Nothing Phone 3a Community Edition First Impressions: A Fresh Take on Budget Smartphones

SO, as someone who has covered countless smartphone launches, the question that comes to mind is which smartphone will stand out in this crowded market where every day brings the launch of another flagship smartphone? Well, we'll find out today because the Nothing Phone 3a Community Edition, which was released a few days ago, is one of them. SO this smartphone launched in December 2025, and it is a limited-edition version of the Nothing Phone 3a created through collaboration between Nothing and its community, with only 1,000 units available globally. The main consideration is the price, so this smartphone costs around £379 which would be somewhere around Rs.42,000 in India. This smartphone does not come alone, but it has a nostalgic 90s-inspired design and modern features that will keep you up to date. So our team spent some time with it, and here are my initial thoughts. If you are looking for a Nothing Phone.

Nothing has built its brand on transparency, which is evident in their style, with see-through designs and community involvement. This edition is a complete collaboration between Nothing and the fan community, with people able to design their own Nothing smartphone, including the back, software, and packaging. Although it is based on the standard Phone 3a, its custom color scheme and exclusive wallpapers give it a unique touch. At first glance, it appears to be a solid mid-range option, competing with phones such as the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A55, but a plot twist has turned it into something crazy.

Design and Build Quality

The Nothing Phone 3a Community Edition is nearly identical to the standard Nothing 3a, but it retains the brand's signature Glyph interface and a set of LED lights on the back that light up for notifications, calls, and more. But what really stands out is the teal colorway, which evokes memories of a tech gadget from the 1990s. It's not only over the top, but the soft metallic finish shifts subtly under light, giving it a premium feel without being overly flashy. If we look at its dimensions, this phone measures approximately 162 x 76 x 8.6mm and weighs approximately 190g, making it comfortable to hold for an extended period of time, such as during a long phone call or something else.

This smartphone's build consists of a plastic frame with a glass back, which feels sturdy but lacks the luxury of metal. It has an IP54 dust and water resistance rating, making it dust- and splash-proof, which is standard for this price. The flat edges and rounded corners make it easy to hold, and the raised camera module adds a modern and edgy look that causes slight wobble on flat surfaces, just like any other smartphone. The side buttons are tactile, including the power button, which also functions as a quick and reliable fingerprint scanner.

One feature that differs from the standard Nothing Phone 3a (a community-driven feature) is the customizable Glyph patterns, which allow you to create light shows for various alerts. It's entertaining and useful, especially if you keep your phone face down. Overall, the design is thoughtful and user-centered.

Display Performance

So, when it comes to the display, you'll find a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2412 pixels), which provides you with a seamless visual experience and is sharp enough for daily use, with vibrant colors that can enhance your experience whether you're gaming or watching your favorite Netflix show. While the 120 Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and animations, it is not the same as some competing brands' 144 Hz refresh rates. It has a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, making outdoor visibility clear even in direct sunlight.

Colors were accurate out of the box in my testing, but you can adjust them in the settings to get a more vibrant appearance.

Performance and Software Experience

SO As previously stated, this smartphone is based on the standard Nothing 3a, making it identical to it. Additionally, this smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, which is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in this variant, providing you with a smooth multitasking experience. Even if you are not a multitasker, it can handle common tasks such as social media, email, and web browsing without lagging. We also tried some heavy tasks; it performed well without any major frame drops. Gaming is the most demanding and useful task for achieving optimal performance, and this is where it surprises. We tested titles like Genshin Impact, which ran at medium settings with little lag thanks to the efficient processor and good thermal management. According to the user experience It does not overheat during extended use, which is beneficial for mobile gamers. If we look at the benchmarks, we'll compare it to other mid-rangers, while the AnTuTu score is around 600,000.

It runs Android 15, which is based on Nothing OS 3.1 and provides a clean, bloatware-free interface. The Community Edition extras include exclusive themes and icons co-designed by fans, giving it a more personal touch. Although nothing guarantees three years of OS updates and four years of security patches.

Camera Capabilities

Now we come to the most frequently asked feature and specification, the camera setup. This smartphone has a three-camera setup on the back, with a 50MP main sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro, as well as a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls. This setup provides a good imaging experience in both bright and low light conditions. The main lens offers sharp images, and the ultrawide lens works well for landscapes.

The low-light performance is also satisfactory, with Night mode brightening shots. In the case of Portraits it has good subject separation, and the selfie camera produces clear results for video calls. While the video recording is capable of recording at 4K 30 fps, it is stable due to electronic stabilization. Although it does not provide a flagship-level telephoto zoom, it is adequate for social media and casual photos. It does have AI scene optimization, which helps with enhancements, but it can sometimes overprocess colors. To be honest, if photography is your top priority, you may want to look elsewhere for a better option, but for the price, it's a solid performer.

Battery and Charging

So the smartphone comes With a 5,000 mAh battery, you can get a full day of mixed use, including emails, calls, streaming, and gaming. Even with the screen set to high brightness, it ended the day with 40-50% battery life. For all of this, we can thank Nothing's smart power management, which optimizes background apps

While all this, it provides 45W wired charging support (charger not included); it can charge up to 50% in about 20 minutes. When it comes to wireless charging, it supports 15 watts, which is a bonus in this segment. Although this does not include reverse wireless charging, it is not a deal-breaker. For heavy users, this battery setup provides more performance time in less time to charge.

Conclusion

As we near the end, my thoughts turn to this excellent smartphone, which boasts solid performance, a great screen, dependable cameras, and a limited edition design. At £379, it's a great deal for what you get, especially considering the limited availability, which adds to the exclusivity. If you are tired of generic slabs and want something with personality, this could be it. The software may be too sparse for some, and the camera lacks advanced features. But overall, it's a good choice. Well, if you want to buy this smartphone, keep an eye on the Nothing website because sales will begin on December 13, 2025.