Nothing Phone 3a revealed in full ahead of launch — and it steals a big feature from iPhone 16

Nothing isn't the first brand that comes to mind when you think of the best Android phones but the upcoming Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro could do a lot to change your mind. The devices are set to officially launch in the coming days at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress but we've just been given a full look at what's coming.

Nothing itself has posted pictures of the back of the Nothing Phone 3a on social media and its website, confirming the horizontal rear camera, the return of the Glyph interface and a new dedicated hardware button.

"Essential Key"

That new hardware button is apparently called the "Essential Key" and will help users with AI-related tasks. Users will also be able to press and hold it to capture the screen or keep holding to record audio.

Whether or not it'll be mappable to different phone functions, like the flashlight or silent mode, in the same way as Apple's Action button remains to be seen.

Earlier this month Deepanshu Saini, a member of Nothing India's community team, referenced the Essential Key with a comment on X that said, "It's not what you think but something you will love to click many times a day."

Whatever the purpose of the button, it's a fair bet the inspiration for adding it came from the iPhone's own Action button feature — first introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and most recently deployed on the iPhone 16e.

The design of the Nothing Phone 3a was probably never in doubt — the company has carved out an aesthetic for itself that sets it apart from the rest of the Android crowd. But extra details like the Essential Key and the expansion of the camera module from the two on the Nothing Phone 2a to the three visible here are good to see for.

We also have a very good idea of the rest of the specs inside the phone, thanks to countless leaks and rumors over the last few weeks. It's believed the Nothing Phone 3a will arrive with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, a 6.72-inch OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate and a 5,000mAh battery.

The three camera setup may comprise a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and another 50-megapixel 2x telephoto camera. Which is pretty damn impressive for a device likely to come in south of $500/£500.

Mobile World Congress gets underway this weekend and runs through next week. Nothing has already confirmed the launch date for the phones as March 4, so by this time next week we'll have all the details on Nothing's upcoming devices well out in the open.

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