more. 5150 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Water resistance: IP68 (vs IP64).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
Why Nothing - Phone (3a) wins
- ▲Screen size — 1.04% more. 6.77 " vs 6.7 ".
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 196 glead | 201 g |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 8.4 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP64 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.7 " | 6.77 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 387 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 4500 nitslead | 3000 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 32 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5150 mAhlead | 5000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 Wlead | 50 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Nothing - Phone (3) | Nothing - Phone (3a) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, Phone (3) or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3) has 3.0% more battery — 5150 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, Phone (3) or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3) is 5g lighter — 196g vs 201g.
Is Phone (3) waterproof?+
Phone (3) has an IP68 rating.
Does Phone (3a) support 5G?+
Yes, Phone (3a) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, Phone (3) or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3) offers 12GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, Phone (3) or Phone (3a)?+
Phone (3a) has a 50 MP main camera vs 50 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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