In Nothing’s UK catalogue, the Phone (4a) starts at £379 and the Phone (3a) Lite at £249—a displayed difference of £130. The Phone (4a) adds a dedicated 3.5x optical-zoom periscope camera, a higher-resolution, brighter-rated display and faster wired charging on paper. The Lite costs less and still lists a 120Hz AMOLED screen and a 5,000mAh battery. These are manufacturer specifications, not independent head-to-head test results.
Nothing Phone (4a) vs Phone (3a) Lite: specifications
The comparison below uses Nothing’s published specifications. The Phone (4a) battery figure is 5,080mAh in most markets, with a 5,400mAh India variant. Regional configurations and software details can differ.
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| Specification | Nothing Phone (4a) | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite |
|---|---|---|
| UK catalogue starting price | £379 | £249 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro |
| Display | 1.5K flexible AMOLED; adaptive 30–120Hz; up to 4,500 nits peak | 6.77-inch AMOLED; 120Hz; up to 3,000 nits peak |
| Rear cameras | 50MP OIS main; 50MP periscope telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom; up to 70x ultra zoom advertised | 50MP main; 8MP ultrawide; macro camera; 0.6x–10x advertised zoom range |
| Front camera | 32MP wide-angle | 16MP |
| Battery and wired charging | 5,080mAh in most markets (5,400mAh India variant); 50W | 5,000mAh; 33W |
| Dust and water rating | IP64 | IP54 |
| Software listed on product page | Nothing OS based on Android 16; 3 Android OS updates and 6 years of security updates listed | Nothing OS 3.5; support duration not stated on the retrieved product page |
| Memory and storage shown in UK materials | Preorder terms list 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB | Retrieved product page displays 8GB/256GB |
Source: Nothing Phone (4a) product page, Nothing Phone (3a) Lite product page and Phone (4a) UK preorder terms. Peak brightness and zoom-range figures are manufacturer claims, not results from comparable independent testing.
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What is the UK price difference?
Nothing’s UK catalogue lists the Phone (4a) from £379 and the Phone (3a) Lite from £249, a £130 gap between those displayed starting prices. These catalogue prices are not guaranteed to stay fixed and may not compare identical storage configurations.
#1 Best Overall
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Nothing’s UK Phone (4a) preorder terms, last updated 13 March 2026, list £349 for 8GB/128GB, £379 for 8GB/256GB and £399 for 12GB/256GB; the terms say prices are subject to change. Check the current price and storage tier before treating the gap as like-for-like. The catalogue’s £249 Lite starting price should likewise be checked at purchase. Sources: Nothing UK phones catalogue and Nothing UK preorder terms.
Prices are regional. Nothing’s Austrian listing shows the Phone (4a) at €399 for 8GB/128GB; that is one Austria price, not a general EU price. The US Phone (3a) Lite page retrieved offers a sign-up page for 8GB/256GB without a price, and comparable current US pricing for both models is not established here. Do not convert UK prices to infer local US or European pricing. Sources: Nothing Austria Phone (4a) listing and Nothing US Phone (3a) Lite page.
Which phone has the better camera?
On the published hardware, the Phone (4a) is the more direct choice for photographing distant subjects: it has a dedicated 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom. Nothing also advertises “up to 70x ultra zoom,” but that is not 70x optical zoom; the higher range should not be treated as equivalent to a dedicated optical lens.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe 3a Lite instead lists a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide and a macro camera, with an advertised 0.6x–10x zoom range. That layout offers different camera options, but the published specifications alone do not establish which phone takes better photos overall. No independent side-by-side camera measurements are available here, and megapixel counts do not by themselves determine image quality. Sources: Nothing Phone (4a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Lite.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Display, performance and charging differences
Display
Nothing specifies a 1.5K flexible AMOLED panel for the Phone (4a), with an adaptive 30–120Hz refresh rate and up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. The 3a Lite has a 6.77-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness listed. These specifications favor the 4a for resolution and the published peak-brightness figure, but peak figures are not a substitute for controlled screen testing.
Processor
The Phone (4a) uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4; the Lite uses MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Pro. Nothing’s product pages do not establish a comparable benchmark result for these chips, so their names alone are not enough to declare a real-world speed winner.
Battery and charging
Battery capacities are close on paper: 5,080mAh for the Phone (4a) in most markets, versus 5,000mAh for the Lite. The 4a lists 50W wired charging and the Lite 33W. Nothing’s Lite page also claims up to 22 hours of YouTube playback and an AnTuTu score of 711,907, but the retrieved page does not provide an independent test methodology; neither figure is a direct comparison with the 4a. No independently measured battery-endurance comparison is established here.
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Nothing lists IP64 for the Phone (4a) and IP54 for the Phone (3a) Lite. These are dust- and water-resistance ratings, not waterproofing claims; do not assume either phone can be submerged. For software, Nothing’s Phone (4a) page lists Nothing OS based on Android 16, three Android OS updates and six years of security updates. The Lite page retrieved lists Nothing OS 3.5 but does not state a comparable support duration. Software versions and update information can vary by region and change over time. Sources: Nothing Phone (4a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Lite.
Is the Phone (4a) worth the extra money?
For the UK catalogue starting prices, the Phone (4a) costs £130 more. Whether that premium makes sense depends on what you will use: its clearest listed advantages are the optical-zoom telephoto camera, higher-resolution and higher peak-brightness-rated display, 50W charging and IP64 rating. If those features matter to you, the 4a’s specification set is the stronger fit.
The 3a Lite is the lower-priced option and still lists a 120Hz AMOLED screen, a 5,000mAh battery and three rear-camera types. It may better suit a buyer who values its lower starting price and does not need a dedicated optical telephoto camera. Neither recommendation is a measured verdict on speed, camera output or battery life: the cited comparison is based on Nothing’s published specifications, and an independent head-to-head test is not established.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
