Review of Notting Phone 3a Pro; Fresh and demanding

The Nutting company had not yet come out of the phase of introducing its different flagship, which introduced two new mid-rangers to the eyes of users. Two phones, one of which bears the title Pro, but has the same hardware as the regular version. These two models are Notting Fone 3a and Notting Fone 3a Pro. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is standing in front of you with a 6.8-inch screen, a 5000 mAh battery, a triple camera and 12 GB of RAM; But the main question here is what exactly does this “Pro” extension offer more professionally? When the regular version is even equipped with a zoom camera, then what should we look for in the Pro model? We answer this question in the review of Notting Phone 3a Pro.

The price of Notting Phone 3a Pro in Iran

The 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal memory version, which is considered the best phone and the most complete Nothing Phone 3a Pro model, is now the only model that has officially entered the Iranian market. This version without registry costs about 55 million Tomans, and in case of full registration, the final figure usually fluctuates between 70 and 80 million Tomans. Due to the limited supply of this phone and high initial demand, prices may be slightly higher or lower depending on the seller.

Of course, Nutting has also produced 8.128 and 8.256 GB versions for Nutting Phone 3a Pro. But unfortunately, these two models are almost not found in the Iranian market, and the official import or their number is reported to be very limited. On the other hand, only 12/256 version has been released in the western markets and this version has reached Iran and is currently the only choice of buyers. A choice that, although expensive, offers the most complete experience of this particular mid-range.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro package contents

Although Nutting is a new brand and its slogan is based on improving the user experience, at least this slogan has not affected the packaging. Because you won’t find much inside the box of this phone. The packaging of Nothing Phone 3a Pro only includes the phone itself and the charging cable, and that’s it. There is no news about the charger, nor any other accessories are provided with the device. You have to pay separately for everything else, from chargers to cases and screen protectors. The negative point is that many accessories of this model are still very rare in the Iranian market.

Luckily, stores like Digikala have some of these Notting Phone 3a Pro accessories available. But it is not possible to find them in the traditional market. So, if you intend to buy this phone, it is better to consider the additional cost and the trouble of finding additional equipment.

Design and build quality of Notting Phone 3a Pro

Noting Phone 3a Pro looks both familiar and different at the first glance. Familiar because the same spirit of minimal and semi-transparent Knotting design is still alive. Different in that it has a new identity this time. The large and round island of cameras on the back of the body has given the phone a special and distinctive face; Something that cannot be seen in any other model of Nutting. The Nutting brand has created more space in the back to accommodate the periscopic lens, and this small change has made the appearance of the device bolder.

But the charm of the story does not end only with the glass appearance and unique design. Glyph Interface continues to star. Three light strips and 26 independent LEDs that can be synchronized with phone ringtones, notifications, music playback and even camera timers. These lights are now not only a part of visual beauty, but also a small but functional flasher for the camera. Notingphone 3a Pro still retains the same seductive glow of the past, but in a more mature and professional form.

The color variety of this model is limited to black and gray. The standard version of the 3a also has an attractive blue color, but unfortunately it is not available in the Pro model. However, the feeling of holding the phone is so good and the control of the device is so stable that the limited color gamut may not be too noticeable. The new 6.77-inch screen is designed with slightly sharper corners, and although the phone is slightly larger this year, there is still a pleasant harmony between size and ergonomics.

The quality of construction has also moved towards improvement. This time Nutting chose the back panel made of glass; An event that creates a more premium feeling. Although it cannot be said with certainty that Panda Glass is used, its resistance is beyond that of ordinary glass. The most interesting part is that Nutting still places a special emphasis on environmental sustainability: using 100% recycled aluminum in the frame, 60% sustainable plastic and completely plastic-free packaging. The only strange thing is the frame issue. Nutting says the frame is all aluminum, but the lack of antenna lines and a more plastic-like texture cast some doubt on that claim.

In terms of body resistance, the IP64 standard has been slightly improved compared to the previous generation, but it still does not allow submersion in water. From the front, the Notting Phone 3a Pro is very similar to the regular version; A display with balanced edges, hidden sensors under the screen and a hidden speaker in a small groove. The optical fingerprint sensor under the display works accurately and quickly and provides a reliable experience. This simplicity and cleanliness in the front design has made the user focus more on the content of the display.

Finally, one of the important changes of this generation is the addition of a new button called Essential Key on the right side of the body; Just below the power button. This closeness can be confusing in the early days, but this key will open your way to a new feature called Essential Space. You can send content with a single tap, record a voice message with a hold, and access the archive of recorded content with a double tap. This new button is one of the important differences between the Notting Fone 3a Pro and the previous models.

Review of the Notting Phone 3a Pro display

The 6.77-inch display of the Notting Phone 3a Pro is one of the strengths of this particular mid-range. OLED panel with FullHD+ resolution and support for 10-bit color menu and HDR10+ standard, which provides a clear, colorful and eye-catching experience. The brightness of this generation has made a serious jump and now reaches up to 800 nits in normal mode, up to 1300 nits in HBM and even up to 3000 nits at the peak of HDR; A figure that makes the content completely readable even under direct sunlight.

The refresh rate is also a maximum of 120 Hz and in Dynamic mode it changes between 30, 60, 90 and 120 Hz depending on the content. The only downside of this part is the lack of proper support for 120Hz games, which still doesn’t work in many titles. However, the overall visual quality of the display is at a very competitive level.

Notting Phone 3a Pro battery

The 5000 mAh battery of the Notting Fone 3a Pro provides decent and reliable performance. The 3rd generation Snapdragon 7s chip is energy efficient and the result is good durability in daily use. However, the overall result is a little lower than the previous generation and there is room for improvement in the gaming and web surfing department. The final output is a stable performance that will be satisfactory in most scenarios.

Review of Notting Phone 3a Pro phone charger

Nutting claims that this phone charges at 50 watts; Of course, only compatible with PD+PPS chargers. In a hands-on test with a powerful PPS charger, the device never received more than 30W of power, but it still has an acceptable charging speed. It takes only 15 minutes to charge the battery from zero to 33% and it takes about 23 minutes to reach 50%. Full charging also takes a little more than an hour. There is no wireless charging, but the speed of wired charging is sufficient to carry out the daily experience without any problems.

Notting phone 3a Pro speakers

The sound system of this phone is a hybrid stereo type; That is, the lower speaker is combined with the conversation speaker, which plays the role of the second speaker. Despite this asymmetric structure, the sound output is clear, loud and without distortion and offers a quality close to Nothing Phone 2.

The bass is still average, but the sound power has increased compared to the 2a generation, and now the Notting Fone 3a Pro has achieved a Very Good rating in the loudness test, which is a completely acceptable and even admirable result for a mid-range.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro software and hardware

Software

Notting Phone 3a Pro comes with Android 15 and Nothing OS 3.1 skin; A combination that is now more mature, cleaner and more harmonious than ever. The user interface is designed with the same mood of the famous Dot Engine and monochrome icons, matrix font and a lot of exclusive widgets, a total of 18 widgets, give the device a unique visual identity. Notifications, quick settings, and the home screen are designed to convey both the pure Android feel and the Nothing signature. Updates are also seen in the Gallery and Camera apps that make the user experience more attractive.

In Nothing OS 3.1, a set of practical and creative features can be seen; From minimal Always-on Display to Smart Drawer for smart categories of apps. Software support includes three versions of Android and six years of security updates; Not the best in the market, but perfectly acceptable and suitable for premium mid-range users. Along with these, a set of special features such as AirPods support, Glyph Progress to track Uber status and full integration with Notting and CMF audio devices are also built into the system.

But one of the most different features is Essential Space; A smart hub for everyday organization activated with the new Essential Key button. With a single press you can send a screenshot or photo to the environment, with a double tap you can see the saved content and with a long hold you can send a voice note to be converted into text by AI. Although this feature is more suitable for users with a specific note-taking style, it is a different step in terms of technology and innovation.

