Nothing, the mobile and lifestyle tech brand co-founded by Carl Pei of OnePlus, is gearing up to unveil its latest mid-range smartphones in early March. While official information regarding the Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro has been limited, a recent leak has surfaced, revealing tentative specifications that highlight enhancements in the processor, camera system, and overall design.
Previously, Pei hinted that the Nothing Phone (3a) series would transition to a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, moving away from the MediaTek processors used in the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus. A leak from the Indian outlet SmartPrix confirmed this, indicating that both models will be powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a mid-range chipset that debuted in August 2024.
Unlike the Nothing Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus, which featured different chipsets, the upcoming models are expected to share the same Snapdragon processor. This new chipset offers a notable upgrade in CPU and GPU performance, thanks to its more advanced ARM cores. The most significant enhancement lies in the NPU’s capabilities, facilitating improved on-device AI processing compared to last year’s options. Nothing has recently revealed plans to integrate AI more thoroughly into its systems to create a more personalized user experience.
Nothing showcased a demo interface displaying contextual information like weather updates, reminders, and notifications from specific social media creators. The system aims to provide quick access to anticipated needs, such as a QR code for a boarding pass. It will be interesting to see how well this functions on a mid-range device, though Nothing appears confident that the enhanced NPU will deliver promising results. It raises the question of how this will stack up against Samsung’s Now Brief feature.
In addition to AI features, the Nothing Phone (3a) is rumored to feature three rear cameras instead of the standard two. Both devices are expected to include a 50MP primary camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens. However, they may differ in their third camera units, with the Phone (3a) likely to have a 2X telephoto lens while the Pro variant would boast a 3X telephoto lens with greater zoom capability.
A recent post from the company’s official account on X might hint at the camera configurations for the two models.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⚫
⚫⚫ ⚫ ⠀ ⚫ ⚫— Nothing (@nothing) February 17, 2025
Both devices are anticipated to feature other similarities, including a robust 5,000mAh battery, a 6.72-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and an IP64 rating for enhanced dust resistance over last year’s models. We may even see subtle design tweaks to the glyph lights on the back, along with the potential introduction of a physical camera shutter button reminiscent of the iPhone. Additionally, both phones are expected to run the new NothingOS 3.0, built on Android 15.
Nothing has officially announced a launch date of March 4, when we will likely gain further insights into the devices and their pricing.
