The appearance of Nothing's first entry-level smartphone 'Phone (3a) Lite' looks like this
Nothing's first entry-level model, the Phone (3a) Lite , was released on January 15, 2026. It is said to be a Lite model while maintaining Nothing's unique stylish exterior and UI. The Phone (3a) Lite arrived at the GIGAZINE editorial department, so we first took a closer look at its appearance.
Phone (3a) Lite | Nothing | JP
The Phone (3a) Lite comes in two colors: black and white, and in Japan, it's also available in red, which is exclusive to Rakuten Mobile. I borrowed the black and white version.
In addition to the Phone (3a) Lite itself, the box contained a dedicated case, a USB Type-C cable, a SIM tray removal tool, and safety and warranty documents.
The SIM tray removal tool was not a flat type, but rather a type with a transparent handle.
This is the Phone (3a) Lite. The exterior is made of aluminum and tempered glass.
The rear camera consists of three cameras: a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera.
The Nothing logo is also printed on it.
The model name and CE mark are also stylishly placed.
The display type is flexible AMOLED, measuring 6.77 inches, the surface material is panda glass, the resolution is 1080 x 2392 pixels, the normal brightness is 800 nits, the peak brightness is 3000 nits, the maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz, and the touch sampling rate is 1000 Hz. A screen protector is also pre-applied.
It also has a punch-hole front camera with a pixel count of 16MP.
The display bezel is approximately 3mm wide.
There is a volume control button on the left side, which is inconspicuous as the button and frame are the same color.
The right side is equipped with a power button and an Essential Key, which is used to take screenshots and launch the AI feature 'Essential Space.'
There is a USB Type-C port and a SIM tray on the bottom.
There are no buttons on the top.
The dimensions are 164mm high x 78mm wide x 8.3mm thick, and the weight is 199g.
The white version looks like this, with a red accent on the top right of the back.
The camera and side buttons are black.
Photographed from different angles. Both the black and white designs are cool.
Nothing's smartphones are equipped with a glowing notification system called 'Glyph.' Some models have LED lights
I recorded a video of how the Glyph light lights up when a call comes in. While it retains the distinctive electronic sound that's typical of Nothing products, the light is quite subtle.
The Phone (3a) Lite comes with a transparent case.
I tried putting on a case.
The back looks like this.
The edges of the lens are higher than the protruding lens, preventing the lens from touching the ground and reducing the risk of scratches.
The weight with the case attached was 220g.
The Phone (3a) Lite has 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G SoC, and is priced at 42,800 yen on the official store.
We will be publishing a review article at a later date in which we will run benchmark tests and take photos on the iPhone (3a) Lite.
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Summary of benchmark results and battery life for Nothing's low-cost smartphone 'Phone (3a) Lite' - GIGAZINE
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in Hardware, Smartphone, Review, Posted by log1o_hf