iQOO Neo 10R vs Nothing Phone 3a: Which mid-range phone will pack the most value under ₹30,000?news24

iQOO and Nothing have both confirmed that their new mid-range contenders will arrive in the month of March. While the exact specifications of the two devices will not be known until after the launch, numerous leaks have given us a good idea of what to expect from the two devices. Here’s a detailed comparison of two of next month’s most exciting launches.

iQOO Neo 10R expected specifications:

According to leaks, the iQOO Neo 10R will likely come in India with the model number I2221. The phone is expected to feature a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and could come with 8/12GB of RAM and 256/512GB of storage.

In terms of optics, the phone could come with a 50MP Sony LYT 600 primary shooter and an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. On the front, there could be a 16MP shooter.

iQOO Neo 10R is likely to be available in two colour variants, Blue White Slice and Lunar Titanium. It could pack a massive 6,400mAh battery (more than the iQOO 13’s 6,000mAh) and support 80W fast charging.

The new iQOO device is expected to make its debut in India next month, but it’s not yet clear if it will be the only device launched by the company or if it will be accompanied by other models in the Neo 10 series. For context, the iQOO Neo 10 and Neo 10 Pro debuted in China at the end of last year and were rumoured to be launched at the same time.

iQOO has confirmed that the Neo 10R will be priced under ₹30,000 in India and will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor.

Nothing Phone 3a expected specifications:

Leaks suggest that the Nothing Phone (3a) could be powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, the same SoC found in phones such as the Realme 14 Pro+ and Redmi Note 14 Pro+. However, it remains to be seen whether the switch from MediaTek to Snapdragon chipsets will result in a performance boost for the upcoming device.

Although there is no concrete news about the phone’s display (3a), it is safe to assume that the phone could rock the same 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display as its predecessor. The phone is also likely to feature the same in-display optical fingerprint sensor as the previous generation.

For optics, the Phone 3a is expected to feature a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP 2x telephoto shooter and a 8MP ultra-wide angle lens. The selfie camera is likely to remain unchanged from the previous generation at 32MP.

An earlier report from Android Authority spotted the phone (3a) codenamed ‘asteroids’ on the Nothing OS 3.0 build. Reportedly, the upcoming ‘a’ series model could feature a telephoto lens. It is also expected to come with support for e-SIM, the first device from Nothing to have so. If the report is true, Phone (3a) users will be able to insert two physical nano-SIMs or an eSIM with a physical nano-SIM.

While there are no official leaks about the price of Phone 3a, the phone should be available around the ₹25,000 mark much like its predecessor while a costlier Phone 3a Pro, with some cosmetic upgrades, could be launched around the ₹30,000 mark.

Nothing Phone 3a vs iQOO Neo 10R: Which will be a better mid-range phone?

The two upcoming phones from iQOO and Nothing are likely to play to the strength of both the brands. While iQOO Neo 10R definitely take the edge in terms of raw performance, the Phone 3a will likely stand out to due to its unique design, a potential camera control button and clean software experience. The Phone 3a could have an edge, though, if it finally manages to bring a 2x telephoto lens in this budget.

However, iQOO’s much bigger battery and faster charging (with charger inside the box, unlike Nothing) would again complicate the choice. In essence, while most of the specs of these phones are already leaked, it will be hard to make a choice about which will be a better until their official prices are revealed.