Nothing is rumored to be developing two new phones: the Nothing Phone 3 and an enhanced Nothing Phone 2a.
Android Headlines reported that the rumor only provides what appears to be the codenames ‘Tetris’ and ‘PacManPro’ that apply to a Phone 3 and an upgraded Phone 2a, respectively, but doesn’t give any idea what hardware the supposed phones may use.
Powered up PacMan
Released in March, the Nothing Phone 2a (codenamed ‘Aerodactyl’ and ‘PacMan’) offered a balanced mid-range experience.
The discovery of a new codename, ‘PacManPro’ and model number A142P, is a close match with the Phone 2a's codename and model number A142. This hints at a possible ‘Phone 2a Pro’, which the name implies could feature some upgraded specs.
However, before we get too excited we should remember that the codename could instead refer to the Community edition of Nothing Phone 2a, which was announced in March.
If Nothing is working on a Phone 2a Pro, it could address some of the minor concerns we encountered in our Nothing Phone 2a review by featuring an improved metal and glass build, a larger and enhanced glyph system, a better quality camera setup and an upgraded chipset.
A worthy successor?
The second codename, ‘Tetris,’ is believed to be the Nothing Phone 3, the would-be successor to the 2023 Phone 2.
While the rumored codename offer no further information, previous rumors stated that a Phone 3 could use Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, which would make sense as it would offer near-flagship performance while remaining affordable.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 would be a great choice for the Nothing Phone 3 as it shares some of the same technology as the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip but at lower clock speeds. This includes the more energy-efficient 4-nanometre manufacturing process, AI features, and ray tracing for gaming.
Phone 3 is expected to launch in July, following the pattern of previous releases of Phone 2 and Phone 1, which launched in July of their respective years. 91Mobiles reported the same release date from “industry sources who work closely with Nothing” and estimated the cost of the unreleased handset as roughly $349 / £319 /AU$675.
However, this price might be more fitting for the Phone 2a Community Edition if the Phone 3 is a true flagship and the Phone 2a Pro is an upgraded model.
We can expect further rumors and leaks to trickle out as we approach July, which may help clarify pricing and specifications. Nothing is also likely to tease the new release and release clues about particular hardware components and designs, as it has done in the past.
