Phone (3a) Lite

The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is a surprise late addition to the Phone (3a) series range, aimed at the budget market. Thought to reuse some of the hardware from the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the 3a Lite features a toned-down design, while maintaining the transparent aesthetic. It also features a single “Glyph Light” on the rear panel, in the lower right corner, providing some features of the Glyph Interface.

The Phone (3a) Lite was announced on 27 October 2025 and launched on 29 October, priced at £249 / €249 for the base 8+128GB model, and £279 / €289 for the higher storage 8+256GB model. Sales started for select markets, which excluded India, on the same day as the launch.

Nothing Store Soho hosted a launch event on 1 November 2025, where those that entered the queue within the first hour and purchased a Phone (3a) Lite would receive a free Ear (open). Scratch cards were also handed out for a chance to win Phone (3a) Lite and Nothing merchandise.^[1]

With the launch of Phone (3a) Lite, Nothing introduced Lock Glimpse as part of Nothing OS 4.0 to the (a) series and CMF phones. This was a feature designed to bring “fresh, high-quality wallpapers to your lock screen, curated to your taste across nine categories”.^[2] The introduction of Lock Glimpse faced immediate backlash from the community, hailing it as “bloatware” on an otherwise clean OS.^[3]

The Phone (3a) Lite entered the Indian market on 27 November, with general availability online, and a limited Drops event in Delhi. At this time, they also announced an exclusive colour for India devices: Blue.^[4] The event gave customers the opportunity to get hands-on and purchase Phone (3a) Lite, meet some of the Nothing team and enjoy coffee, snacks and music. The first 20 purchasers received free Ear (open), while three lucky winners of a challenge also received Ear (open).^[5]

On 7 January 2026, some tech accounts on X posted announcements regarding a red edition of the Phone (3a) Lite, which was released as a Rakuten Mobile exclusive in Japan only.^[6,7]

Colour Options: Phone (3a) Lite is available in White and Black variants globally. There is a Blue model in India and a Red model in Japan.

Back Design: While the Phone (3a) Lite does feature Nothing’s well-known transparency, the design has been toned down compared to other models. Some users online speculated whether the square on the back could be a removable battery compartment.^[8] The phone also featured a Glyph Light - a single LED pixel, similar to a camera flash, in the bottom right corner. This has similar features to the traditional Glyph Interface, used primarily for call and app notifications, Essential Notifications and a camera countdown.

Front Display: A 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED panel with 1080 x 2392 resolution, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3000 nits.

Build: Featuring a plastic frame, Panda Glass front and back. It’s IP54 dust protected and water resistant and weighs 199g.^[9]

Processor: Powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro, supported by a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU.

Memory: Available in 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM / 256 GB storage variants.

Connectivity: Wifi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Dual nano SIM, USB-C, LTE and 5G band support.^[9]

Rear Camera: Features a triple setup with a 50 MP wide (OIS), 8 MP ultrawide, and 2 MP macro. Supports video up to 4K@30fps.

Front Camera: A 16 MP wide selfie camera.

Speakers: Stereo output (no 3.5 mm jack).^[9]

Battery: A 5,000 mAh battery.

Charging: 33 W wired, 5W reverse wired charging.^[9]

OS: Launches with Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, with 3 years of Android updates and 6 years of security patches.^[1]

Features:

• Glyph Light - a new take on the Glyph Interface - a single light, inspired by classic notification lights. It features Flip to Glyph, Essential Notifications and a camera countdown.
• Comes with an Essential Key and Essential Space.^[1]