Nothing Phone (3a) vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
35.1Performance64.4
58.8Display69.8
54.7Camera83.6
59.2Battery92
73.3Features86.7
2 spec wins — Nothing Phone (3a)13 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 77.1 to 52.4, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+33) and performance (+29). 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)
- 14% lower weight: 201 g vs 235 g
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 35
- Stronger display score: 70 vs 59
- Stronger camera score: 84 vs 55
- Stronger battery score: 92 vs 59
- Stronger features score: 87 vs 73
Display
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.77 ″ | 6.9 ″+2% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 1208x2624 |
| Pixel density | 387 ppi | 418 ppi+8% |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 3,000 nits | 4,000 nits+33% |
| Screen-to-body | 87.4 % | 91.6 %+5% |
Performance
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
| AnTuTu | 800,000 | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,150Bottom 45% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,250Bottom 45% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128/256GB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50 MP | 200 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.88 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 8 MP | 50 MP+525% |
| Telephoto | 50 MP | 200 MP+300% |
| Optical zoom | 2 x | 3.2 x+60% |
| Max video | 4K@30fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 32 MP | 50 MP+56% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 8,500 mAh+70% |
| Wired charging | 50 W | 100 W+100% |
| Wireless charging | 0 W | 50 W |
| Active use endurance | 11 h | — |
Design
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 201 g+14% | 235 g |
| Thickness | 8.4 mm | 8.4 mm |
| IP rating | IP64 | IP66/IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
Software
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 15 (Nothing OS 3.1) | Android 17 (HyperOS 4) |
| OS update pledge | 3 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing Phone (3a) | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |