Nothing Phone 3a Lite price starts at 249 euros (around Rs 26,000).
It is being pitched as Nothing’s most affordable phone yet.
It is powered by the Dimensity 7300 Pro chip and has a 5,000mAh battery.
I had the chance to travel to the beautiful Neemrana Fort in Rajasthan for the launch of Nothing’s latest smartphone, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite. It’s being pitched as the brand’s most affordable phone yet, priced globally at 249 euros (around Rs 26,000). Nothing has announced two variants: one with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, and another with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, both offering expandable memory up to 2TB. While the company hasn’t revealed India pricing, judging by the trend, it’s safe to assume this one could land somewhere close to Rs 20,000.
SurveyAlso read: Nothing Phone 3a Review: A Phone That Looks as Different as It Feels
A familiar display with a premium touch
For the expected price, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite seems quite feature-packed. One of its biggest highlights is the display, a 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel that promises 3,000 nits of peak brightness and 1,300 nits in high brightness mode. The screen looks sharp and vibrant, and I particularly liked the symmetrical bezels around it, something that’s not common in this price range.
Then there’s the design, another area where Nothing continues to set itself apart. Most phones under Rs 25,000, or even Rs 30,000 for that matter, use plastic backs. But the Phone 3a Lite sports glass on both the front and back, with Panda Glass protection for added durability. It feels solid in hand, much more premium than what you’d expect at this price. The signature Nothing look remains intact too: clean, minimal, and unmistakably distinct.
Of course, you also get a toned-down version of the glyph interface, with a small glyph light on the back. It’s not as elaborate as on the higher-end Nothing phones, but it keeps the brand’s identity alive without inflating the cost.
Hardware and software details
Powering the Nothing Phone 3a Lite is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip, paired with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Under the hood, there’s a 5,000mAh battery. While I haven’t had the chance to fully test its performance yet, the chip has proven to be a reliable performer in balancing speed and efficiency. It should handle everyday tasks and moderate gaming comfortably. Of course, we’ll be able to say more once the review unit arrives and we’ve put it through its paces.
On the software side, you get Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, with three years of promised OS updates and six years of security patches. It’s a clean, snappy experience overall, with the signature Nothing design language visible throughout the interface.
Interestingly, this is the first time a Nothing phone will come with a few pre-installed apps: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, along with a lockscreen wallpaper service. While that might raise some eyebrows, all of these can be uninstalled or disabled, giving users control over what they want on their phones. Personally, I think that’s a fair middle ground, as long as users have a choice, it’s not much of a concern.
Also read: Why Nothing is adding bloatware to its phones and calling it a ‘sustainable revenue model’
Cameras and charging
The camera setup looks promising on paper. You get a triple-lens system with a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro shooter. On the front, there’s a 16MP selfie camera. While I can’t share sample images yet or comment on image quality, early impressions with pre-production software hint at decent results. The colours and details looked well-balanced during my short hands-on time, but we’ll have a clearer picture once we test the final retail unit.
One thing that might disappoint some users is the lack of a charger in the box, a trend we’ve seen many brands follow. The phone supports 33W wired charging, which isn’t the fastest around but should still be good enough for daily use.
Initial thoughts
After spending some time with the Nothing Phone 3a Lite, I can confidently say it carries the Nothing DNA: minimal, elegant, and practical. It’s got a clean aesthetic, a solid in-hand feel, and a great display, all wrapped in a design that feels more expensive than it actually is.
If the company manages to price it right in India, around that Rs 20,000 mark, this could easily be one of the best-looking phones in its class. Of course, it’s too early to pass a verdict without proper testing, but first impressions are definitely positive. The Phone 3a Lite seems like another smart move by Nothing to expand its ecosystem and reach more users without losing its identity.
Our full review will be out soon, where we’ll dive deeper into its performance, cameras, and battery life, so stay tuned.
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Aman Rashid
Aman Rashid is the Senior Assistant Editor at Digit, where he leads the website along with the brand’s YouTube, social media, and overall video operations. He has been covering consumer technology for several years, with experience across news, reviews, and features. Outside of work, Aman is a sneaker enthusiast and an avid follower of WWE, Dragon Ball, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. View Full Profile
