€250 smartphone: Is the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite a new price hit?

Nothing is launching the Phone (3a) Lite, which offers remarkably good hardware for 250 euros. But when you look at the specifications, the device seems somehow familiar.

British manufacturer Nothing is one of the few truly interesting smartphone newcomers of the past three years. This is due in part to its fresh, distinctive design, some exceptional features, and clever marketing, but also to high-quality hardware and software at comparatively low prices. The company's latest product is the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite, which, at just under €250, is aimed at particularly price-conscious users.

In fact, the specifications suggest a strong price-performance ratio. The device has a 6.77-inch AMOLED display that offers a sharp 387 pixels per inch (ppi) and a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz (Hz). With a brightness of up to 3000 nits, the panel can also be quite bright.

The IP54-rated, dustproof and waterproof smartphone is powered by the solid mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G chip, paired with 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM. Flash storage is available in either 128 or 256 GB sizes. If that's not enough, microSD cards with capacities up to 2 terabytes (TB) can be inserted.

Standard cameras, large battery

On the back, there is a 50-megapixel (MP) main camera with an f/1.88 aperture and an 8-MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The front camera (f/2.45) takes 16 MP pictures.

The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite should have excellent battery life, thanks to its 5000 mAh battery. It can be charged at up to 33 watts with a sufficiently powerful power adapter. Wireless charging is not supported.

Extra button for Essential Space

As an extra feature, the device offers an additional button. This allows you to quickly add screenshots or camera images to the so-called Essential Space. It's also possible to make voice cues that are converted to text, or to summarize text recognized in recordings. A double press of the button opens the corresponding app. A long press takes you directly to voice input.

Additionally, the rear camera light can blink differently for notifications, messages, or calls. For group photos, it displays a countdown.

Nothing only guarantees three Android updates, but to comply with an EU regulation, the Phone (3a) Lite receives security patches for six years.

Almost identical in construction to the CMF Phone 2 Pro

With these specifications, the device is a potential bargain, but it's not really new. Comparing its technical specifications to those of the CMF Phone 2 Pro reveals that they are identical. Essentially, only the back covers are different.

The reason for the re-release could be that the British company has not achieved the desired success in some markets with its more affordable sub-brand CMF, or that it is not represented in some countries.

That's not objectionable, but potential buyers should be aware that they have two options for the same hardware and software, which ntv.de, by the way, rated highly. Currently, however, there is no significant price difference.