Why I Switched to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Can’t Stop Talking About It
Caption: Unboxing my phone, and yes I still use BeReal
A few days ago, I ditched my old phone for the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in gray, and I’ve been borderline obsessed ever since. It’s not just a gadget—it’s a statement, a personality, and a surprisingly affordable one at that. I’m not here to recite a spec sheet like some tech priest (Google exists for that), but I am here to unpack why this phone’s got me hooked, what Nothing’s all about, and why people—me, Reddit, and beyond—are buzzing about it. This is less a review and more a brain dump—my thoughts, some research, and a sprinkle of sarcasm. Buckle up; we’re going long.
The Switch: Out with the Old, In with the Weird
My old phone was… okay. It worked, didn’t explode in my pocket, and got me through the daily grind. But it was boring—like a beige sedan in a world of Teslas and vintage Mustangs. I’d been eyeing Nothing for a while, mostly because they’re the oddballs of the smartphone game. Transparent backs? Glowing lights? A CEO who tweets like he’s your sarcastic uncle? Sign me up. I grabbed the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in gray because it’s sleek without trying too hard, and I wanted something that didn’t look like every other slab in the coffee shop.
First thing I noticed? This phone is huge. It’s got a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen that’s crisp—1080x2392, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3000 nits . For the price— a bit over 32k INR or $459 depending on your market—it’s a ridiculous value. Unboxing it felt like peeling back the layers of a minimalist sci-fi prop. No charger in the box, though, because apparently, we’re all supposed to have a drawer full of those by now. Fair enough, Nothing, I’ll use my old 50W brick.
The Features: What Makes It Tick
Let’s break down what this thing’s packing. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a solid mid-range chip that’s not going to win any drag races against a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but for my needs—scrolling X, streaming music, and pretending I’m productive—it’s more than enough. Paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it’s snappy. Geekbench scores hover around 1161 single-core and 3292 multi-core, which puts it in the same league as a Motorola Edge 50 Pro or Vivo V50. If you’re a gamer, the Adreno 710 GPU handles casual stuff fine, but don’t expect to crank Genshin Impact on ultra settings. I don’t game much, so I don’t care—works for me.
The storage, though? It’s UFS 2.2, and yeah, I’ve got mixed feelings. It’s not the zippy UFS 3.1 or 4.0 you’d find in pricier phones, and Reddit’s got some folks grumbling about it slowing down over time. Nothing’s clapped back on their community forums, saying it’s optimized with “adaptive NTFS” to keep things smooth, and for everyday tasks—messaging, browsing, apps—it’s honestly fine. File transfers or installing big games might drag a bit, but I’m not moving 4K movies around daily, so it’s no dealbreaker. Still, I get the gripes—it’s a corner cut, even if it’s one I can live with.
The 5000mAh battery is a beast. I’ve gone two days on a single charge with moderate use, and even heavy days (think MWC-level photography and GPS) leave me with 20-30% by midnight. It supports 50W wired charging—25% in 15 minutes, 47% in 30 with my charger—which is plenty fast for me. No wireless charging, but at this price, I wasn’t holding my breath.
Cameras? Solid upgrade from past Nothing phones. You’ve got a 50MP main sensor with OIS (f/1.88, Samsung-made), an 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2, Sony IMX355), and a 50MP periscope telephoto (f/2.6, 3x zoom). The front’s a 50MP selfie cam that shoots 4K video, which is overkill for my occasional awkward Zoom calls. The periscope’s the star—finally, a Nothing phone with proper zoom that doesn’t feel like a blurry afterthought. Low-light shots are decent, thanks to auto night mode, and the glyphs double as a fill light, which is honestly pretty clever. Are these flagship-level optics? Nah, but they punch above their weight.
The UI and Essential Space: Software That Doesn’t Suck
Nothing OS 3.1 on Android 15 is where this phone shines. It’s clean—no bloatware beyond Google’s usual suspects—and the monochrome, dot-matrix aesthetic is a love letter to retro tech nerds like me. The widgets are a highlight: customizable, sharp, and actually useful. My home screen’s got a clock, weather, and music widget that look like they belong in a Blade Runner sequel, and I’m not mad about it. Swipes are smooth, animations are slick, and it feels like someone at Nothing actually thought about how I’d use this thing.
Then there’s Essential Space, tied to the new Essential Key on the right side. It’s an AI-driven hub for notes, screenshots, and ideas—press the key once to grab a screen, long-press to record a voice memo, double-tap to dive into your stash. I love the concept: a quick way to jot down thoughts without fumbling through apps. In practice? It’s… okay. I’ve used it to save X posts I want to revisit or record random rants about UFS 2.2, but it’s clunky. The AI’s hit-or-miss—transcriptions are spotty, and organizing feels half-baked. It’s got potential, though, and I’m hopeful Nothing polishes it in updates. For now, it’s a cool idea that’s 80% there.
