Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S26+
35.1Performance82.4
58.8Display66
54.7Camera47.3
59.2Battery71.7
73.3Features94.7
6 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)11 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S26+
InnoReviews verdict
Samsung Galaxy S26+ wins this phone face-off, 71.2 to 52.4, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+47) 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
- 15% higher Peak brightness: 3,000 nits vs 2,600 nits
- 11% higher Wired charging: 50 W vs 45 W
- Lower launch price: $379 vs $1,100
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S26+
- Stronger performance score: 82 vs 35
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 59
- Stronger battery score: 72 vs 59
- Stronger features score: 95 vs 73
- 254% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 11,515 vs 3,250
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″+1% | 6.7 ″ |
| Panel type | AMOLED | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 3120x1440 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 516 ppi+33% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits+15% | 2,600 nits |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | 90.7 %+4% |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| AnTuTu | 800,000 | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150Bottom 45% | 3,393+195%Top 8% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250Bottom 45% | 11,515+254%Top 2% |
| 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+2% | 4,900 mAh |
| Wired charging | 50 W+11% | 45 W |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 20 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | 16.4 h+49% |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g | 190 g+5% |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 7.3 mm+13% |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Armor Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Samsung Galaxy S26+ |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| 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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