Nothing Phone 3a Lite

The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is the most affordable way to get Nothing’s unique design in Nepal. It has a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip. Moreover, it comes with a 50MP main camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging. In Nepal it now starts at NPR 43,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model.

Nothing Phone (3a) Lite: An Overview

Design and build

The Phone (3a) Lite looks a lot like the flagship Nothing Phone (3). According to Nothing, the camera layout was kept similar so that the phone stands out from the crowd. However, the Glyph Matrix is replaced by a small Glyph Light in the bottom right corner. As a result, the design feels simpler and cleaner.

The Glyph Light still does useful work. For example, it glows when you get a notification while the phone is face down. Particularly handy is the option to set custom light patterns for your favourite contacts. It also works as a visual countdown when you use the camera timer. In addition, the back has a battery-style design that is only there for looks.

The phone is 8.3mm thick and weighs only 185g. Therefore, it feels light and easy to carry all day. It also has an IP54 rating, which means it can handle dust and light splashes of water.

Display

The 6.77-inch AMOLED screen has a Full HD+ resolution. Because of this, text and photos look sharp and colours look rich. The 10-bit panel supports 1.07 billion colours, so videos and games look better too. In addition, the 120Hz adaptive refresh rate makes scrolling feel smooth. Touch sampling goes up to 1000Hz, which helps games feel quick and responsive.

Brightness is also good for the price. The peak HDR brightness is 3,000 nits and the outdoor brightness goes up to 1,300 nits. As a result, the screen stays easy to read in strong sunlight. This is a big help on sunny days in Nepal. Panda Glass protects the display and the in-display fingerprint sensor lets you unlock with one touch.

Performance

The phone has the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip, built on a 4nm process. Since it is a tried and tested chip, you can expect steady and reliable performance. According to our tests on the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which uses the same chip, games like PUBG and Mobile Legends ran smoothly at around 90fps. Genshin Impact on high settings averaged about 40fps. However, the phone did get quite warm during long gaming sessions.

You get 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage. Moreover, there is a microSD card slot that supports up to 2TB of extra storage, according to the source. This phone suits students, casual gamers and everyday users best. For heavy gaming every day, a more powerful phone may be a better pick.

Software

The phone runs Nothing OS 3.5 on Android 15. It is clean and simple, so you will not find many extra apps getting in your way. Instead you get a smooth interface with a fun dot-matrix style that matches the phone’s look.

Nothing also promises 3 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security patches. Therefore, you can keep using this phone safely for a long time, which is rare at this price.

Camera

The rear camera setup has three lenses. The main one is a 50MP f/1.88 camera with EIS, which captures clear and bright photos in daylight. Next to it is an 8MP ultra-wide camera that is great for group photos and big views. There is also a 2MP macro camera for close-up shots. However, the phone has no OIS and no telephoto camera, so zoom shots are limited.

The phone is powered by Nothing’s TrueLens Engine 4.0. It also has helpful features like Portrait Optimiser, Ultra XDR and Night Mode. Particularly for videos, you can record in 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. In addition, 1080p slow motion at 120fps is available. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP front camera.

Battery

The 5,000mAh battery is made to last a full day of normal use. That means calls, chats, videos and some gaming. When it runs low, the 33W fast charging fills it up quickly. Moreover, the 5W reverse wired charging lets you give a small boost to earbuds or a smartwatch. However, a charger does not come in the box, so you will need to buy a compatible adapter.

Connectivity

• Dual SIM (Nano)
• 5G
• Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band)
• Bluetooth 5.3
• NFC
• USB Type-C

Who Should Buy It?

The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is for people who want a phone with a unique look at a lower price. It is a great pick for students and first-time Nothing buyers. In particular, the bright screen, the Glyph Light and the long software support make it stand out. Moreover, it keeps the fun Nothing style without the flagship price.