Nothing Phone (3) vs Nothing Phone (3a) Lite

The Nothing Phone (3) (2025) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, while the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (2026) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro; launch prices were $799 and $249. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nothing Phone (3) leads — 76/100 vs 52/100 (a 24-point difference). Key differences: the Nothing Phone (3) has the bigger battery (5150 mAh vs 5000); the Nothing Phone (3) is faster in AnTuTu (2,306,162 vs 884,207).

The Nothing Phone (3) significantly outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite by 24 points (76/100 vs 52/100).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nothing Phone (3)
Performance 81
Display 85
Camera 81
Battery 63
Portability 49
Value for money 64
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
Performance 55
Display 79
Camera 35
Battery 48
Portability 56
Value for money 58
What makes Nothing Phone (3) better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 2306162 vs 884207
  • Better Geekbench Single: 2162 vs 1011
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 6847 vs 2813
  • Bigger battery: 5150 vs 5000 mAh
  • Faster charging: 65W vs 45W
  • Lighter: 198g vs 199g

  • Higher performance (81/100 vs 55/100)
  • Better camera (81/100 vs 35/100)
  • Longer battery life (63/100 vs 48/100)
  • Better display (85/100 vs 79/100)
What makes Nothing Phone (3a) Lite better?
  • Cheaper at launch: $249 vs $799

  • Better portability (56/100 vs 49/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Nothing Phone (3) vs the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, the Nothing Phone (3) scores 24 points higher (76/100 vs 52/100). In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (81/100 vs 55/100). In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (81/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) leads (63/100 vs 48/100). Value score: Nothing Phone (3) — 64/100, Nothing Phone (3a) Lite — 58/100; it is biased by price level, so it should not be compared directly between devices at different prices. In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (81/100 vs 55/100). In the "display" category, the Nothing Phone (3) is a bit better (85/100 vs 79/100). In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) significantly outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (81/100 vs 35/100). In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (63/100 vs 48/100). In the "portability" category, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a bit better (56/100 vs 49/100).

Nothing Phone (3): The Nothing Phone (3) is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts.
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite: The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Nothing Phone (3) Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro
AnTuTu 2306162 884207
Geekbench Single 2162 1011
Geekbench Multi 6847 2813
Display 6.7" AMOLED 6.8" AMOLED
Resolution 2800x1260 2392x1080
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 5150 mAh 5000 mAh
Charging 65W 45W
Wireless charging 15W 0W
Main camera 50 MP 50 MP
Ultrawide 50 MP 8 MP
Telephoto 50 MP 0 MP
Front camera 50 MP 16 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB 8GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB / 256GB
OS Android 15 / Nothing OS 3.0 Android 15
Brightness (peak) 4500 nits 3000 nits
NFC yes yes
Protection IP68 IP54
Dimensions 160.6×75.6×9.0 mm 164.0×78.0×8.3 mm
Weight 198 g 199 g
Launch price $799 $249
Camera comparison
Nothing Phone (3)
  • Main: 50MP f/f/1.88
  • Ultrawide: 50MP
  • Telephoto: 50MP
  • Front: 50MP
81
camera
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
  • Main: 50MP f/f/1.8
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 16MP
35
camera
Display comparison
Nothing Phone (3)
  • 6.7" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2800x1260
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
85
display
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
  • 6.8" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 2392x1080
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
79
display
Battery and charging
Nothing Phone (3)
  • 5150 mAh
  • Wired: 65W
  • Wireless: 15W
63
battery
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
  • 5000 mAh
  • Wired: 45W
  • No wireless charging
48
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Nothing Phone (3) and Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Nothing Phone (3) Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4
76/100
2306162 AnTuTu
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro
52/100 -160.8%
884207 AnTuTu

Nothing Phone (3) leads Nothing Phone (3a) Lite by 160.8% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Nothing Phone (3)
$799
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
$249

Launch price difference: $550. Nothing Phone (3a) Lite was $550 cheaper at launch.

Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (81/100 vs 55/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Nothing Phone (3) is a bit better (85/100 vs 79/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Nothing Phone (3) significantly outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (81/100 vs 35/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Nothing Phone (3) notably outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite (63/100 vs 48/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a bit better (56/100 vs 49/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nothing Phone (3) or the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

The Nothing Phone (3) significantly outperforms the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite by 24 points (76/100 vs 52/100).

What is the rating of the Nothing Phone (3) and the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

The Nothing Phone (3) has a MobileRank rating of 76/100, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite — 52/100.

Which has the better camera: the Nothing Phone (3) or the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

The Nothing Phone (3) leads on camera score (81/100 vs 35/100).

Which is more powerful: the Nothing Phone (3) or the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

The Nothing Phone (3) leads on performance (81/100 vs 55/100).

Should you choose the Nothing Phone (3) over the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

The Nothing Phone (3) is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts. The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a better fit for everyday use.