ARTICLE

Nothing Phone 3a: Why The Trendiest New Smartphone Has The Tech Crowd Buzzing

March 25, 2025 - 4 min read

Hands up if your phone’s main job is still making and taking calls? Anyone? No? The fact is mobile phones have morphed into so much more than mere calling devices. Whether we’re snapping photos, scrolling socials, reading the headlines or paying for stuff, our smartphones have become pretty indispensable for “doing life”.

So, if there was a new phone on the horizon, with next-level features and functions, you’d want to know about it, right? You’re in luck! Cutting-edge tech company Nothing has officially landed at The Good Guys with the Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is available now.

“We’re so excited to bring customers something refreshingly new in our smartphone line-up,” says John Wong, The Good Guys Buyer – Mobile Phones.

“These latest Nothing phones tick so many boxes for Android enthusiasts looking for innovative, seamless AI integration that's truly designed to simplify life. It offers a suite of high-performance features, plus a distinctive and eco-friendly design.”

Whether it’s time to upgrade your phone or you’re in the market for something purposefully different, here’s a handful of reasons why next-gen Nothing Phones are raising the bar in the world of smartphones.

AI That Operates As Your Memory

Take a mental load off by letting Nothing’s Essential Space AI function hold the fort. By operating as a hub that captures, processes and remembers content, it gives you headspace to focus on the important things. And activating your new “second memory” couldn’t be easier – there’s a handy thumb-operated Essential Key button on the side of the phone.

How can Essential Space AI help in real time? Imagine you’re taking a zillion screen shots as inspo for a kitchen reno. By holding down the Essential Key with each snap and saying, “Kitchen renovation project”, all those shots get stored in a dedicated Essential Space spot – and there’s zero need to trawl through your camera roll later on.

Or, if you see a poster for a food festival that looks right up your street when you’re out and about, snap a photo, press the Essential Key, say, “Remind me to buy tickets to this” – and it’s banked. Thought of four more things for your to-do list on the same walk? Record a voice note by pressing the Essential Key and get on with your day. Brain space unlocked!

A Camera That Delivers Professional Results

Prepare to be praised for your photography skills! With a 50MP, ultra-wide primary camera powered by TrueLens Engine 3.0, the Nothing Phone (3a) produce professional-grade, true-to-life photographs and videos. Both models also feature Ultra XDR, which takes a burst of eight RAW images with various exposures before combining them together to create one tonally perfect image. And while the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has a telephoto camera for a high-quality zoom when you want to pull closer to your subject.

All Nothing Phones feature a see-through, glass back panel and Glyph Interface, which is designed to help you spend less time looking at your screen. Consisting of three light strips surrounding the phone camera, the interface not only puts on a show but also alerts you to incoming calls and notifications with accompanying sound and vibration. That's a good reason to leave your device lying face down!

The Glyph Interface has a number of other handy functions too, including:

Glyph Timer: A fully lit light strip slowly drains as the timer you set runs down.
Glyph Progress: The interface allows communication with third party apps, lighting up a visual progress bar so you can monitor how far away your ride is.
Camera Countdown: Light patterns let the people you’re photographing know when not to blink.
Flip to Glyph: It allows you to opt for light-only notifications if you flip your phone face down.
Bedtime Schedule: This function temporarily disables the Glyph Interface at set times to ensure you’re not disturbed when you’re asleep.

It’s A Phone That Cares For The Planet

True to the brand’s commitment to sustainability, the latest Nothing phones have a carbon footprint of just 51.3kg CO2e, the lowest of any Nothing phone and seriously impressive, considering some smartphones come with a carbon footprint of up to 120kg CO2e.

The use of renewable energy during Nothing’s manufacturing process is part of the story – but it’s the brand’s dedication to using recycled aluminium, tin and steel to make parts and components that ensures a minimal carbon footprint. More than 60 per cent of the phones’ plastic parts are sustainably sourced, plus the packaging is 100 per cent plastic free and uses 60 per cent recycled fibre.

Are Nothing Phones Good?

In a nutshell, yes. Nothing was founded in 2020 by Carl Pei, who previously co-founded premium device and software company OnePlus.

With a mantra to build a world where tech is fun again, Nothing’s debut smartphone, Phone (1), earned Time Magazine’s prestigious Best Inventions for Innovative Smartphone Design award in 2022. Since the launch of their Phone (1), Nothing has released four more smartphones including a CMF phone ("CMF" stands for "Colour, Material, Finish" and related to the design process), as well as audio products and smart wearables, to wide acclaim and has sold 7 million units worldwide.

So, when will the Nothing Phone 3 come out?

The Nothing Phone (3a) and the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro are available now, with the flagship Nothing 3 due for release later this year.

For expert advice about mobile phones and other smart wearables, or to learn more about the new Nothing smartphones, head in-store or online where you can Pay Less every day at The Good Guys.