ZDNET's key takeaways The Nothing Phone 3a Pro offers exceptional value at its $459 sale price.
An improved design, camera stack, and charging speed round out this year's upgrades.
The lack of wireless charging and IP rating is easy to shoulder, but not the lack of retail presence. View now at Nothing View now at Amazon View now at Walmart more buying choices
There's no greater reality check for a tech journalist than when you're at a family gathering, set your phone on the dining table, and the gravitational pull of innovation does its thing. The curious eyes, familiar questions, and impatient hands of younger cousins are almost always guaranteed when I'm testing the latest iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, etc. But lately, this phenomenon has been happening less and less.
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Even foldable phones have lost some of their appeal to mainstream eyes, which I blame on stagnant, never-decreasing prices. But the latest device from Nothing that I've been testing, the Phone 3a Pro, seems to have reinvigorated things. Perhaps it's the transparent back design, the glowing Glyph lights, or the absolute island of a camera bump that screams, "I take good photos." Everyone seems to have a different answer to this one.
After testing the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for months now, I get the discourse. But one thing's for certain: At $459, you can't find a more well-rounded handset than this.
Nothing's products have led the way in industrial design -- as far as creativity and detail are concerned -- since the company's inception, and the Phone 3a Pro is no different. Whether you opt for the all-black finish or the slightly more exciting gray, the phone sports a transparent backing that shields the various screws, data ribbons, and components underneath.
Like previous Nothing phones, the Glyph interface is present, a unique assembly of LED lights that blink to indicate incoming notifications, alerts, and timers.
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