Nothing Phone 3a vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro: the minimalist design brand is at a crossroads

Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro; two smartphones on a wooden table.

Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro represent where this disruptive tech brand is in the most eye-catching way possible. The Nothing Phone 3a iterates on the previously released Nothing Phone 2a, and cements this model as a modern design classic, while the Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels like a misstep of sorts, a gamble to push for more tech at the expense of minimalism.

I've been playing around with both smartphones for a week now, and my review of both is in progress, but for me these phones reveal a telling crossroads for the brand; this is the moment when Nothing doubles-down on its design credentials but also points to a dicey future, one where expectations for advanced tech could break the design.