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WhichPhoneToBuy

Apple iPhone 16 vs Nothing Phone (3a)

The Nothing Phone (3a) comes out ahead on 7 counts and the Apple iPhone 16 on 5.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Apple iPhone 16 for

  • Lighter: 170 g vs 201 g (31 g less)
  • Thinner: 7.8 mm vs 8.4 mm
  • More compact: 15.9 mm shorter
  • 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 3,561 mAh (40% more)
  • Bigger screen: 6.77" vs 6.1"
  • 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 is 15.9 mm shorter, 5.9 mm narrower, 0.6 mm thinner and 31 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.67" smaller.

  • Apple iPhone 16147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm
  • Nothing Phone (3a)163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
AnnouncedSeptember 9, 20241March 4, 2025
ReleasedSeptember 20, 20241March 11, 2025
Launch price$799—
BodyApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
Size147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm
Thickness7.8 mm (better)8.4 mm
Weight170 g (better)201 g
FrameAluminumpolycarbonate1
BackColor-infused glassglass1
Water resistanceIP68 (better)IP64
ColoursBlack, White, Pink, Teal, UltramarineBlack, White, Blue
DisplayApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
Size6.1"6.77"
TypeSuper Retina XDR OLEDLTPS Flexible AMOLED
Resolution1179 × 2556 (better)1080 × 2392
Refresh rate60 Hz120 Hz (better)
Peak brightness2,000 nits3,000 nits (better)
ProtectionCeramic ShieldPanda Glass
Performance and softwareApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
ChipsetA18Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
CPU6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency coresOcta-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520)
Process—4 nm
Ships withiOSAndroid 16 with Nothing OS 4.0
OS updates—3 years (to Mar 2028)
Security updates—6 years (to Mar 2031)
MemoryApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
RAM8 GB18 GB / 12 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB (better)128 GB / 256 GB
Card slotNoNo
CamerasApple iPhone 16Nothing 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 Dolby Vision at 60 fps4k @30 fps
BatteryApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
Capacity3,561 mAh15,000 mAh (better)
Wired charging—50 W
Wireless charging25 W—
Reverse wireless—Yes1
ConnectivityApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.35.4
NFCYesYes
USBUSB-C, USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s)USB Type-C
Headphone jackNo1No
eSIMYes—
Satellite messagingYes—
FeaturesApple iPhone 16Nothing Phone (3a)
FingerprintNone (Face ID)1On-screen optical1
Stereo speakersYesYes

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

Quick answers

Is the Apple iPhone 16 bigger than the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Apple iPhone 16 is 15.9 mm shorter, 5.9 mm narrower, 0.6 mm thinner and 31 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.67" smaller.
Which has the bigger battery, the Apple iPhone 16 or the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Nothing Phone (3a) has the bigger battery: 5,000 mAh against 3,561 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.

More comparisons