The Indian smartphone market is packed with exciting options, especially in the budget and mid-range segments. Two devices grabbing attention in 2025 are the CMF Phone 2 Pro and the Nothing Phone 3A, both from Nothing. These phones share similarities in their displays, battery sizes, and camera hardware but differ in areas like chipset, charging speed, and design. If you’re wondering whether to save money with the CMF Phone 2 Pro or spend more for the Nothing Phone 3A, this article will help you decide. We’ll explore their design, display, performance, cameras, software, and more to find out which offers better value. By the end, you’ll know which phone suits your needs and whether the CMF Phone 2 Pro is worth it compared to the Nothing Phone 3A.
Design and Build Quality: Style Meets Functionality
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Bold and Customizable
The CMF Phone 2 Pro stands out with its unique design, staying true to the brand’s Color, Material, Finish (CMF) philosophy. It’s slimmer (7.8mm) and lighter (185g) than its predecessor, the CMF Phone 1, and even the Nothing Phone 3A (190g, 8.1mm). This makes it comfortable to hold for long periods. Available in vibrant colors like orange (dual-tone), black, light green, and a white variant (not available in India), the orange dual-tone is eye-catching with a reflective glass-like bottom and a matte top, giving it a bold, industrial vibe.
The exposed screws and modular “Accessory Point” add a grunge aesthetic and functionality. You can attach accessories like a lanyard loop or a wallet-stand combo, but these require a separately purchased universal cover. The cover’s quality feels cheap, almost like 3D-printed plastic, which is disappointing. The slim screw design, while unique, is tricky to unscrew and feels fragile, raising concerns about long-term durability. The plastic frame with a metallic finish also feels less premium than it looks.
Nothing Phone 3A: Premium and Durable
The Nothing Phone 3A takes a more premium approach with a glass back, glass front, and a plastic frame. It feels sturdier and has a better IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance compared to the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s IP52. The transparent design with LED Glyph lights (though less prominent than previous Nothing phones) adds a futuristic touch. Available in black and white, it’s less flashy than the CMF but more polished.
The Nothing Phone 3A also includes stereo speakers, which sound significantly better than the CMF’s mono speaker. For media consumption, this is a big win. Overall, the Phone 3A feels like a more complete package in terms of build quality and durability.
Verdict: Which Design Wins?
If you love bold, customizable designs and don’t mind a slightly compromised build, the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s vibrant colors and modular accessories are appealing. However, the Nothing Phone 3A feels more premium, durable, and practical with its glass build, better IP rating, and stereo speakers. For most users, the Phone 3A’s design is the safer, more refined choice.
Display: Bright and Vibrant on Both
Both phones feature identical 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1080×2412 resolution, and HDR10+ support. They get super bright (up to 1300 nits), making them great for outdoor use. The slim, symmetrical bezels and curved bottom chin (thanks to the flexible AMOLED) give a modern, immersive look compared to the CMF Phone 1.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro’s display surprisingly shines brighter than the Phone 3A when playing HDR videos on YouTube, which is unexpected for a cheaper phone. However, its color tuning is off. The “Alive” mode makes colors overly vibrant, while the “Standard” mode isn’t neutral enough. The Nothing Phone 3A, in contrast, offers better-balanced colors, closer to natural tones.
Both phones have improved haptics compared to their predecessors, but the Phone 3A’s are tighter and more precise. They also feature fast optical in-display fingerprint scanners, though positioned slightly lower than ideal. Neither supports HDR on Netflix, which is a minor letdown.
Display Verdict
The displays are nearly identical, but the Nothing Phone 3A edges out slightly with better color tuning and haptics. For most users, both offer a flagship-like experience, but the Phone 3A feels more polished.
Performance: Power vs Optimization
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Decent but Outclassed
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. It’s a capable chipset for the price, handling everyday tasks like browsing, social media, and light gaming smoothly. For games like BGMI, it supports 120fps out of the box, which is impressive for a budget phone. However, in demanding titles like Genshin Impact, it struggles to maintain 60fps at high settings, averaging around 45fps.
Compared to other phones with the same chipset, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is well-optimized, but it shows occasional stutters, especially when opening or closing the camera app. Benchmark scores (AnTuTu: ~650K, Geekbench 6: ~900 single-core, ~2500 multi-core) are standard for this segment but lag behind the Phone 3A.
Nothing Phone 3A: Stronger and Smoother
The Nothing Phone 3A uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a more powerful chipset with better CPU and GPU performance. It scores higher in benchmarks (AnTuTu: ~850K, Geekbench 6: ~1100 single-core, ~3200 multi-core) and handles intensive tasks better. In Genshin Impact, it averages 55fps at high settings, and CPU throttle tests show better stability (85% vs. CMF’s 75% after 30 minutes).
Everyday usage feels smoother on the Phone 3A, with no noticeable stutters. The Snapdragon chipset also supports better image processing, which we’ll discuss in the camera section.
Performance Verdict
The Nothing Phone 3A is the clear winner for performance, offering smoother multitasking, better gaming, and fewer stutters. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is solid for its price but can’t match the Phone 3A’s power.
Camera: Hardware vs Tuning
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Great Hardware, Poor Tuning
The CMF Phone 2 Pro boasts a triple-camera setup: a 50MP primary sensor (large for its price), an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2x telephoto (shared with the Phone 3A). It also has a 16MP selfie camera. On paper, this is impressive for a phone under ₹20,000, but the real-world performance disappoints due to poor tuning.
The primary camera produces oversharpened images with inaccurate colors—skin tones often appear too cool or blueish. The telephoto is decent but suffers from inconsistent color tuning compared to the primary sensor. The ultrawide is average, lacking detail, and the selfie camera struggles in low light. Video recording at 4K 30fps is shaky, with poor exposure and average sound quality.
