Budget phones can't shake their notorious reputation of having poor cameras. I know this very well because the majority of them falter at when it comes to capturing images in low light. However, in my experience, that’s not the case with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Google Pixel 8a.
Everyone knows that I’m a fan of the best cheap phones around because of how they cost a fraction of the price. In my Nothing Phone 3a Pro review, I call out how it’s super rare to find a triple camera system in a phone for under $500 — and one with a dedicated telephoto lens at that. Of course, in my Pixel 8a review, I also noted how AI features can make a big difference in adding value to a camera phone.
That’s why I’m seeking out which is the worthier best camera phone contender with my 200 photo shootout between the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Pixel 8a. By snapping the same set of photos, inspecting the images side-by-side on a monitor, and then grading them in the 10 categories below, we can see which device truly offers the best photos for a low price.
I’m astounded by what you get with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which features a 50MP main snapper, 8MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP selfie camera. In contrast, the Pixel 8a sports a dual-camera setup that pairs a 64MP main camera with a 13MP ultrawide — and a 13MP selfie around the front.
Don’t let those specs get to your head just yet — they’re never indicative of their real-world performance.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Daytime
I’ll tell you this about the main cameras on both the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and the Pixel 8a: they’re nearly flagship caliber, so you can count on them to reliably capture a scene. I looked through all the snapshots above and there’s not one that has an overpowering performance, but the Pixel 8a has enough strong characteristics to win me over.
When I look at the first shot of the wooden sign, I like the stronger contrast of the Nothing Phone 3a Pro — but the Pixel 8a draws out a tiny bit more detail in the sign.
I see that, too, with the second image of the tree next to the house. Zoom into the branches and you’ll see how the Pixel 8a catches a little more definition, while also boosting the shadows.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Ultrawide
Both ultrawide cameras have the same 120-degree field of view, so they have the same reach from the same exact position. However, the Pixel 8a produces the better results.
Even though both are light with the details, I like how the Pixel 8a applies a bit more sharpening and how it brightens up the photos. I can see it in the dunes in the far background in the first set of ultrawide shots, along with the wooden sign in the second set.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Colors
Colors are thankfully not too oversaturated or overpowering as they can be on some other phones. But the Pixel 8a applies just enough to make its shots pop more.
I personally like the more vibrant pinks, reds, and yellows of the Pixel 8a with the shot of the wreath. In contrast, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro looks dull.
In the second set of photos with the flower vines, the slight saturation of the Pixel 8a makes it stand out more.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Dynamic range
When it comes to testing out their dynamic range, I purposely chose high-contrast scenes that have strong light that cast shadows over certain parts of the shot. This one’s another close race, with neither the Nothing Phone 3a or Pixel 8a demonstrably outperforming the other.
In the gazebo shots with the townhomes in the background, the Pixel 8a casts the slightly brighter shot, but the rocks in front of the gazebo are slightly better exposed on the Pixel.
However, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro draws the brighter image in the shots with the colorful sign in the middle. In the third set of photos of the beach homes in the background, the shadowed areas of the exterior appear evenly exposed with the two phones.
Winner: Tie
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Macro
Even though the Nothing Phone 3a Pro includes a dedicated macro mode, it actually relies on the main camera for it rather than the ultrawide. The Pixel 8a doesn’t offer any macro mode, so it clearly can’t match the minimum focal length of its rival.
Overall, I really like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for close-ups because I’m able to snap photos much closer. The Nothing Phone 3a offers 3x and 6x zoom with macro photos, so it has an inherent advantage.
If you look at the first set of photos of the tree buds starting their bloom, there’s much more detail with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, like the fuzzy sprouts around the buds.
Winner: Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Selfie
Despite having a pixel-crunching 50MP selfie camera, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro can’t match the clarity, detail, and dynamic performance of the Pixel 8a’s 13MP front camera. I shot selfies with the sun in front and behind me, to get a better sense of how they react to the light contrast.
In the first set of selfies with the sun in front of me, the output of both camera phones appears very similar with their even exposure. But when I zoom into my face, it’s abundantly clear that there’s more detail and definition with the Pixel 8a.
With the sun behind me in the second set of selfies, the Pixel 8a delivers more contrast between the shadows and highlights to make the shot look better.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Portrait
I shot all the portrait photos above at 2x zoom for a fair comparison because the minimum zoom for the Pixel 8a is 1.7x. Again, the two phones produce outstanding portraits for their cost, but closer inspection reveals a clear winner here.
I really love how the phones do an excellent job at detecting edges, which create that perfect background-subject separation in the first set of shots above.
I also like how they create similar skin tones, with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro adding a little bit more exposure to my face, but the Pixel 8a has the better details. Just zoom into my eyes to see how much definition there is with the Pixel, along with the stitching pattern with the brim of my cap.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Panorama
Oddly enough, panoramas are a clear strength for the Nothing Phone 3a Pro — so much so that it’s not close. It’s strange because both the Nothing and Google phones utilize their main cameras for panoramas, but given how the Pixel 8a fared better in the daytime, I’m surprised by its lackluster shots here.
What’s most apparent in all the panoramas above is that there’s a lot more detail captured with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Just look at the red wooden railing with the first set of shots.
In the second set with the sun directly in front of me, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro has a more consistent exposure throughout the scene.
Winner: Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Zoom
Due to how the Nothing Phone 3a packs a dedicated 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, it enjoys an advantage with zooming. The Pixel 8a doesn’t have its own telephoto camera, so it leans on the main camera and pixel zooming for everything, with the Super Res Zoom feature cleaning up any distortion from digital zoom.
I shot all the photos above at 3x and 8x zoom to give you an idea of how they differ. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro comes in handy as a result of its optical zoom, which produces the sharper, more legible words in the first set of shots with the parking sign on the street.
In the second set with the wooden sign, the results are very close at 2x zoom, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro pulls out more definition all around the wooden sign at 8x zoom.
Winner: Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Low light
When I compared the Nothing Phone 2a vs Pixel 8a last year, Google clearly won the low light category by a wide margin. This time, however, the tides have turned.
Impressively, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro beats out the Pixel 8a in every nighttime shot above. What’s important to note here is that there’s very little ambient light in the scene. With the shot of the tree in my backyard, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s performance stands out for its superb contrast and better detail.
In the second batch of photos, the results are no different as the Pixel 8a’s shot of the tree is underexposed and softer. This is a big change from last year and shows how much the Nothing Phone 3a Pro has improved in low light.
Winner: Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Pixel 8a: Verdict
If there’s something I can say about this photo shootout, then it has to be that budget phones can confidently capture photographs. Gone are the days of fuzzy details and grainy looking low light images. That’s because the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Pixel 8a prove you can get excellent photos in a sub-$500 package.
Technically speaking, the Pixel 8a wins more categories in this shootout. Its strengths lie in its strong main camera performance, portrait mode, and exceptional selfie camera.
On the flip side, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is a pro at zooming, low light, panoramas, and macro photography. I favor those areas much more, which is why I’d personally pick the Nothing Phone 3a Pro over the Pixel 8a. I’m also quite impressed with the Nothing phone's astrophotography performance.
For the value, you can’t deny that the Nothing Phone 3a Pro has more of it due to its triple camera arrangement. Of course, with a rumored Pixel 9a launch coming up, it won't be long before the Nothing Phone 3a Pro faces another challenge for the best low-cost camera phone crown.
