The Nothing Phone (3a) has a versatile camera and solid performance at an incredible price -- and it's easily the best phone at the price.

The camera specifications are middling on paper, but it's the cool-looking chassis and light-up backside that always gets us.

Nothing's Phone 3a Pro doesn't have iOS, but it does have a great camera and design — it also comes at a price that Apple's iPhone 16e can't beat.

Nothing unveiled its 2025 mid-range phones, and the Phone 3a Pro and Phone 3a are all about camera features and an AI key.

With their sub-$500 prices, I pit the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Pixel 8a in a 10-round photo shootout to see which is the better camera phone on a budget.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn't all that different from the Nothing Phone 3a. Here are some real-world differences we observed.

But, as a clear part of the 3a series, it also introduces some confusion, especially considering the fact that it offers many of the same features as the Nothing Phone (3a). So, is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro the phone to beat at $459?

The Phone Battle 2025 Begins

Despite is affordable cost, the Nothing Phoner 3a Pro has a camera performance that rivals some of the best phones, so I tried astrophotography on it.