Nothing Phone 3a vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
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AI Matrix
Powered by Claude AISamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra clearly outperforms the Nothing Phone 3a in the smartphones category, especially in camera (200MP vs 48MP), scoring 66 vs 51. If you want the better overall smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the recommended choice.
5 Reasons Why Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Is Better
- 1.Larger battery: 5,000mAh vs 4,000mAh (+25%)
- 2.Higher-res main camera: 200MP vs 48MP
- 3.Larger screen: 6.8" vs 6.1"
- 4.Faster charging: 45W vs 30W
- 5.Better performance score: 56 vs 50
What are you giving up?
Picking Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra over Nothing Phone 3a means trading these off.
You give up
- −$500 cheaper ($399 vs $899)
- −54g lighter (180g vs 234g)
- −More storage: 512GB vs 256GB
You gain
- +Larger battery: 5,000mAh vs 4,000mAh
- +Higher-res camera: 200MP vs 48MP
- +Larger screen: 6.8" vs 6.1"
- +Faster charging: 45W vs 30W
Spec Comparison
Nothing Phone 3aSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Score Breakdown
Nothing Phone 3aSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
50
Performance35% weight
56Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Winner
38
Camera20% weight
92Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Winner
50
Battery20% weight
75Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Winner
78
Price10% weight
42Nothing Phone 3a Winner
57
Display10% weight
84Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Winner
58
Design5% weight
13Nothing Phone 3a Winner
Scores are relative within the smartphonescategory. Percentages show each dimension's weight in the overall score. A difference of less than 0.5 points is considered a tie.
Nothing Phone 3a
✓ Pros
- ●More storage: 512GB vs 256GB
- ●Lower price: $399 vs $899
- ●Lighter build: 180g vs 234g
- ●Water resistant (IP54)
✗ Cons
- ●Smaller battery: 4,000mAh vs 5,000mAh
- ●Weaker battery score
- ●Lower display score
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Winner✓ Pros
- ●Bigger battery: 5,000mAh vs 4,000mAh
- ●Higher-res camera: 200MP vs 48MP
- ●Faster charging: 45W vs 30W
- ●Water resistant (IP68)
✗ Cons
- ●Higher price: $899 vs $399
- ●Higher price relative to value
Spec Comparison
| Spec | Nothing Phone 3a | Samsung Galaxy S23 UltraW |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1" | 6.8"✓ |
| Display Type | OLED | Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 3088 x 1440 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness | — | 1750nits |
| HDR | — | HDR10+ |
| Protection | — | Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| CPU | — | Octa-core (3.36 GHz + 2.80 GHz + 2.0 GHz) |
| GPU | — | Xclipse 920 / Adreno 740 |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 512GB✓ | 256GB |
| Storage Options | — | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Main Camera | 48MP | 200MP✓ |
| Aperture | — | f/1.8 |
| OIS | — | Yes |
| Zoom | — | 10x optical |
| Video | — | 8K@30fps, 4K@60fps |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh | 5000mAh✓ |
| Charging | 30W | 45W✓ |
| Wireless Charging | — | 15W |
| OS | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | — | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| Water Resistance | IP54 | IP68 |
| Biometrics | — | Under-display fingerprint |
| Dimensions | — | 162.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 180g✓ | 234g |
| Colors | White, Black | Phantom Black, Phantom White, Phantom Green, Phantom Burgundy |
| Price | 399$ | 899$ |
Who Should Buy
Buy Nothing Phone 3a if…
Choose the Nothing Phone 3a if budget is your top priority — it offers competitive specs at a lower price point.
Buy Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if…
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.
Nothing Phone 3a vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — FAQ
Nothing Phone 3a vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: which is better?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra clearly outperforms the Nothing Phone 3a in the smartphones category, especially in camera (200MP vs 48MP), scoring 66 vs 51. If you want the better overall smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the recommended choice.
Is Nothing Phone 3a better than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
No, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra scores higher (63 vs 28).
Which is cheaper, Nothing Phone 3a or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Nothing Phone 3a is cheaper at $399 vs $899 for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Who should buy the Nothing Phone 3a?
Choose the Nothing Phone 3a if budget is your top priority — it offers competitive specs at a lower price point.
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.
Which has better battery life, Nothing Phone 3a or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a larger battery (5,000mAh vs 4,000mAh for the Nothing Phone 3a), which generally means longer use between charges.
Which has a bigger screen, Nothing Phone 3a or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has the larger display (6.8" vs 6.1").
Which has a better camera, Nothing Phone 3a or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a higher-resolution main camera (200MP vs 48MP). Note that megapixels are one factor — sensor quality and processing also matter.
Which is lighter, Nothing Phone 3a or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Nothing Phone 3a is lighter at 180g vs 234g.
Related Comparisons
Full Nothing Phone 3a review →Full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review →All Nothing Smartphones →All Samsung Smartphones →
Reviewed by VersusMatrix Editorial Team
Last updated: April 25, 2026
Methodology: AI-powered analysis of technical specifications from manufacturer data. Scores are calculated by comparing products across multiple dimensions and normalized relative to the full category database. Our editorial process is independent and not influenced by affiliate partnerships.