Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S21
35.1Performance34.4
58.8Display49.1
54.7Camera40.8
59.2Battery36.9
73.3Features78.7
8 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)9 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21
InnoReviews verdict
Nothing Phone (3a) wins this phone face-off, 52.4 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+22) and camera (+14). Samsung Galaxy S21 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 display score: 59 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 55 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 59 vs 37
- 317% higher Main camera: 50 MP vs 12 MP
- 220% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 10 MP
- Lower launch price: $379 vs $799
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 73
- 50% higher Ultra-wide: 12 MP vs 8 MP
- 33% higher OS update pledge: 4 years vs 3 years
- 28% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 50 MP
- 24% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,430 vs 1,150
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+9% | 6.2 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 2400x1080 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 421 ppi+9% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+131% | 1,300 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | — |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 252,025Top 94% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 127,819Top 79% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 144,909Top 91% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 221,794Top 88% |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 800,000+7%Top 61% | 746,547Top 66% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150Top 61% | 1,430+24%Top 52% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250Top 61% | 3,550+9%Top 56% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB+50% | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 128GB / 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | 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 | 50 MP | 64 MP+28% |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | — |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+220% | 10 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+25% | 4,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+100% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 171 g+15% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.9 mm+6% |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | 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 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 4 years+33% |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |