Phone (3a) Lite: Nothing’s first budget entry is here

Nothing's latest addition, the Phone 3a Lite, is proof that even budget phones can look bold.

At first glance, it is unmistakably a Nothing device — transparent back, clean edges, and that signature minimalist aesthetic. That said, beneath the sleek surface, there is more to talk about than design alone.

Priced at £249, the 3a Lite continues Nothing's experiment of blending high-end visuals with practical performance. The phone features a 6.77-inch flexible Amoled display, which offers crisp detail, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and brightness peaking at 3,000 nits.

For a budget device, the screen feels far from compromise. The triple-camera setup is also quite good for the budget. It consists of a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a macro lens.

Powering the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chip paired with 8GB RAM. Nothing claims it runs faster than last year's 2a model, backed by a 5,000 mAh battery promising up to 22 hours of video playback. The 33W fast charging fills half the battery in just 20 minutes, adding to its practicality.

Instead of multiple strips, its famous glyph interface is trimmed down to just a single dot LED on the back, which can be used as a notification LED, or a status symbol for camera and charging

Still, not everything is glowing. The company has confirmed that its new "Lock Glimpse" feature — essentially rotating lock-screen ads — will be part of future updates, though it remains optional for now. Pre-installed apps will also make an appearance, raising concerns among long-time fans of Nothing's clean software promise.

Despite these trade-offs, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite stands as a striking, efficient, and thoughtfully built budget phone.