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- The Nothing Phone (3a) is discounted down to just £233 in the Black Friday sales, the cheapest it’s ever been
- Over the past 180 days, it has averaged £312 in price
- It was originally discounted to £274 in the days leading up to Black Friday but has just received a second price cut
The Nothing Phone (3a) immediately became one of my favourite smartphones in its price range, with the unique design, excellent software, useful AI and telephoto camera making it really stand out from the pack.
What I liked most about it, however, was the price. Launching for £329, the Phone (3a) was nothing short of cutthroat, with a level of quality that no other ~£300 phone could match.
As such, I was delighted to see it discounted to £274 in the Black Friday sales. It was the cheapest that it had ever been and a solid drop from the 180-day average price of £312.
As good a deal as that was, it clearly wasn’t enough for Nothing. Like a price-cutting Santa Claus, Nothing has been creeping about in the night, and left a fresh, exciting deal for us to wake up to on Black Friday morn. The Phone (3a) is now going for just £233, which is a fantastic discount and it’s lowest price ever by quite some way.
Why I’m recommending the Nothing Phone (3a)
We all love to see a big price cut but it’s not worth much if the phone isn’t up to scratch. Well good news, the Nothing Phone (3a) is a fantastic phone. In my review, I awarded it a full five stars and our Best Buy award, highlighting the brilliant battery life, the sharp new telephoto camera and the thoughtful implementation of the AI features.
in our looping video battery life test, the Phone (3a) lasted for more than 30 hours, easily one of the strongest results we’ve seen from a phone of this price, and the 2x telephoto camera proved a strong addition, too. Detail capture and dynamic range were gorgeous in our testing, making this lens particularly adept at portrait shots.
The most interesting feature here – and that’s saying something for a brand who’s iconic design include exposed components and Glyph light strips – is the Essential Space AI. Activated with the Essential Key on the right edge, this feature is essentially a souped-up screenshot, allowing you to save notes and voice recordings alongside screen captures. In the Essential Space app, the content is then analysed and organised by the AI, making captures easier to locate later and even making to-do lists based on the subject of your captures if you want it to.
It’s no secret that I’m massively resistant to AI being stuffed into smartphones, as the vast majority of it feels superfluous at best and damaging at worst. With that being said, my ADHD loves Essential Space – it feels like it actually addresses a need rather than simply taking the humanity out of something else, like image generation and text prompting do.
Are there any downsides to this deal?
While I like the Essential Space AI in general, I feel that the button placement could be much better. Low down on the right edge, the button is fiddly to reach, regardless of which hand your hold your phone with, and it also sits right where a car phone holder squeezes, leading to many accidental presses. Altogether, the placement could have done with another think.
I had more concerns in the original review – other £300/£400 phones offered better performance, smooth gaming and more extensive software support – but this discount makes them much less relevant. The simple fact is, you’re going to struggle to find a phone of this quality for this ridiculous price. The Nothing Phone (3a) has always been a bargain, but this double deal makes it an absolute must-buy.
If you’d like to see what other bargain are on offer this weekend, shoot on over to my best Black Friday phone deals roundup, or hit up our main Black Friday deals hub for our favourite deals on laptops, TVs. coffee machines, mattresses and more.