Hardware and performance stability under heavy pressure

Noting Phone 3a Pro uses Snapdragon 7s 3rd generation chipset; A 4nm chip that has powerful and stable performance in the mid-range class. The combination of a 2.5 GHz core, three 2.4 GHz cores and four low-consumption 1.8 GHz cores together with the Adreno 810 graphics processor makes the user experience at a completely fast, smooth and non-stop level. In everyday use, from social networks to heavy multitasking, there is no particular slowness, and thanks to 12 GB of RAM and UFS 2.2 memory, the speed of opening apps and switching between them is satisfactory.

In general, the Noting Phone 3a Pro is considered weaker in terms of processing than phones such as Galaxy A55, Xiaomi 14T, Poco X7 Pro and Motorola Edge 50 Pro.

One of the important strengths of the Notting Fone 3a Pro is its exemplary thermal management. Although the 3rd generation 7s chip gets hot in heavy tests, the heat produced is transferred to the body with a suitable design, and there is no sign of a severe drop in performance.

In long-term tests, the decrease in processing power was very slight and without sudden inconsistencies, and the phone provided quite stable performance. As a result, Nutting has been able to provide one of the best thermal throttling behaviors in this class; So that even during long presses, the power of the device is almost maintained and there is no noticeable lag in the user experience.

Review of the Notting Phone 3a Pro camera

In the camera department, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro uses a quad-sensor combination that includes a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel zoom camera with 3x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 50-megapixel selfie camera.

Despite the sub-$500 price tag, this setup offers the user plenty of high-resolution sensors. This is the reason why this model scored 135 points in PhoneArena’s camera benchmark. Although this score is far from the high record of flagships like Galaxy S25 Ultra, it is quite respectable for the price of the device. The main weakness in the camera score is the relatively low resolution of the ultra-wide camera and the limited power of zooming in video mode. However, in other departments, the performance of the phone is not at the perfect level, but close to the high standards.

In checking the quality of recorded photos, the device’s camera provides good performance in sufficient light environments. Colors are mostly realistic and details are preserved. In scenes with high dynamic range, the camera sometimes has trouble managing the light, and either the highlights are too bright or the shadows are too dark. In low-light environments, the software’s attempt to increase brightness sometimes causes a loss of color accuracy, especially in skin color.

In the field of portrait photography, the Notting Fone 3a Pro records an acceptable output in the right light. The bokeh created, while not quite like professional cameras, is natural and fairly accurate, and most of the edge parts of the subject are correctly detected. However, in low light, the accuracy of subject separation is reduced and quality loss is observed.

In the video recording department, Nothing Phone 3a Pro is capable of recording 4K videos with the main camera and the telephoto camera. The ultra-wide camera is only capable of recording 1080p video due to the use of an 8-megapixel sensor. The overall video quality is decent and the dynamic range is slightly lower than competitors such as the Galaxy S24 FE, but still at an acceptable level. The colors are recorded vividly and naturally, and the anti-vibration, despite not being the best on the market, offers a good and stable performance. In general, in good lighting conditions, this phone is capable of producing high-quality and reliable videos.

summary; Is the Notting Fone 3a Pro worth buying?

In general, the Notting Fone 3a Pro is not worth buying considering its price of around 70 to 80 million tomans. If different design, smooth user experience and telephoto camera are important to you, this phone is an attractive choice. Good display, suitable hardware for daily use and minimal and well-made user interface are its important strengths. In the price range of this phone, there are many competitors, but there are few models that offer such a unique look and a different user experience. Also, this phone has an acceptable performance in almost all areas and is completely sufficient for everyday use.

But our suggestion is to buy other phones. Including the Poco F7 Pro, which is much more powerful. Poco X7 Pro, which is both a special phone in terms of appearance and has exceptional power at half the price of the Notting Phone 3a Pro. Xiaomi 15T, which is a very beautiful, powerful and high-quality phone, has a higher build quality than the representative of Notting. Finally, we suggest to buy Galaxy S25 FE or Galaxy A56, Honor 400 and Edge 60 Pro. All these phones have a very high purchase value and offer more features than the Notting Phone 3a Pro in terms of hardware, software, and artificial intelligence.

Source: PhoneArena