Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Battle of Premium Mid-Rangers

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Design

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro features the brand’s signature transparent design with its Glyph Interface. It is available in Grey and Black and has a glass back panel. The smartphone is IP64 dust—and water-resistant, measures 8.3mm, and weighs 211 grams.
• The OnePlus 13R also features the brand’s design ethos, with a flat design and boxy frame. It is available in Astral Trail and Nebula Noir colourways and has a glass sandwich construction. The IP65-rated smartphone is 8mm thick and weighs 206 grams.

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro and OnePlus 13R weigh almost the same and are similar in thickness, but their ergonomics and aesthetics differ. The OnePlus 13R’s flat, boxy design and monolithic colourway make it dull to the eyes.

On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is a stunner with a transparent back and glyph interface. The Flip to Glyph feature, which makes the Glyph Interface blink twice when flipped, is a subtle yet very nice flex. Nothing has also added a new action button called Essential Space. These design elements tip the scales in favour of the latest launch.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Display

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro features a 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and FHD+ screen resolution. It boasts 3000 nits peak brightness, 2160 Hz PWM frequency, 10-bit colours, and more.
• The OnePlus 13R flaunts a 6.78-inch ProXDR AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It offers 4,500nits peak brightness, 10-bit colours, and a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protective layer.

Both smartphones have displays that are almost similar in size and have a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the OnePlus 13R features the more advanced LTPO 4.1 panel, higher brightness, L1 certification, HDR10 support, and Gorilla Glass protection, making it the winner in the display department.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Performance

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor. The chipset is backed by up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
• The OnePlus 13R’s performance is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a feature of premium flagship smartphones. The processor is accompanied by up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

There’s no competition here, as the OnePlus 13R pulls ahead thanks to the flagship Snapdragon processor compared to the mid-range chipset in the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. OnePlus also offers higher RAM and storage capacity with each variant of the OnePlus 13R.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Cameras

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 50MP periscope lens with OIS and 3x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. On the front, there is a 50MP shooter for selfies.
• The OnePlus 13R also has a 50MP main + 50MP telephoto + 8MP ultra-wide camera combination on the back. However, it has a lower-resolution selfie camera on the front.

In the camera department, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro wins solely due to its higher-resolution selfie camera. The rear camera setup on both smartphones is nearly identical, so you can pick either and have the same photographic experience. However, if selfies are your priority, it’s the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro that you should be picking.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Software

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro boots the latest Nothing OS 3.1, based on Android 15, out of the box. The brand has assured three major Android updates and four years of security patches for the device.
• The OnePlus 13R also comes with the latest OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. The company has promised four major Android updates and an additional year of security patches for the device.

With the Android version being the same, it boils down to choosing between the Nothing OS and Oxygen OS in the software department. Both interfaces are bloatware-free and one of the best software experiences in the market. However, the quirky fonts and widgets of the Nothing OS and other bells and whistles have us leaning slightly towards it.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Battery and Charging

• The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro has a 5,000mAh battery that supports 50W fast charging tech. However, the brand does not include a charger with the device.
• The OnePlus 13R is powered by a massive 6,000mAh battery that supports 80W SuperVOOC fast-charging tech. OnePlus also provides a charger that is compatible with the smartphone.

Thanks to the bigger battery, faster charging tech, and charger provided in the box, the OnePlus 13R is the winner.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro vs OnePlus 13R: Verdict

There’s a huge price discrepancy between these two smartphones, and it shows. The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is the one to pick if you are looking for a good-looking smartphone that can also make you look good. The latest Nothing offering has the upper hand when it comes to aesthetics, design, ergonomics, and the selfie camera.

On the other hand, if your budget permits and you want a much better and more well-rounded smartphone, go for the OnePlus 13. The smartphone makes up for its lacklustre aesthetics in the performance, display, software, and battery departments. In the end, it all boils down to the user’s preference.