I tested the new Nothing Phone (3a) Lite to see if it is truly a good value in a sea of cookie-cutter smartphones

However, as Nothing expands its product portfolio, I am getting the sense that people’s expectations have been blasted sky-high—not just within geeky circles, but across the broader tech community as a whole. But as the brand grows in popularity, sometimes you have to strike a balance between what you truly want to create to ‘wow’ users and what is necessary to expand the brand’s reach.

The interface is clean and simple to navigate. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

Nothing’s new Phone (3a) Lite is a combination of existing features and a mix of older, cost-saving bits of tech from previous generations. It may not be Nothing’s most experimental device like the Phone 3, nor a mainstream product like the Phone 3a, but it’s an important phone for the brand to use in emerging markets that are much more price-sensitive.

I would say the Phone (3a) Lite has character, but it comes with some compromises that make it a bargain-basement device. Nothing succeeded, but the question is whether this phone is really needed at this point.

Find out more in my detailed review of the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite.

What: Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Price: 20,999 onwards 

Familiar see-through design, but a little toned down

The most striking feature of a Nothing product is its design, and the same holds for the Phone (3a) Lite. Perhaps the biggest differentiator between a Nothing phone, and others is how the brand introduced a translucent design and made it its own. With the Phone (3a) Lite, Nothing stuck to a translucent design, meaning the glass back shows a few screws, a subtle red highlight, and what appears to be the battery.

The iconic design language for which Nothing is known is still there, but I felt the intensity had been toned down. While the Phone (3a) Lite has the Glyph lights, they have been reduced to a single round LED, but you can still customise it, add ringtones for specific contacts, or flip the phone for light-only notifications. I would say it’s less fun and quirky.

The Phone (3a) Lite also comes with a brand-new Essential Key, which was first seen on this year’s Phone 3a and later on the flagship Phone 3. This button, located on the right side of the phone, can be double-clicked to open the Essential Space, an AI-focused hub that collects and organises photos, notes, and more for easy access.

I have been very impressed with what the Action Button on my iPhone Air can do and what Gemini is capable of on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and I like what Nothing is trying to achieve with the Essential Key and Essential Space, as they make some tasks really easy and accessible with the click of a button. For example, I often held down the Essential Key to take voice notes. When I checked them in the Essential Space later, I found they had been automatically transcribed without issues.

The rear of the Phone (3a) Lite still features the Glyph Light. (Screenshot of the Glyph Light settings)

A large colourful screen, mixed bag performance

With a sturdy plastic frame and lightweight design, I could hold the phone for long periods and finish a chapter of an ebook while taking a walk in the park. Putting down my Pixel 10 Pro Fold for a few days and using the Phone (3a) Lite was a refreshing change. While the Phone (3a) Lite’s design is not premium, subtle touches make it clear that this device belongs to the Nothing Phone 3a series.

The Phone (3a) Lite arrives with Android 15 and Nothing OS 3.5. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

The 6.77-inch OLED screen is large enough for most use cases and offers a 120Hz refresh rate. There are better screens on other phones, absolutely, but most people won’t notice. I have had no issues watching documentaries on lion cubs on YouTube, which I am currently obsessed with.

However, if you are into gaming, particularly games like Genshin Impact, running them on the Phone (3a) Lite could be quite a challenge. I wish the phone had better-sounding stereo speakers, but strangely, Nothing opted for mono speakers. I recommend using wireless earbuds when watching a Netflix show on the Phone (3a) Lite.

The phone’s performance is a mixed bag, however. Paired with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset and 8 GB of RAM, the device is fine for running everyday applications like WhatsApp and Instagram, but you may encounter occasional lag if you push it or run demanding apps and games. The choice of processor is definitely questionable, and I felt that Nothing could have opted for a different one.

On the bright side, the Phone (3a) Lite has excellent battery life, lasting up to two days of general use between charges under various conditions. With heavy usage, you would need to plug it in every other day. Beyond the 5000mAh battery, the Phone (3a) Lite also offers 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 support.

It’s good to see Nothing adding support for a microSD card, which means the storage can be expanded, whether you opt for the 128 GB or 256 GB version. MicroSD card support is a rarity even on mid-range smartphones these days.

The Phone (3a) Lite has a large 6.77-inch AMOLED display.(Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

The Phone (3a) Lite runs Nothing OS 3.5 atop Android 15. I am a huge fan of Nothing OS, especially its interface look and feel. There are plenty of customisation options, including monochrome and retro pixel-style themes. The interface feels more fun and personal than the flat, bland ones you get on other Android smartphones.

Nothing promises three Android version updates and six years of security patches with the Phone (3a) Lite, which is somewhat disappointing (though not excessively), especially at a time when brands like Samsung and Google offer up to seven years of both.

There are compromises on the software front as well. I found Facebook and Instagram preinstalled on my unit, despite Nothing’s previous stance against bloatware. Another odd integration is Lock Glimpse, which displays content such as interior design and recipe articles on the lock screen – the content I never wanted, though it can be turned off in settings.

Widgets have a retro, dot-matrix feel. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

A bit too much to expect from the camera setup

The Phone (3a) Lite has three cameras on the back: an 8-megapixel ultrawide, a 50-megapixel main, and a 2-megapixel macro lens, and of the three, the main camera impressed me the most. As I mentioned, the main camera takes good shots, with solid colour and dynamic range, handling most situations decently.

The Phone (3a) Lite feature a single small, round LED in its bottom-right corner. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

However, at times, the cameras suffer from a bit of over-processing. I was expecting better cameras on the Phone (3a) Lite. Instead of including three cameras, Nothing could have opted for a single high-quality camera, as Apple did with the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air. That would have made more sense, because on the Phone (3a) Lite, the 8-megapixel ultrawide and the 2-megapixel macro aren’t any good.

That said, it’s important to remember that a device like the Phone (3a) Lite isn’t going to deliver camera results as good as the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. For the casual photographer, though, the Phone (3a) Lite’s cameras get the job done.

You can see the photos I took, and decide for yourself.

Image taken on the Phone (3a) Lite. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

Image taken on the Phone (3a) Lite. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

Image taken on the Phone (3a) Lite. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

Image taken on the Phone (3a) Lite. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

Image taken on the Phone (3a) Lite. (Image: The Indian Express/ Anuj Bhatia)

So, should you buy the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite?

For the most part, though, this is what we expected this phone to be. The Phone (3a) Lite has the quirks of a typical Nothing phone, at least in terms of design, and surely there are compromises when it comes to the processor or the cameras.

But if you are getting your first smartphone, buying one for a child, or upgrading from a really old model, you will be satisfied with what this phone offers at this price. That said, the competition in this segment is brutal, with many equally good smartphones, including Nothing’s own Phone (3a), which costs Rs 5,000 more. Ultimately, the choice is yours.