If you are under a tight budget and want a stylish, capable mid-range phone, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is a fantastic choice. However, if performance, display quality, and battery life are your top priorities, spending extra on the OnePlus 13R makes sense.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has arrived, creating a buzz in the under Rs 30,000 segment with its distinctive design and impressive features. But can it take on the OnePlus 13R, a slightly more expensive competitor offering a flagship-grade experience? Let’s compare their design, display, performance, cameras, and pricing to help you decide which smartphone is the better buy.
Design and display: Unique vs Premium
Nothing Phone 3a Pro: Standout transparent design
- Features a transparent glass back with customizable Glyph lights, making it one of the most unique designs in the market.
- IP64 rating for splash resistance and Panda Glass protection for durability.
OnePlus 13R: Flagship-Inspired Premium Look
- Looks similar to its flagship sibling, the OnePlus 13, featuring a circular camera module and an aluminium frame.
- IP65 rating offers slightly better dust and water resistance than the Nothing Phone.
- Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for enhanced drop and impact protection.
Display Comparison
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro and the OnePlus 13R both feature high-quality displays but with key differences. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro comes with a 6.77-inch Flexible AMOLED display, whereas the OnePlus 13R has a slightly larger 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel. Both smartphones offer a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations.
However, when it comes to brightness, the OnePlus 13R takes the lead with an impressive 4500 nits peak brightness, compared to 3000 nits on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Another significant advantage of the OnePlus 13R is HDR support, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and ProXDR, whereas the Nothing Phone 3a Pro does not support HDR. This makes the OnePlus 13R a better choice for users who prioritize display brightness and high dynamic range content.
Verdict: While the Nothing Phone 3a Pro offers a stylish, unique design, the OnePlus 13R wins with better durability, superior HDR support, and a brighter display.
Performance and battery: Power vs efficiency
Nothing Phone 3a Pro: AI-boosted performance
- Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, optimized for AI capabilities.
- Up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB storage.
OnePlus 13R: Flagship-Grade Power
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a high-end chipset offering better speed, efficiency, and gaming performance.
- Comes with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, ensuring faster and smoother multitasking.
Battery and Charging
The OnePlus 13R outperforms the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in terms of battery and charging. It boasts a 6000mAh battery, providing longer battery life compared to the 5000mAh capacity on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Additionally, the OnePlus 13R supports 80W SuperVOOC charging, which is significantly faster than the 45W fast charging on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, ensuring quicker recharges. Overall, with a larger battery and ultra-fast charging, the OnePlus 13R stands out as the better choice for users prioritizing long battery life and rapid charging.
Verdict: The OnePlus 13R wins with a more powerful chipset, faster RAM, a larger battery, and ultra-fast charging.
Camera: Megapixel battle
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro and OnePlus 13R both feature a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide camera, ensuring high-quality standard and wide-angle shots. However, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro takes the lead in zoom and selfies with its 50MP periscope lens, offering 3x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom, while the OnePlus 13R includes a 50MP telephoto lens with unknown zoom capabilities. Additionally, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro dominates in selfies with its 50MP front camera, compared to the 16MP shooter on the OnePlus 13R. Overall, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is the better option for Zoom enthusiasts and selfie lovers.
- The Nothing Phone 3a Pro stands out with a 50MP selfie camera and a periscope lens, offering higher zoom capabilities.
- The OnePlus 13R provides a solid camera setup but lacks the extreme zoom range of the Nothing Phone.
Verdict: If you love taking high-quality selfies and zoom photography, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is a better choice. However, both phones offer excellent primary and ultrawide cameras.
Price: Which One Offers Better Value?
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is priced at Rs 29,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant, making it Rs 13,000 cheaper than the OnePlus 13R, which costs Rs 42,999 for the 12GB+256GB model.
This makes the Nothing Phone 3a Pro a great budget-friendly option. However, the OnePlus 13R justifies its higher price with a superior processor, brighter display, and faster RAM speed, making it a better choice for those looking for top-tier performance.
- The Nothing Phone 3a Pro is Rs 13,000 cheaper than the OnePlus 13R, making it a great budget-friendly option.
- However, the OnePlus 13R offers a superior processor, brighter display, and better RAM speed, which justifies the price difference.
Final Verdict: Which one should you buy?
Buy the Nothing Phone 3a Pro if you want:
- A unique transparent design with Glyph lights
- A solid mid-range performer at an affordable price
- A better selfie camera and high-zoom periscope lens
Buy the OnePlus 13R if you want:
- A flagship-grade processor with better performance
- A bigger battery with ultra-fast charging
- A brighter display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
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