Nothing Phone (3a)vsOnePlus Nord 3
SETTLEDUpdated September 8, 2026
Nothing Phone (3a) wins
Verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins 3 of 5 categories — our overall pick
Nothing Phone (3a) is the overall winner, 3 / 5 — price is its standout. At USD 379, it's also the most affordable of this group.
- OnePlus Nord 3 takes Performance — led by performance score (1,000,000 pts).
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Display — led by peak brightness (3,000 nits).
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Camera — led by telephoto (Yes).
- OnePlus Nord 3 takes Battery — led by charging speed (80 W).
- Nothing Phone (3a) takes Price — led by price (379 USD).
Scores follow our published methodology · v2026.09
In plain English
Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want…
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a bigger screen — 6.77 in vs 6.74 in.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a screen you can read in sunlight — 3,000 nits vs 1,450 nits.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want sharper selfies — 32 MP vs 16 MP.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want true optical zoom — Yes vs No.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a better camera — 126 pts vs 125 pts.
- Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if you want a lower price — 379 USD vs 399 USD.
Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if you want…
- Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if you want a faster phone for apps and games — 1,000,000 pts vs 700,000 pts.
- Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if you want a sharper screen — 450 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if you want better video quality — 90 pts vs 87 pts.
- Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if you want faster charging — 80 W vs 50 W.
At a glance
- Nothing Phone (3a)
- OnePlus Nord 3
Click a label to jump to that section ↓
Best price now
Full record
Every spec, side by side — winners get a check and a proportional bar. Ties share the badge.
Performance score
Approximate benchmark score of the chipset — higher is faster for apps, games and AI.
Chipset
The processor inside — shown for reference, never decides a winner.
RAM
More RAM keeps more apps alive in the background.
Storage
Base onboard storage for photos, apps and media.
Screen size
Diagonal screen size — bigger is better for media, smaller is easier to hold.
Pixel density
Sharpness of the screen — above ~400 ppi looks crisp.
Refresh rate
How smooth scrolling and motion feel. 120 Hz is the modern standard.
Peak brightness
Peak brightness in sunlight — higher stays readable outdoors.
Main camera
Resolution of the primary rear camera — photo quality is judged by the Camera quality score, not megapixels.
Selfie camera
Resolution of the front camera.
Telephoto
A dedicated zoom lens for distant subjects without quality loss.
Video score
Composite video rating — stabilisation, 4K/8K support and colour.
Camera score
Composite camera quality from independent testing — how good the photos actually are.
Battery
Battery capacity — higher generally lasts longer.
Charging speed
Wired charging speed — higher refills faster.
Wireless charging
Whether the phone charges wirelessly.
Price
Typical MSRP in US dollars — lower is better value.
Which one should you buy?
Nothing Phone (3a)
Choose Nothing Phone (3a) if price matters most — it wins the most categories overall. It costs USD 379, the lowest price in this group.
OnePlus Nord 3
Choose OnePlus Nord 3 if battery matters most. It costs USD 399.
Pros & cons
Nothing Phone (3a)
- Unique Glyph design
- 3x telephoto
- Clean software
- Mid-range chipset
- 50 W charging
- Average selfies
OnePlus Nord 3
- Dimensity 9000
- 80 W charging
- 120 Hz AMOLED
- Average cameras
- No wireless charging
- Software quirks