Shrewdy can't fail

Who needs a flagship phone anyway? If you're canny these days you can find solid specs, sharp design and smart features for less cash...

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BUDGET PHONES

Nothing Phone 3a Pro

What's the story?

With a camera island that bulges out from its clear rear panel, the Phone 3a Pro makes room for the sort of snappers you'd expect from the class above. Subtle it is not, especially once Nothing's signature glyph lights blink into life.

This distinctive-looking device is otherwise a dead ringer for the Phone 3a (from £329), which loses the periscope lens but delivers identical specs, the same widget-heavy version of Android, and the same unique on-device AI.

Is it any good?

Swapping polycarbonate for Gorilla Glass helps this feel like a fancier phone than its predecessor, and the step up to IP64 protection is welcome. The circular camera bump is a bit 'me too' for a firm like Nothing, though.

But with 3x optical zoom and 6x shots that hold up to Nothing's 'lossless' claim, there's no doubting the advantage this phone has over its baby brother, which has a 2x telephoto. Neither model has a great ultrawide, but the main lenses deliver clean shots with supreme detail. That's handy, as the camera app isn't as customisable as the competition.

The Snapdragon chip is a half-step quicker than the MediaTek in the old Phone 2a Plus. It's still very much in mid-range territory, and has only really gained half an hour or so of battery life. Nothing OS 3 feels nippy, but the promise of three new Android generations is merely average.

If you rarely reach for the zoom button, the Phone 3a is the obvious choice. But if you're sold on the brand's features and also want its best camera setup, go Pro.

₹27,138 / in.nothing.tech

Key specs

• 6.77in 2392x1080

• 120Hz OLED • Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 • 256GB

• 50+50+8MP rear, 50MP front • 5000mAh

• 164x78x8.9mm, 211g