Google Pixel 4a 5G vs Nothing Phone 3
The Verdict
The Google Pixel 4a 5G and Nothing Phone 3 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Google Pixel 4a 5G is the cheaper of the two at $499 versus $799, a difference of about $300. The Nothing Phone 3 is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Google Pixel 4a 5G stands out for excellent pixel camera quality with night sight and astrophotography, while Nothing Phone 3 is praised for unique glyph interface design with customizable led patterns. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Google Pixel 4a 5G if…
- →Excellent Pixel camera quality with Night Sight and astrophotography
- →5G connectivity at an affordable $499 launch price
- →Clean stock Android with 3 years of guaranteed updates
Buy the Nothing Phone 3 if…
- →Unique Glyph Interface design with customizable LED patterns
- →50 MP triple camera with 3x periscope telephoto
- →Clean Nothing OS with 5 years of Android upgrades
Pros & Cons
Google Pixel 4a 5G
Pros
- Excellent Pixel camera quality with Night Sight and astrophotography
- 5G connectivity at an affordable $499 launch price
- Clean stock Android with 3 years of guaranteed updates
- 3.5mm headphone jack — rare on modern smartphones
- Lightweight at 168 g with comfortable in-hand feel
Cons
- 60Hz display when competitors offered 90Hz or 120Hz
- 3885 mAh battery barely lasts a full day with 5G
- No water resistance — not even IP52
- Only 18W charging with no wireless charging
- Snapdragon 765G is mid-range — not flagship performance
Nothing Phone 3
Pros
- Unique Glyph Interface design with customizable LED patterns
- 50 MP triple camera with 3x periscope telephoto
- Clean Nothing OS with 5 years of Android upgrades
- 65W fast charging and 15W wireless charging
- IP68 water and dust resistance
Cons
- 218g is on the heavier side
- USB 2.0 instead of USB 3.x
- Camera post-processing behind top flagships
Full Specifications
| Spec | Google Pixel 4a 5G | Nothing Phone 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 11 | Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 168 g | 218 g |
| Material | Polycarbonate back, 3.5mm headphone jack | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus back |
| IP rating | None | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 153.9 x 74 x 8.2 mm | 160.6 x 75.6 x 9.0 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", OIS, PDAF |
| Front camera | 8 MP, f/2.0 | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 4K@30/60fps |
| Ultrawide | 16 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114-degree |
| Telephoto | — | 50 MP, f/2.7, 3x optical zoom, periscope, OIS |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 6 GB | 12 GB / 16 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3885 mAh | 5150 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired | 65W wired |
| Wireless charging | No | 15W wireless, 5W reverse |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.2 inches | 6.67 inches |
| Type | OLED | OLED, HDR10+ |
| Resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 1260 x 2800 |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 700 | 4500 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz + 1x2.2 GHz + 6x1.8 GHz) | Octa-core (1x3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 + 3x3.0 GHz A720 + 2x2.8 GHz A720 + 2x2.0 GHz A720) |
| GPU | Adreno 620 | Adreno 825 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.1 | USB-C 2.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
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