Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
35.1Performance37.2
58.8Display56.3
54.7Camera72
59.2Battery46.4
73.3Features78.7
6 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)10 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra wins this phone face-off, 53.9 to 52.4, pulling ahead mainly in camera (+17) and features (+5). Nothing Phone (3a) 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 battery score: 59 vs 46
- 400% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 10 MP
- 100% higher Peak brightness: 3,000 nits vs 1,500 nits
- 100% higher Wired charging: 50 W vs 25 W
- 12% lower weight: 201 g vs 228 g
- Lower launch price: $379 vs $1,199
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Stronger camera score: 72 vs 55
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 73
- 400% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 2 x
- 116% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 50 MP
- 50% higher Ultra-wide: 12 MP vs 8 MP
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″ | 6.8 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 3200x1440 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 515 ppi+33% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+100% | 1,500 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | — |
| AnTuTu 10 (CPU) | — | 263,424Top 88% |
| AnTuTu 10 (GPU) | — | 126,989Top 82% |
| AnTuTu 10 (Memory) | — | 165,563Top 72% |
| AnTuTu 10 (UX) | — | 227,841Top 82% |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Samsung Exynos 2100 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 800,000+2%Top 61% | 783,817Top 65% |
| 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 | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 3.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 108 MP+116% |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.8 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 12 MP+50% |
| Telephoto | 50 MP+400% | 10 MP |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | 10 x+400% |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@24fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 40 MP+25% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g+12% | 228 g |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm+6% | 8.9 mm |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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