Get a load of this Nothing phone design with 4xAAA batteries

We often complain about smartphone batteries – except when talking about 10,000 mAh monsters like the alleged Honor Power 2 – so why not introduce a phone with alkaline batteries?

It’s a thing. Almost!

Here, take a look:

Looks fascinating, right? This glorious design popped up over at Andrea Fanelli’s X account. It’s a fun spin on the just-released Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. That’s the fourth installment of a Nothing Phone (3) phone and it joins the rest of the family:

• Nothing Phone (3)
• Nothing Phone (3a) Pro
• Nothing Phone (3a)

On a side note, I want to announce that I still haven’t forgotten about Carl Pei’s claims that the Nothing Phone (3) family was “complete” from some months ago. Not funny, Carl, not funny at all.

“The horror, the horror…”

“The horror…”, Kurtz said at the end of “Apocalypse Now” (a fun and relaxing movie to watch over the weekend), and that’s exactly what I’m thinking when looking at this design.The prospect of bringing along alkaline batteries everywhere I go is absolutely savage (although I pack a 5,000 mAh compact power bank occasionally).
But I have to give credit to Andrea; the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite deserves such a treatment. Just look at – the rectangular panel on its back truly looks like a battery compartment cover on a remote control.

The purpose of the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite

The Nothing Phone (3a) is the toned down version of the Nothing Phone (3). The new Lite model is an ever lighter version of the (3a). It’s a bit chaotic.

Also, it feels like someone at Nothing was waiting for me to declare the Phone (3) “finally complete” back in July (when the flagship arrived), just so they could drop this new model afterward. Gotta admit, I respect the timing of that practical joke.

The Nothing Phone (3a) Lite starts at £249 (~$326 when directly converted) for 128 GB and £279 (~$366) for 256 GB. For anyone following recent mobile releases, it might feel familiar, as it closely mirrors the CMF Phone 2 Pro launched earlier this year.

Most of the specs – camera, display, chipset, battery, and storage – are nearly identical. Despite this, the CMF Phone 2 Pro remains cheaper, offering 256 GB for $280, making it a more value-packed option.