📢 Your product here
WhichPhoneToBuy

Google Pixel 9a vs Nothing Phone (3a)

The Nothing Phone (3a) comes out ahead on 6 counts and the Google Pixel 9a on 4.

Which should you buy?

Pick the Google Pixel 9a for

  • Lighter: 187.1 g vs 201 g (13.9 g less)
  • More compact: 8.6 mm shorter
  • OS updates for longer, until Apr 2032
  • Better water resistance: IP68 vs IP64

Pick the Nothing Phone (3a) for

  • Faster wired charging: 50 W vs 23 W
  • Thinner: 8.4 mm vs 8.9 mm
  • Bigger screen: 6.77" vs 6.3"
  • Brighter display: 3,000 vs 2,700 nits peak
  • Optical zoom (2×), which the other lacks
  • More RAM: up to 12 GB vs 8 GB

Size comparison

The Google Pixel 9a is 8.6 mm shorter, 3.8 mm narrower, 0.5 mm thicker and 13.9 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.47" smaller.

  • Google Pixel 9a154.9 × 73.7 × 8.9 mm
  • Nothing Phone (3a)163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm

Specs side by side

LaunchGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
AnnouncedMarch 19, 2025March 4, 2025
ReleasedApril 10, 2025March 11, 2025
Launch price$499—
BodyGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
Size154.9 × 73.7 × 8.9 mm163.5 × 77.5 × 8.4 mm
Thickness8.9 mm?8.4 mm (better)
Weight187.1 g (better)201 g
FrameSatin metalpolycarbonate1
BackComposite matteglass1
Water resistanceIP68 (better)IP64
ColoursObsidian, Porcelain, Iris, PeonyBlack, White, Blue
DisplayGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
Size6.3"6.77"
TypepOLEDLTPS Flexible AMOLED
Resolution1080 × 24241080 × 2392
Refresh rate120 Hz120 Hz
Peak brightness2,700 nits3,000 nits (better)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Panda Glass
Performance and softwareGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
ChipsetGoogle Tensor G4Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
CPU—Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520)
Process—4 nm
Ships withAndroid 15Android 16 with Nothing OS 4.0
OS updates7 years (to Apr 2032) (better)3 years (to Mar 2028)
Security updates7 years (to Apr 2032) (better)6 years (to Mar 2031)
MemoryGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
RAM8 GB8 GB / 12 GB (better)
Storage128 GB / 256 GB128 GB / 256 GB
Card slotNo1No
CamerasGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
Rear48 MP Main, OIS 13 MP Ultrawide50 MP Main, OIS 50 MP Telephoto (2× optical) 8 MP Ultrawide
Main camera48 MP50 MP
Optical zoomNone2× (better)
Front13 MP32 MP
Video4K at 60 FPS4k @30 fps
BatteryGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
Capacity5,100 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging23 W50 W (better)
Wireless charging7.5 W—
Reverse wireless—Yes1
ConnectivityGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
5GYesYes
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6E802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.35.4
NFCYesYes
USBUSB Type-C 3.2USB Type-C
Headphone jackNo1No
eSIMYes—
FeaturesGoogle Pixel 9aNothing Phone (3a)
FingerprintUnder displayOn-screen optical1
Stereo speakersYesYes

Highlighted: the better value where one is clearly better. Sources for each phone are listed on the Google Pixel 9a and Nothing Phone (3a) pages.

Quick answers

Is the Google Pixel 9a bigger than the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Google Pixel 9a is 8.6 mm shorter, 3.8 mm narrower, 0.5 mm thicker and 13.9 g lighter than the Nothing Phone (3a). Its screen is 0.47" smaller.
Which has the bigger battery, the Google Pixel 9a or the Nothing Phone (3a)?
The Google Pixel 9a has the bigger battery: 5,100 mAh against 5,000 mAh. Real battery life also depends on the chip and screen.
Which gets software updates for longer?
The Google Pixel 9a: its maker promises OS updates until around April 2032, against March 2028 for the Nothing Phone (3a).

More comparisons