This week, the Nothing Phone (3a) launches as a number of older and not-so-old devices see steep price drops.
The Nothing Phone (3a) is a mid-ranger and is available in two configurations, both under €400. Nothing doesn’t do small phones, so this one is equipped with a 6.77” 1080p+ display (120Hz, 10-bit, HDR10+, 3,000 nits). Instead of a Dimensity chip, the company picked a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 this time around. The battery is a 5,000mAh cell with 50W wired-only charging.
The camera setup includes a 50MP main (1/1.57”, OIS) and now a 50MP 50mm telephoto (2x), plus an 8MP ultra-wide and a 32MP selfie. Check out our hands-on review for camera samples. If that isn’t enough camera for you, you may want to wait a couple of weeks for the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro to arrive.
Speaking of, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro gets a better tele camera – a 70mm periscope with OIS (sorely needed at longer focal lengths) and a 50MP sensor. The main camera adds Dual Pixel AF, while the selfie camera gets a 50MP sensor capable of 4K @ 30fps video capture (the regular (3a) selfie cam tops out at 1080p). Another thing to note is that the Pro has an eSIM, which is becoming a must-have for travel. One last thing to note, you can get a pair of Nothing Ear (a) TWS buds for just €14 more (these go for €80 on their own right now).
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 will be replaced by the next Flip in a few months, but the good news is that its price has been falling steeply. It’s down to €750 now, €150 lower than it was at the beginning of February.
The Realme GT 6T has seen a massive price drop – down 40%. This buys an LTPO display (6.78”, 1264p, 10-bit, 120Hz, 6,000 nits) and a fast Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chipset. The camera is nothing special (50+8MP rear, 32MP front), but the 5,500mAh battery is both large and fast (120W wired-only charging).
For a flagship experience, you can have a look at 6T’s big brother – the Realme GT 7 Pro. It has a similar LTPO display (slightly brighter and with Dolby Vision), plus a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The camera system is upgraded too, with a 50MP 73mm telephoto lens in addition to a larger sensor in the main with 8K @ 30fps support. The battery is even larger at 6,500mAh, also with 120W wired charging.
While we wait for Samsung to release the Galaxy A56, here’s a look at the Galaxy S24 FE. It costs a bit more – the A56 is €480 for 128GB and €530 for 256GB. But you get more for your money too. The S24 FE has a faster chipset (Exynos 2400e vs. 1580), better water resistance (IP68 vs. IP67), a telephoto camera (8MP 75mm) and a USB-C port capable of outputting DeX to an external display. Note that S24 FE’s battery is smaller (4,700mAh vs. 5,000mAh) and slower to charge with a cable (25W vs. 45W), but it also has a wireless option (15W).
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