Nothing has built its reputation on a distinctive industrial design, characterized by its transparent aesthetic and the unique Glyph interface. Alongside this, its devices have been known for a clean, highly customizable UI, solid performance, and good battery life, ensuring an overall smooth user experience. However, one area where Nothing’s phones have often lagged behind is camera performance—at least in comparison to rivals in the same price segment. Now, with the Nothing Phone 3a series, the company is taking steps to address this gap by integrating improved camera hardware and leveraging AI to enhance image quality. The Phone 3a Pro, for instance, introduces a periscope lens, a feature typically reserved for high-end flagship devices, offering users better optical zoom capabilities.
According to Akis Evangelidis, co-founder of Nothing and now the newly appointed India President, the company is focusing on two key areas: software experience and camera performance. “The top two key features that drive consumer choice are software experience and camera,” he explains, emphasizing that the new lineup is designed to deliver substantial improvements in both these areas.
One of the most notable shifts in the Phone 3a series is Nothing’s return to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors after its brief experiment with MediaTek in previous models. The new devices are powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a move Evangelidis describes as strategic. “At the time, MediaTek was the right choice and delivered a good user experience,” he says. “However, with the Snapdragon chipset, we saw an opportunity to improve performance and efficiency, particularly in AI capabilities. Qualcomm’s architecture is well-known, and their NPUs (Neural Processing Units) offer better AI performance.”
The shift back to Snapdragon aligns with Nothing’s broader plans to integrate AI-driven features into its devices throughout 2025. Evangelidis acknowledges the growing hype around AI but stresses that Nothing’s approach is different. “AI has been part of smartphones for years, especially in cameras and software optimization, but the recent hype has created confusion. For us, the goal is not to label everything as AI but to create genuinely useful experiences.”
One such AI-powered feature making its debut in the Phone 3a series is Essential Space, an intelligent interface designed to help users organize their digital lives more efficiently. This feature can be accessed through a dedicated hardware button located below the volume rocker and functions as a personal assistant for everyday tasks. “It’s a dedicated key, designed for easy, natural access,” Evangelidis explains. “For example, if you screenshot a concert poster, the system can remind you to book tickets and even pull up maps or links related to the event.”
By intelligently sorting information into contextual reminders, Essential Space aims to reduce digital clutter and streamline day-to-day interactions. “We’re starting small, focusing on clear, everyday use cases,” says Evangelidis. “As users interact more, the system will gradually learn their preferences and become more personalized—almost like a second brain that organizes their life.”
Nothing is also making significant advancements in camera technology with the Phone 3a series. With the introduction of a periscope lens in the Phone 3a Pro, the brand is looking to change the perception that Nothing phones struggle in the camera department. “The camera is a big focus this time,” Evangelidis confirms. The periscope lens, usually seen in premium flagship smartphones, allows for superior zoom capabilities, making the Phone 3a Pro one of the first devices in the sub-Rs 30,000 price range to offer such a feature.
With the launch of the Phone 3a series, attention is now shifting toward the upcoming Nothing Phone 3. Rumors have been circulating for months that the Phone 3 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, but given its delayed release, some industry analysts have expressed concerns about whether the chip will still feel competitive in 2025. When asked about this, Evangelidis did not confirm the specific chipset but reassured users, saying, “Don’t worry, it will be good.”
He also emphasized Nothing’s commitment to carefully selecting the right features for its devices. “We are very careful about what goes into our phones and what should not go,” he adds. With Nothing CEO Carl Pei previously stating that the company is using this extra time to deeply integrate AI into the Phone 3, it seems likely that the device will feature more advanced AI capabilities than its predecessors.
As Nothing continues to evolve, its approach remains focused on offering a unique design, a refined software experience, and now, a stronger emphasis on camera performance and AI-driven features. Whether this strategy will help Nothing carve out a larger market share in the highly competitive smartphone industry remains to be seen, but the company’s latest moves indicate a clear vision for the future.
