Nothing Phone (3a) vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Compare Nothing Phone (3a) and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra side by side — see how they stack up on price, camera, battery, performance, display and full specifications, with the winner in each key spec highlighted below.
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🏆 The Verdict — Category Winners
Quick Specs
 Nothing Phone (3a) |
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra |
|
|---|---|---|
| Price & Best Deals |
₹24,999
|
₹129,999
|
| Display | 6.77″ / 120Hz | 6.9″ / 120Hz |
| Max RAM | 12GB / 256GB | 16GB / 1024GB |
| Main Camera | 50.0 MP | 200.0 MP |
| Selfie Camera | 16.0 MP | 12.0 MP |
| Pixel Density | 387 ppi | 511 ppi |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Fast Charging | 50W | 60W |
| Charging Time (20-100%) | 54 min | 58 min |
| Fabrication | 4 nm | 3 nm |
| AnTuTu Score | 780,000 | 2,450,000 |
| Battery Life (PCMark) | 12.5 hrs | 16.2 hrs |
| Peak Brightness | 3000 nits | 2600 nits |
| Spec Score | 74.5/100 | 96.4/100 |
| 5G | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| NFC | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Stereo Speakers | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| IR Blaster | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Fingerprint | Under Display | Under Display |
| SIM | Dual | Dual Esim |
| USB | Type-C 2.0 | C 3.2 |
✅ Highlighted cells show the better value for that spec (bigger battery, more MP, higher RAM, lower price, lower nm, higher AnTuTu, faster charging).
Expert Review
|
Nothing Phone (3a) 74.5
Spec Score / 100
★ 3.9/5
Overall Rating
Design
4.4/5
Display
4.0/5
Camera
3.6/5
Performance
3.5/5
Battery
3.9/5
Software
4.0/5
|
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 96.4
Spec Score / 100
★ 4.8/5
Overall Rating
Design
4.6/5
Display
5.0/5
Camera
5.0/5
Performance
5.0/5
Battery
4.2/5
Software
5.0/5
|
| Specification |
Nothing Phone (3a) ₹24,999
|
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ₹129,999
|
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1900 & TD-SCDMA |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 85HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO0/900/1900/2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA unlocked |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA unlocked |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G |
| SIM 1 bands | - | 5G bands, 4G bands |
| SIM 2 bands | - | 5G bands, 4G bands |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2025, March 04 | 2026, February 25 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, March 11 | Available. Released 2026, March 06 |
| Body | ||
| Design score | ||
| Dimensions | 163.5 x 77.5 x 8.4 mm (6.44 x 3.05 x 0.33 in) | 163.6 x 78.1 x 7.9 mm (6.44 x 3.07 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 201 g (7.09 oz) | 214 grams |
| Build | Glass front (Panda Glass), plastic frame, glass back | Glass front (Corning Gorilla Armor 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM (dual stand-by) |
| IP rating | IP64 dust tight and water resistant (water splashes) 3 LED light strips on the back (notifications, camera fill light, 26 addressable zones) | IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) Stylus |
| Other Details | - | Armor aluminum 2 frame |
| Display | ||
| Display score | ||
| Type | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1300 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Size | 6.77 inches, 111.5 cm2 (~88.0% screen-to-body ratio) | Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2392 pixels (~387 ppi density) | 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | - | 500 ppi density |
| Peak Brightness | - | 2600 nits |
| Protection | Panda Glass, Mohs level 5 Ultra HDR image support | Corning Gorilla Armor 2, Mohs level 6 DX anti-reflective coating Privacy Display |
| Platform | ||
| Performance score | ||
| OS | Android 15, upgradable to Android 16, Nothing OS 4.0, up to 3 major Android upgrades | Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.5 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7635 Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520) | Octa-core (2x4.74 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) |
| GPU | Octa-core (1x2.5 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A520) | Adreno 840 (1.3GHz) |
| Architecture | - | 64-bit, Octa-core |
| Fabrication | - | 3 nm |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM |
| RAM Type | - | LPDDR5X |
| Storage Type | UFS 2.2 | UFS 4.X |
| Main Camera | ||
| Camera score | ||
| Main | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.57", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.74", 0.64µm, PDAF (25cm - ∞), 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 200 MP, f/1.4, 23mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.9, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.5", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, Best Face, Horizon Lock, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS, OIS | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie Camera | ||
| Camera score | ||
| Single | 32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.44" | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Features | - | HDR, HDR10+ |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| Hi-Res Audio | - | High-bitrate audio support |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE | 6.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | - | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2 |
| USB OTG | - | Yes |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Other Details | - | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support |
| Battery | ||
| Battery score | ||
| Type | 5000 mAh | Li-Ion |
| Capacity | - | 5000 mAh |
| Removable | - | No |
| Charging | 50W wired, 50% in 19 min, 100% in 56 min | 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min 25W wireless (Qi2.2) |
| Charging Time (20-100%) | - | 60W wired, PD3.0, 75% in 30 min |
| Wireless Charging | - | 25W wireless (Qi2.2) |
| Reverse Charging | - | 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Black, White, Blue, Community Edition green | Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, Pink Gold |
| Models | A059 | SM-S948B, SM-S948B/DS, SM-S948U |
| Price | - | Expected from 1,29,999 INR |
| SAR | - | 1.09 W/kg -head 1.19 W/kg -body |
| SAR EU | - | 1.28 W/kg-head 1.35 W/kg -body |
| Tests | ||
| Performance | AnTuTu: 828429 (v10), GeekBench: 3278 (v6), 3DMark: 1064 (Wild Life Extreme) | - |
| Display | 1273 nits max brightness (measured) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) | - |
| Bootup Time | Active use score 13:40h | - |
| EU Label | ||
| Energy | Class C | Class A |
| Battery | 43:56h endurance, 1400 cycles | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles |
| Free fall | Class C (90 falls) | 55:00h endurance, 1200 cycles |
| Repairability | Class C | Class C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra scores highest overall in this comparison, with a spec score of 96.4/100. The spec score weighs performance, display, camera, battery and value together, so treat it as a starting point rather than a verdict — the right phone still depends on which of those you care about most.
Nothing Phone (3a) is the most affordable here, starting at ₹24,999. That is ₹105,000 less than the most expensive phone in this comparison.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has the highest-resolution main camera at 200 MP. Resolution alone does not decide photo quality — sensor size, aperture and image processing matter more — so compare the full camera specs below rather than the megapixel count on its own.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the fastest on paper, topping the AnTuTu benchmark at 2,450,000. Benchmarks measure short bursts, so a phone with better sustained thermals can still feel quicker in long gaming sessions.
Nothing Phone (3a) has the brightest display at 3000 nits peak, with a 120Hz refresh rate. Brightness matters most for outdoor readability; see the Display section below for panel type and resolution.