The Nothing Phone (3a) has a versatile camera and solid performance at an incredible price -- and it's easily the best phone at the price.

Nothing's Phone 3a Pro doesn't have iOS, but it does have a great camera and design — it also comes at a price that Apple's iPhone 16e can't beat.

With their sub-$500 prices, I pit the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Pixel 8a in a 10-round photo shootout to see which is the better camera phone on a budget.

But, as a clear part of the 3a series, it also introduces some confusion, especially considering the fact that it offers many of the same features as the Nothing Phone (3a). So, is the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro the phone to beat at $459?

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn't all that different from the Nothing Phone 3a. Here are some real-world differences we observed.

The Phone Battle 2025 Begins

Despite is affordable cost, the Nothing Phoner 3a Pro has a camera performance that rivals some of the best phones, so I tried astrophotography on it.