Nothing’s new budget Android phones make Samsung and Apple look bad – ZDNet

‘ZDNET Recommends’: What exactly does it mean?ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.ZDNET’s editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro at MWC 2025.Phone brand Nothing creates some of the most aesthetically striking mobile devices on the market. That pattern will continue into 2025, as the company recently revealed its new Phone (3a) Series. Also: This $399 Samsung Galaxy is the mid-range phone most people should buyThe set consists of the base Phone (3a) and the Phone (3a) Pro. Both models house an optimized Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, ditching the MediaTek hardware present in the previous generation. According to Nothing, the new processor allows the duo to be up to “33% faster than [the] Phone (2a)”. The devices are also better at running video games. Players will enjoy more “stable frame rates” plus 11% better graphical fidelity.To support mobile titles, the smartphones have a 4,500 mm² vapor chamber to keep temperatures low and a RAM Booster. This feature combines “physical and virtual RAM”, enabling up to 20GB of memory. Also: Are tri-foldable phones the next big thing? I tried one from an upstart brandNothing brings a new feature to this generation of devices called Essential Space. It provides quick access to other on-device tools, such as Camera Capture and Flip to Record.Be aware that Essential Space will be in “Early Access” mode when the Phone (3a) Series launches. During this initial period, first-time buyers may encounter a few bugs.The differences between the phones start with their respective designs. You’ll notice that the Nothing Phone (3a) resembles the Phone (2a), although there are three lenses on the new device instead of two. This array includes a 50MP main lens, a 50MP telephoto option, and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The first two lenses come from Samsung, while the third is from Sony.Nothing states this camera array can take “professional-grade” photographs. The telephoto lens has a fast f/2.0 aperture and a 2x optical reach, allowing it to take high-quality zoomed-in pictures. TrueLens Engine 3.0 delivers extra support by utilizing AI processing and “multi-frame technology” to enhance image quality.Also: I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the 16e for 24 hours – here’s everything I learnedThe Phone (3a) Pro places its lenses in a circular array. I’m unsure if this unique layout gives the mobile device a functional advantage over the base model, but it might. The (3a) Pro has a 50MP 1/1.95-inch Sony LYTIA 600 sensor as its telephoto camera. The company says the device possesses a faster f/2.55 aperture plus a 70mm equivalent focal length for an even better zoom. And thanks to optical image stabilization, the lens can take high-quality photos “across [different] lighting conditions”.Also: This $200 Motorola is the cheap Android phone to beat in 2025 – and I love the designPre-orders for the Nothing Phone (3a) begin today, March 4, on Nothing’s official website and cost $379. Pre-orders for the Pro model start on March 11 and retail for $459. Stay tuned for our reviews on the Phone (3a) Series. We have review units on hand and will publish our thoughts once we’ve conducted our extensive testing.
Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/nothings-new-budget-android-phones-make-samsung-and-apple-look-bad/