Nothing Phone 3a launching on 4 March: 5 Reasons why this mid-ranger may be ‘nothing’ special

Nothing has confirmed that its first phones of the year, Phone 3a Pro will launch globally on 4 March. While the London-based smartphone maker is yet to officially reveal much of the key specifications of the device, we have a fair idea about what to expect thanks to all the leaks surrounding it. Putting all the marketing hype aside, what we see so far isn’t something to be excited about and here are five reasons why.

1) Polarizing and impractical design:

Nothing has officially confirmed the design for Phone 3a Pro with a huge camera and eccentrically placed camera sensors. Now, design has been a major aspect where Nothing set itself apart from the competition but it seems like Carl Pei’s team has taken inspiration from his former company to implement a camera module that we have seen in so many devices launched last year from the OnePlus premium series to even Infinix devices.

While design is a personal choice and will depend on the taste of most people, seeing the reaction on social media it feels like this new design trick from Nothing has more people against than in favour.

2) Average battery:

At a time when reports suggest that some of the Chinese smartphone makers are looking to implement 7,000-8,000mAh battery on their new devices, we have a new upcoming Nothing phone which, if rumours are to be believed, could pack a 5,000mAh battery (exact same power as Phone 2a Plus) with support for 50W of fast charging.

The 3a Pro price isn’t yet certain, but let’s assume that it launches at the same price as its predecessor, i.e. ₹27,999, there are devices that offer a much bigger battery and fast charging, say a Poco X7 Pro (6,400mAh) or Realme 14 Pro+ (6000mAh).

3) Sub-par processor:

Leaks suggest that Nothing Phone 3a Pro will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor which isn’t a necessarily a bad chip but it looks a bit underwhelming for the price point.

While some other phones in the segment, like Poco X7 Pro (Dimensity 8400 Ultra), OnePlus Nord 4 (Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3) and Vivo T3 Ultra (Dimensity 9200+) are giving a flagship-level performance, Nothing may just be offering a sub-par processor for the price point.

4) Underwhelming water proofing:

Phone 3a Pro will reportedly come with an IP64 water resistance rating, which in normal language means that the phone could be able to handle a few light splashes but be careful about dropping it underwater.

For a phone around ₹30,000 in 2025, this is simply unacceptable. Take a look at all the phones I mentioned so far, barring the OnePlus Nord 4, each and everyone of them comes with an IP68 rating (if not IP69 one).

Now, I know that while water resistance might seem like a minor detail to some, when every other device in this segment offers top-tier protection, settling for IP64 just doesn’t cut it

5) Cameras: Really an upgrade?

If you look at all the marketing material from Nothing, you’ll feel as if there’s a camera revolution about to happen with the Phone 3a Pro adding a telephoto lens. Having used a fair bit of phones in the last year or so, I can safely say that resolution of the camera sensor and the technology used isn’t always a full part of the story, instead, it comes down eventually to how the brand utilizes that hardware to get the best output, something that Nothing has been accused of neglecting or doing a poor job of in the past.

For what it’s worth, rumors suggest that the Phone 3a Pro may include a 50MP 3x optical telephoto lens, a 50MP main sensor, and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle shooter.