Nothing Phone 3a Lite drops for under $500 – but is it any good?
Nothing's Phone 3a Lite marks the brand's first foray into entry-level phones, featuring a large battery and a 50MP main camera.
Nothing's CMF sub-brand has previously launched budget phones, but this is the first time the main brand is entering this category.
Here's a quick rundown of specs and features before we jump into cost and availability.
Key takeaways
- The Nothing Phone 3a Lite comes in black and white and features a glass finish.
- Nothing ditched its trademark Glyph Lights (LED lights on the back of Nothing Phones) when it launched the Nothing Phone 3 earlier. However, it's brought it back for the new Phone 3a Lite, but only for notifications.
- The 6.77-inch 1080p display has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling or animations on your phone look much smoother.
- The triple camera system is made up of a 50MP primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 16MP selfie camera. The main camera and selfie camera specs sound pretty good, but the ultra-wide lens isn't particularly impressive.
- According to Nothing, the 5,000mAh battery can last up to 2 days.
- It has an IP54 water resistance - it'll be protected from limited amounts of dust and water sprays.
- The Phone 3a Lite is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage.
- You'll get 3 years of major Android updates and 6 years of security support.
How much does the Nothing Phone 3a Lite cost?
You can get the Nothing Phone 3a Lite 128GB model for $439, or pay $489 for 256GB.
For comparison, prices for the Nothing Phone 3a start at $599 and $849 for the 3a Pro.
How can I buy the Nothing Phone 3a Lite in Australia?
Although the Nothing Phone 3a Lite has officially launched, it currently shows as 'sold out' on Nothing's website.
It will, however, be exclusively available starting 4 November 2025 from Officeworks, which did well in this year's Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.
If you'd rather get the Nothing Phone 3a or 3a Pro on a phone plan, you could consider signing up with Optus.
There's also a $250 Visa gift card on offer if you sign up for either of these plans through Finder.
Just use the same email address that you'll use to sign up with Optus and become a Finder member.
The gift card will be sent within 120 days after your purchase is verified.
Here's an example of Optus's plans on a 36-month phone repayment. When you click the 'GO TO SITE' button, a pop-up will appear asking for your email, after which you'll be taken to Optus's website to choose a Nothing Phone 3a or 3a Pro plan.
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