The unique selling point is the modular lens system. With the universal cover, you can attach macro or fisheye lenses, which work surprisingly well for creative shots. However, the setup process is cumbersome, and the cover’s quality is subpar.
Nothing Phone 3A: Balanced and Reliable
The Nothing Phone 3A mirrors the CMF’s camera hardware but swaps the 16MP selfie camera for a 32MP one. Thanks to the Snapdragon’s superior ISP (image signal processor), it delivers better results. The primary camera captures natural colors, sharper details, and better HDR. Skin tones are warmer and more accurate, and portrait mode offers cleaner edge detection at 1x, 2x, and 3x.
The ultrawide performs better than the CMF’s, with more detail and less distortion. Selfies are sharper, especially in low light, and videos are smoother with better stabilization, exposure, and audio. Low-light footage is also cleaner on the Phone 3A.
Camera Verdict
The Nothing Phone 3A is the better camera phone, offering consistent, well-tuned results across scenarios. The CMF Phone 2 Pro’s hardware is promising, but it needs software updates to fix color accuracy and video quality. The modular lenses are a fun addition but niche.
Battery and Charging: Similar but Different
Both phones pack a 5000mAh battery, delivering around 8 hours of screen-on time or 1-1.5 days of moderate use. This is good but not class-leading, as some competitors offer 6000mAh+ batteries for 2-3 days of usage.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro supports 33W fast charging and includes a charger and transparent silicone case in the box (India-exclusive). It takes about 70 minutes to fully charge. The Nothing Phone 3A, however, supports 50W charging, hitting 100% in around 50 minutes, but the charger is sold separately.
Battery Verdict
The Nothing Phone 3A charges faster, but the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s included charger is a bonus for budget buyers. Battery life is identical, so it depends on whether you value faster charging or an out-of-box charger.
Software: Nothing OS Shines
Both phones run Nothing OS 3.2 based on Android 15, with a promise of 3 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates. Nothing OS is a highlight, offering a clean, bloatware-free experience with unique features like lock-screen quick settings, large widgets, and smooth animations. The design is sleek, with a dot-matrix aesthetic that feels premium.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro shows occasional animation stutters, especially with the camera app, while the Phone 3A feels smoother. Both include the Essential Key, a customizable button for taking screenshots, recording voice notes, or creating AI-generated summaries and reminders. A recent update lets you capture camera viewfinder shots with the Essential Key, adding versatility.
Software Verdict
Both phones offer an excellent software experience, but the Nothing Phone 3A’s smoother animations give it a slight edge. Nothing OS is a major reason to choose either phone over competitors.
Connectivity and Extras
The CMF Phone 2 Pro supports multiple 5G bands and delivers fast speeds (e.g., 5G++ on Jio in Mumbai). However, it lacks NFC, which is a drawback for contactless payments. The Nothing Phone 3A includes NFC, making it more future-proof. Both have hybrid SIM slots and Wi-Fi 6 support.
Specification Comparison Table
| Feature | CMF Phone 2 Pro | Nothing Phone 3A |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7″ AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080×2412, 1300 nits | 6.7″ AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080×2412, 1300 nits |
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 |
| RAM/Storage | LPDDR4X, UFS 2.2 (8GB/128GB base) | LPDDR5, UFS 3.1 (8GB/128GB base) |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP (main), 8MP (ultrawide), 2x telephoto | 50MP (main), 8MP (ultrawide), 2x telephoto |
| Front Camera | 16MP | 32MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh, 33W charging (charger included) | 5000mAh, 50W charging (charger separate) |
| Speakers | Mono | Stereo |
| IP Rating | IP52 | IP54 |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Software | Nothing OS 3.2 (Android 15) | Nothing OS 3.2 (Android 15) |
| Price (Base Variant) | ₹18,999 (8GB/128GB) | ₹22,999 (8GB/128GB) |
Should You Buy the CMF Phone 2 Pro or Nothing Phone 3A?
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Best for Budget Buyers
At ₹18,999, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a solid choice for those wanting a stylish phone with decent specs under ₹20,000. Its vibrant design, bright AMOLED display, clean software, and included charger make it a great value. The modular lens system is a unique touch for creative users. However, the build quality feels compromised, the cameras need better tuning, and the lack of NFC and stereo speakers is a letdown.
Pros:
- Bold, customizable design
- Bright AMOLED display
- Clean Nothing OS with long-term updates
- Included charger and case
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Fragile build and cheap universal cover
- Poor camera tuning
- No NFC or stereo speakers
- Occasional software stutters
Nothing Phone 3A: Worth the Extra Spend
Priced at ₹22,999, the Nothing Phone 3A feels more premium with its glass build, stereo speakers, and better IP rating. The Snapdragon chipset delivers smoother performance, and the cameras are better tuned for photos and videos. NFC support and faster charging add to its appeal. If you can stretch your budget, the Phone 3A offers a more complete experience.
Pros:
- Premium glass build
- Smoother performance
- Better-tuned cameras
- Stereo speakers and NFC
- Faster 50W charging
Cons:
- No charger included
- Less vibrant design options
- Slightly more expensive
Final Verdict
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is a good phone for budget-conscious buyers who prioritize style and software but can live with average cameras and build quality. However, the Nothing Phone 3A is worth the extra ₹4,000 for its superior performance, cameras, build, and features like stereo speakers and NFC. If you want a phone that feels premium and performs reliably, the Phone 3A is the better choice. For those on a tight budget, the CMF Phone 2 Pro still delivers decent value, especially with Nothing’s promise of software updates.
Recommendation: If your budget is under ₹20,000, go for the CMF Phone 2 Pro. If you can spend up to ₹23,000, the Nothing Phone 3A is the smarter pick for long-term satisfaction.
