The Nothing Phone 3a (review) and the CMF Phone 2 Pro (review) may share the same parent brand, but they target different priorities. The CMF model focuses on affordability and modularity, offering a customisable back panel with support for proprietary accessories. In contrast, the Phone 3a leans into Nothing’s signature design language, with a faux-transparent rear panel and addressable LED light strips. With the Phone 3a priced notably higher, the real question is whether it delivers enough to justify the extra cost, and which of the two Nothing phones offers better value overall.
| Key Specs | Nothing Phone 3a | CMF Phone 2 Pro |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| Screen Size | 6.77 inches - Flexible AMOLED | 6.77 inches - Flexible AMOLED |
| Primary Camera | 50 MP Wide Angle(84° field-of-view) | 50 MP Wide Angle |
| Secondary Camera | 8 MP Ultra-Wide Angle | 8 MP Ultra-Wide Angle |
| Front Camera | 32 MP Wide Angle | 16 MP Wide Angle |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Fast Charging | 50W Fast Charging | 33W Fast Charging |
Table of Contents
Fancy lights or modular accessories?
The Phone 3a uses glass on both sides, feels heavier in hand (201g), and has the signature Glyph Interface with 3 LED strips on the back. These light up for calls, charging progress, notifications, and more. It also has a higher IP64 rating, indicating better dust resistance compared to the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s IP54 rating.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro weighs less (185g) and is thinner (7.8mm). It trades the light strips for a swappable back cover that supports modular accessories, like a magnetic wallet, kickstand, or macro/fisheye lenses. This gives it more scope for personalisation and makes the phone more useful. But those proprietary accessories would cost you more.
Both phones offer solid build quality for the price. Your choice depends on whether you prefer customisable lights or support for modular accessories.
Identical displays?
Both phones use a 6.77-inch AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and up to 3000 nits peak brightness. The bezels may look slimmer on the Phone 3a due to a more uniform frame finish, but the actual measurements are nearly identical.
When compared side by side, with the same settings, the CMF display appeared brighter and offered richer colours and better contrast.
Rest, you get Widevine L1 support on both phones, which means you can watch HD content on streaming platforms like Netflix. You can watch YouTube videos up to 2160p60 HDR quality.
Want better photos or videos?
The rear camera hardware is nearly the same on both phones:
- 50MP wide + 50MP 2x telephoto + 8MP ultrawide
- 4K video at 30fps with Gyro-EIS on both, but Phone 3a adds OIS, as well
At 1x, the Phone 3a overexposes but captures more detail. The CMF Phone shot looks softer, though it offers a more natural tone (except for reds) and better exposure control. The Phone 3a also features a sharper 32MP front camera compared to the CMF’s 16MP unit. In portraits, the CMF Phone 2 Pro delivers more accurate skin tones, though its detail retention can be inconsistent.
For ultrawide shots, both phones produce similar tones. The CMF captures slightly sharper details with better exposure control, while the Nothing Phone 3a offers more appealing colours.
In low-light conditions, the Phone 3a handles light flares and overall exposure more effectively than the CMF phone. You’d also find that it captures slightly more detail (if you pixel peep), resulting in a more balanced image. The CMF photo appears overexposed and shows noticeable noise. Night mode doesn’t help either phone much.
And for videos, we found the Nothing Phone 3a offers more saturated results, but the CMF Phone 2 Pro has natural colours and better exposure and dynamic range.
Raw vs sustained performance
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 inside the Phone 3a is faster than the Dimensity 7300 Pro in the CMF Phone 2 Pro, on paper and in benchmark tests. The Phone 3a scores:
- Higher AnTuTu (798,022 vs 688,050)
- Better Geekbench single-core (1179 vs 1007) and multi-core (3311 vs 2872)
- Faster memory speeds in CPDT tests
| CPDT Benchmark | Nothing Phone 3a | CMF Phone 2 Pro |
| CPDT Sequential Write (MB/S) | 501.75 | 420.54 |
| CPDT Sequential Read (MB/s) | 936.16 | 786.47 |
| CPDT Random Write (MB/s) | 24.82 | 19.47 |
| CPDT Random Read (MB/s) | 26.08 | 14.33 |
| CPDT Memory Copy (GB/s) | 6.61 | 5.06 |
(Default settings i.e 1 GB file size and the rest are off, ran for 10–15 min)
That said, the CMF Phone 2 Pro shows better-sustained performance under load. Its thermal throttling is less aggressive, which is reflected in the Burnout test at 60.2 percent score vs 51.2 percent score on the Phone 3a.
The Phone 3a delivers a comparable, if not better, real-world gaming experience than the CMF Phone 2 Pro. It supports Ultra frame rates in Call of Duty: Mobile and Ultra Extreme in BGMI. In synthetic tests, the Phone 3a also leads, posting better scores in the GFXBench T-Rex benchmark. But as the Burnout test indicated, the CMF can stay cooler and more consistent in longer sessions.
Clean custom UI
Both phones ship with Android 15. The Phone 3a runs Nothing OS 3.1, while the CMF has the slightly newer 3.2 skin. Functionally, the differences are minimal.
You get a clean UI with only 27 pre-installed apps. Both phones get Essential Space (AI-powered notes plus reminders app), custom fonts, Dot Matrix elements, and unique widgets and icons on both. Nothing promises three major OS upgrades for both.
Longer battery or faster charging?
Each phone features a 5000mAh battery, but real-world usage and charging experiences vary.
The Nothing Phone 3a supports 50W fast charging and takes 52 minutes to go from 20 to 100 per cent, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro charges slightly slower at 33W, completing the same range in 59 minutes.
In battery life tests, the CMF Phone 2 Pro lasted longer overall, clocking 14 hours in PCMark compared to the Phone 3a’s 12 hours and 38 minutes. In a real-world test, which includes 30 minutes each of YouTube streaming, playing Call of Duty Mobile, Real Racing 3 and BGMI, the CMF Phone 2 Pro consumed 1 per cent less battery on average, making it slightly more efficient across mixed usage.
| Activity | Nothing Phone 3a | CMF Phone 2 Pro |
| YouTube | 3% | 3% |
| Call of Duty | 8% | 6% |
| Real Racing 3 | 6% | 5% |
| BGMI | 7% | 6% |
| Average | 6% | 5% |
|---|
In short, the Phone 3a charges faster, but the CMF Phone 2 Pro lasts longer.
Closing note: should you choose premium over value?
The Nothing Phone 3a, currently starting at Rs 24,999, is clearly the more premium device. It features a refined design, improved daytime and low-light photos, a faster processor, and quicker charging.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro, however, starts at Rs 18,999 and offers better value for the price. It is significantly cheaper, runs cooler under load, lasts longer on battery, offers more natural and better exposed videos and comes with modular design features that appeal to customisation-first users.
Opt for the Nothing Phone 3a if you prioritise stronger raw performance and improved daylight camera results. But the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers a similar overall experience at a lower price, making it the better value pick.
CMF Phone 2 Pro Images
