Google Pixel 8a vs Nothing Phone 3
The Verdict
The Google Pixel 8a and Nothing Phone 3 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The Google Pixel 8a 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 8a stands out for flagship-grade tensor g3 chip at mid-range price, 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 8a if…
- →Flagship-grade Tensor G3 chip at mid-range price
- →Seven years of software updates (rare at this price)
- →Excellent main camera for the class
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 8a
Pros
- Flagship-grade Tensor G3 chip at mid-range price
- Seven years of software updates (rare at this price)
- Excellent main camera for the class
- Bright 120Hz OLED display
- Wireless charging support
Cons
- Slow 18W wired charging
- Smaller battery than competitors
- Plastic back instead of glass
- No telephoto camera
- Bezels are thicker than the flagship Pixels
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 8a | Nothing Phone 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 14 | Android 15, Nothing OS 3.5 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 188 g | 218 g |
| Material | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 3 | Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus back |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Dimensions | 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm | 160.6 x 75.6 x 9.0 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 64 MP, f/1.89, OIS | 50 MP, f/1.7, 24mm, 1/1.3", OIS, PDAF |
| Front camera | 13 MP, f/2.2 | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 4K@60fps | 4K@30/60fps |
| Ultrawide | 13 MP, f/2.2, 120-degree | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114-degree |
| Telephoto | — | 50 MP, f/2.7, 3x optical zoom, periscope, OIS |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB / 16 GB |
| Storage options | 128 GB, 256 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 4492 mAh | 5150 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired | 65W wired |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W (Qi) | 15W wireless, 5W reverse |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.67 inches |
| Type | Actua OLED | OLED, HDR10+ |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 1260 x 2800 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 4500 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | Nona-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4x2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4x2.15 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (1x3.21 GHz Cortex-X4 + 3x3.0 GHz A720 + 2x2.8 GHz A720 + 2x2.0 GHz A720) |
| GPU | Immortalis-G715s MC10 | Adreno 825 |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.0 | USB-C 2.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 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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