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WhichPhoneToBuy

Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Nothing Phone (3a)

The Nothing Phone (3a) comes out ahead on 6 counts and the Apple iPhone 16 Plus on 3.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Apple iPhone 16 Plus for

  • Thinner: 7.8 mm vs 8.4 mm
  • More storage: up to 512 GB vs 256 GB
  • Better water resistance: IP68 vs IP64

Pick the Nothing Phone (3a) for

  • Bigger battery: 5,000 vs 4,674 mAh (7% more)
  • Smoother display: 120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • Brighter display: 3,000 vs 2,000 nits peak
  • Optical zoom (2×), which the other lacks
  • More RAM: up to 12 GB vs 8 GB
  • Newer: launched March 2025

Size comparison

The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is 2.6 mm shorter, 0.6 mm thinner and 2 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.07" smaller.

  • Apple iPhone 16 Plus160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm
  • Nothing Phone (3a)163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
AnnouncedSeptember 9, 20241March 4, 2025
ReleasedSeptember 20, 20241March 11, 2025
Launch price$8991—
BodyApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
Size160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm
Thickness7.8 mm (better)8.4 mm
Weight199 g201 g
Frame—polycarbonate1
Backglass1glass1
Water resistanceIP68 (better)IP64
ColoursUltramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black1Black, White, Blue
DisplayApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
Size6.7"6.77"
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDLTPS Flexible AMOLED
Resolution1290 × 2796 (better)1080 × 2392
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz (better)
Peak brightness2,000 nits13,000 nits (better)
Protection—Panda Glass
Performance and softwareApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
ChipsetApple A18Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
CPU6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency)1Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520)
Process—4 nm
Ships withiOS 18Android 16 with Nothing OS 4.0
OS updates—3 years (to Mar 2028)
Security updates—6 years (to Mar 2031)
MemoryApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
RAM8 GB18 GB / 12 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB (better)128 GB / 256 GB
Card slot—No
CamerasApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 12 MP Ultrawide50 MP Main, OIS 50 MP Telephoto (2× optical) 8 MP Ultrawide
Main camera48 MP50 MP
Optical zoomNone2× (better)
Front12 MP32 MP
Video4K at 60 fps14k @30 fps
BatteryApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
Capacity4,674 mAh15,000 mAh (better)
Wired charging—50 W
Wireless charging25 W—
Reverse wireless—Yes1
ConnectivityApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
5GYes1Yes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 71802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.315.4
NFCYes1Yes
USBUSB-C: USB 2.0 480 Mbit/sUSB Type-C
Headphone jack—No
eSIMYes1—
Satellite messagingYes1—
FeaturesApple iPhone 16 PlusNothing Phone (3a)
Fingerprint—On-screen optical1
Stereo speakers—Yes

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus and Nothing Phone (3a) pages.

Quick answers

Is the Apple iPhone 16 Plus bigger than the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Apple iPhone 16 Plus is 2.6 mm shorter, 0.6 mm thinner and 2 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.07" smaller.
Which has the bigger battery, the Apple iPhone 16 Plus or the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Nothing Phone (3a) has the bigger battery: 5,000 mAh against 4,674 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.

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