The Motorola Edge 60 Stylus (review) is the brand’s latest mid-ranger with an in-built stylus as its highlighting feature. But is it just a one-trick pony, as its name would suggest, or does it offer a solid package under Rs 25,000 in the Indian smartphone market? To find that out, we compared the smartphone against the Nothing Phone (3a) (review), a strong contender in this segment. Let’s find out which of these two devices performs better in daily usage.
Verdict
The Nothing Phone (3a), with its newer Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC that offers an enhanced architecture, has the obvious advantage over the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus, which is powered by the older Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. However, the Edge 60 Stylus has better thermal efficiency and also offers similar gaming performance to its competitor.
| Tests | Winner |
| Geekbench | Nothing Phone (3a) |
| AnTuTu | Nothing Phone (3a) |
| CPU Throttle | Nothing Phone (3a) |
| Gaming | Tie |
Table of Contents
Geekbench
Thanks to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3’s better architecture, the Nothing Phone (3a) scores 15 percent and 12 percent higher than the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus. The difference is not huge, but it is not insignificant either.
Real-world context: Both smartphones can easily handle daily tasks and heavy workloads. However, the Nothing Phone (3a) handles daily tasks and multitasking efficiently, whereas you might experience occasional jitters while multitasking on the Edge 60 Stylus.
Winner: Nothing Phone (3a)
AnTuTu
Once again, the newer processor under the hood of the Nothing Phone (3a) trumps the benchmarking score. The smartphone scored 798,022 in the AnTuTu benchmark, around 20 percent higher than the Edge 60 Stylus’ score.
Real-world context: The AnTuTu benchmark app determines the overall experience the device offers through CPU, GPU, memory, and UX. Thanks to the clutter-free and minimalist Nothing OS and a newer processor, the Phone (3a) wins again. Due to near-stock Android 15, you will also be able to enjoy a smooth, clutter-free experience on the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus.
Winner: Nothing Phone (3a)
CPU throttle
Burnout assesses CPU throttling and sustained performance under heavy load (higher is better)
The Burnout app subjects devices to an intense 8-minute stress test, pushing the CPU to its limits to determine sustained performance. During the test, the Nothing Phone (3a) managed to maintain approximately 50 percent of its peak performance. In contrast, the Edge 60 Stylus failed to complete the benchmark, crashing repeatedly before it could register a score.
Real-world context: A smartphone’s real test is whether it holds its own under a heavy workload. The Nothing Phone (3a) will serve you better if you use your smartphone for longer, whereas you might run into issues with the Edge 60 Stylus.
Winner: Nothing Phone (3a)
Gaming test
FPS performance
Avg FPS during 30 minutes gameplay of BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, Real Racing 3
| Games | Graphics + Frames | Motorola Edge 60 Stylus | Nothing Phone (3a) |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | High + Max | 59.8 | 58 |
| Real Racing 3 | Standard | 57.1 | 60 |
| BGMI | HDR + Ultra | 39.5 | 26 |
Both smartphones deliver nearly identical performance, offering similar frame rates across the games we played. That said, if you primarily play BGMI, the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus provides a noticeably better visual experience in that title specifically.
Thermal performance
Temperature increase during 30 minutes gameplay of BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, Real Racing 3
| Games | Motorola Edge 60 Stylus | Nothing Phone (3a) |
| BGMI | 4.1 degree Celsius | 8.1 degree Celsius |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | 2 degree Celsius | 8.3 degree Celsius |
| Real Racing 3 | 8.1 degree Celsius | 7.1 degree Celsius |
We also measure the temperature increase after a 30-minute session of each game on these devices. The Motorola Edge 60 Stylus really comes in a clutch here with greater thermal efficiency, except in BGMI, where it ran hotter than the Nothing Phone (3a).
Real-world context: Both smartphones perform amicably when it comes to visuals and gameplay. However, the Edge 60 Styus has a slight edge here, owing to its superior thermal efficiency. This means the smartphone will deliver consistently more stable performance for a longer duration than the Nothing Phone (3a) smartphone.
Winner: Tie
Final Verdict
Starting at Rs 24,999, the Nothing Phone (3a) stands out as the clear choice. At this price point, it offers a more powerful and efficient processor, the brand’s distinctive transparent design with the Glyph Interface, the Essential Key, Nothing OS, and more. If you’re after raw performance and seamless multitasking, the Nothing Phone (3a) is the one to pick.
On the other hand, the Motorola Edge 60 Stylus is slightly more affordable at Rs 22,999 and offers similar gaming performance with much better thermal management. If it’s prolonged gaming, solid build quality, and a near-stock Android experience you are after, then the Edge 60 Stylus is the one for you.
Motorola Edge 60 Stylus Images
Nothing Phone 3a Images
