PhoneLifespan

Phone (3) vs Phone (3a)

vs

Winner

Nothing Phone (3a)

The Phone (3a) wins this one, taking display decisively. Against the Phone (3) it's also the sounder buy at $6.16 per month of safe use.

Value Score: Phone (3) 70 · Phone (3a) 75 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Nothing Phone (3) $799
Safe to buy$10.94/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Jul 20302032
Nothing Phone (3a) $349
Safe to buy$6.16/mo
2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

Category by category

Display
Phone (3) 70Phone (3a) 80

The Phone (3a)'s screen is the better one — 6.77-inch amoled, 1080×2392 (fhd+), up to 120hz, 3000 nits peak.

Performance
Phone (3) 86Phone (3a) 64

The Phone (3)'s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is simply the faster chip.

Camera
Phone (3) 79Phone (3a) 79

Camera systems are comparable on paper — pick by sample photos.

Battery
Phone (3) 83Phone (3a) 80

Battery capacities are close enough not to decide this.

Software longevity
Phone (3) 87Phone (3a) 67

The Phone (3) is supported until Jul 2032 — 16 months longer than the Phone (3a).

Value
Phone (3) 70Phone (3a) 75

Overall value goes to the Phone (3a) at $6.16 per month of safe use.

Full spec table
SpecPhone (3)Phone (3a)
Price (street)$799$349
Display6.67-inch LTPS AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 960Hz PWM dimming6.77-inch AMOLED, 1080×2392 (FHD+), up to 120Hz, 3000 nits peak
ChipsetSnapdragon 8s Gen 4Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
RAM12GB/16GB8GB/12GB
Storage256GB/512GB128GB/256GB
Battery5,150 mAh5,000 mAh
Charging65W wired, 15W wireless50W wired, no wireless
Rear cameras50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope 3x50MP main, 50MP telephoto 2x, 8MP ultra-wide
Dimensions160.6 × 75.6 × 9.0 mm163.52 × 77.50 × 8.35 mm
Weight218 g201 g
Water resistanceIP68IP64
Supported untilJul 2032Mar 2031
Phone (3) full verdict →Phone (3a) full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.