Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S26
35.1Performance81
58.8Display60
54.7Camera47.3
59.2Battery62.1
73.3Features94.7
6 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)12 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26 wins this phone face-off, 67.7 to 52.4, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+46) and features (+21). 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 camera score: 55 vs 47
- 400% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 10 MP
- 167% higher Front camera: 32 MP vs 12 MP
- 100% higher Wired charging: 50 W vs 25 W
- 16% higher capacity: 5,000 mAh vs 4,300 mAh
- Lower launch price: $379 vs $900
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26
- Stronger performance score: 81 vs 35
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 73
- 283% higher AnTuTu: 3,064,672 vs 800,000
- 233% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 10,824 vs 3,250
- 160% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 2,995 vs 1,150
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+7% | 6.3 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 1080x2340 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 411 ppi+6% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+15% | 2,600 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | 90 %+3% |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Samsung Exynos 2600 (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in the US, China and Japan) |
| AnTuTu | 800,000 | 3,064,672+283% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150Bottom 45% | 2,995+160%Top 14% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250Bottom 45% | 10,824+233%Top 4% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 256GB/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.0 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 50 MP |
| 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 | 3 x+50% |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP+167% | 12 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh+16% | 4,300 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+100% | 25 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 15 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | 15.3 h+39% |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 167 g+17% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.2 mm+14% |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Armor Aluminum 2 |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 2.0 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 16 (One UI 8.5) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | 7 years+133% |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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