Nothing Phone (3a) vs Redmi Note 9
35.1Performance20
58.8Display29.6
54.7Camera29.8
59.2Battery39
73.3Features28
15 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)4 spec wins — Redmi Note 9
InnoReviews verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins this phone face-off, 52.4 to 28.5, pulling ahead mainly in features (+45) and display (+29). Redmi Note 9 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)
- Stronger performance score: 35 vs 20
- Stronger display score: 59 vs 30
- Stronger camera score: 55 vs 30
- Stronger battery score: 59 vs 39
- Stronger features score: 73 vs 28
Reasons to pick the Redmi Note 9
- Has 3.5mm jack — the other doesn't
- Lower launch price: $199 vs $379
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+4% | 6.53 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 2340x1080 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 394 ppi+2% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz+100% | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits | — |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | — |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | MediaTek Helio G85 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 800,000+196%Top 61% | 270,000Top 93% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150+174%Top 61% | 420Top 94% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250+141%Top 61% | 1,350Top 96% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+200% | 4 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 64GB / 128GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | eMMC 5.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP+4% | 48 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 8 MP |
| Telephoto | 50 MP | — |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+146% | 13 MP |
| OIS | Yes | No |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,020 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+178% | 18 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | — |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 199 g+1% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm+6% | 8.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP64 | — |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Plastic |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | No |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 2.0 |
| eSIM | Yes | No |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 10 (MIUI 11) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years+50% | 2 years |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Redmi Note 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | No |
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |