Nothing Phone (3a) Lite vs Samsung Galaxy S21
28.9Performance34.4
58.6Display49.1
30.7Camera40.8
47.8Battery36.9
49.3Features78.7
6 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a) Lite7 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 wins this phone face-off, 43.6 to 41, pulling ahead mainly in features (+29) and camera (+10). Nothing Phone (3a) Lite still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
- Stronger display score: 59 vs 49
- Stronger battery score: 48 vs 37
- 317% higher Main camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 131% higher Peak brightness: 3,000 nits vs 1,300 nits
- 60% higher Front camera: 16 MP vs 10 MP
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger performance score: 34 vs 29
- Stronger camera score: 41 vs 31
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 49
- 50% higher ultra-wide: 12 MP vs 8 MP
- 33% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 3 years
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+9% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1084x2392 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 421 ppi+9% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+131% | 1,300 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu | — | 746,547Bottom 18% |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | — | 252,025Bottom 14% |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | — | 127,819Bottom 35% |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | — | 144,909Bottom 16% |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | — | 221,794Bottom 18% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | — | 1,430Top 46% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | — | 3,550Bottom 50% |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | — | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP+317% | 12 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 12 MP+50% |
| Telephoto | — | 64 MP |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 16 MP+60% | 10 MP |
| OIS | No | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+25% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 33 W+32% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 199 g | 171 g+14% |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm | 7.9 mm+5% |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP68 |
| Frame material | — | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | — | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | — | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 4 years+33% |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | — | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | — | No |
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