The glyphs—those LED strips on the back—are still a Nothing signature. They light up for calls, notifications, or timers, and you can tweak them for specific contacts or apps (Uber and Zomato work, but I want more options). At first, they’re a blast—my phone’s winking at me from across the room. After a while, they’re just… there. Fun, but not life-changing. Still, they’re a conversation starter, and I dig the nostalgia nod to old-school notification LEDs.
Nothing’s Story: Carl Pei’s Scrappy Vision
Let’s talk about the guy behind this: Carl Pei. He co-founded OnePlus, turned it into a “flagship killer” legend, then bailed in 2020 to start Nothing. Why? The smartphone world was getting stale—big brands churning out $1,000 clones while innovation took a nap. Carl’s quote nails it: “If hardware was all there was to a smartphone, Qualcomm would be the biggest brand.” Hardware’s the bones; the experience is the soul. Nothing’s all about that soul, and it’s why they’ve got a cult following.
Founded in London, Nothing’s a small team—tiny compared to Samsung or Apple—taking on the giants with grit and a shoestring budget. They launched in 2021, dropped the Phone (1) in 2022, and haven’t slowed down. Their vibe? Transparent designs, quirky marketing (Carl’s X posts are a rollercoaster), and a mission to make tech fun again. It’s a classic underdog tale, and Reddit’s eating it up. Carl’s out there, engaging with fans, trolling haters, and hyping the next drop. It’s personal in a way Big Tech forgot how to be.
What the People Say: Reddit and Beyond
I dug into r/NothingTech and r/Android to see what the crowd thinks, and it’s a mix of love and nitpicking. The design’s a hit—“It’s like a phone from the future,” one user gushed. The glyphs get props for being “gimmicky but cool,” though most agree they fade into the background over time. Price-to-value is a big win—“Sub-$500 with a periscope zoom? Yes, please,” someone wrote. The UFS 2.2 flak pops up a lot, with folks worried it’ll lag in a year or two, but others counter that Nothing’s optimization keeps it smooth.
Essential Space splits opinions. Some call it “genius for quick notes,” others say it’s “half-baked and awkward.” The community vibe’s strong, though—users love how Nothing listens, with Carl occasionally chiming in on X or forums. One Redditor summed it up: “It’s not perfect, but it’s different, and that’s why I’m here.”
The Rough Spots: No Rose-Tinted Glasses Here
Time for honesty. The UFS 2.2 bugs me a little. It’s not a dealbreaker for my use—X, Spotify, and email don’t care—but if I were a gamer or a file-hoarding maniac, I’d feel it. Nothing says it’s fine for most, and their benchmarks back it up (faster random writes than some UFS 3.1 phones), but it’s a compromise. The size is another quirk—great for media, brutal for one-handed typing. My thumbs are staging a protest.
The glyphs? Fun at first, then meh. They’re not essential, just a bonus. Essential Space needs work—cool idea, shaky execution. The IP64 rating (splash resistance) is better than the Phone (2a)’s IP54, but it’s no IP68 submersion champ. And that giant camera hump? It’s divisive—some love it, some hate it. I think it fits the vibe, but it wobbles on a table.
Nothing’s Place in the Game
Nothing isn’t flexing spec muscles—they’re playing chess while others play checkers. Samsung and Apple have billions to throw at R&D; Nothing’s got creativity and a tight budget. They’re not chasing the “best camera” crown; they’re building a phone that feels different. Reddit’s full of switchers—“Ditched my S23 for this and don’t miss the bloat,” one said. Another: “It’s the first phone that doesn’t nag me to upgrade yearly.”
Carl’s vision drives it—cut the noise, focus on what matters. It’s a rebellion against the “more megapixels, more money” grind. At $459 or ₹31,999, it’s not cheap-cheap, but it’s a steal for what you get.
Looking Forward: Me and Nothing
I’m in deep. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has me excited about phones again—big screen, slick UI, weird quirks and all. I’m curious what’s next—maybe a refined Essential Space, UFS 3.1, or some glyph evolution. Nothing’s got three years of OS updates and four years of security patches promised, so this thing’s got legs. Carl’s steering a wild ship, and I’m along for the ride.
For now, this gray beast is my daily driver. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine—a phone that’s as much fun as it is functional. If you’re sick of the same old smartphone slog, give Nothing a peek. It’s a gamble that’s paying off for me.