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The Nothing Phone 3a button is no longer a mystery

A leaked image of the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Leaked render of the Nothing Phone 3a Pro Android Headlines

For weeks, there has been significant buzz surrounding the Nothing (3a) series, which includes two phones set to be officially announced on Tuesday, March 4. One of the company’s teasers has focused on a new button, the purpose of which has remained a mystery until now.

We have learned that the new button will activate an AI assistant called Essential Space, which Nothing had previously teased. This button, likely named the “Essential Key,” is designed to simplify users’ tasks. It allows them to take notes, record voice memos, and capture photos using AI technology. The AI will focus on “Smart Collection,” which will sort and categorize images, audio, and text.

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However, we must wait for a live demonstration of the Nothing (3a) and Nothing (3a) Pro to see this feature in action.

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Your second memory.

Capture, organise and take action with Essential Space. All with a little help from AI. pic.twitter.com/IeqzgetOwv

— Nothing (@nothing) February 27, 2025

Besides the new Essential Key, both new Nothing phones are expected to feature a triple-camera setup, with the Pro model having a slightly better optical zoom and a higher-resolution front-facing camera. The Nothing (3a) Pro should feature a camera system with a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide camera with an expanded field of view, a 50MP periscope lens, and a 32MP front camera. This new arrangement enables 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, and 60x ultra digital zoom. Additionally, the camera system offers enhancements for macro photography and new AI clarity algorithms powered by Nothing’s TrueLens Engine 3.0.

Once again, the new phones will feature Nothing’s iconic transparent back and Glyph interface. Inside, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset should be present, ideal for mid-range phones. The phones will come with Android 15 preinstalled.

Nothing tends to tease new features leading up to a product launch. With that in mind, I recommend linking to the company’s X feed ahead of Tuesday’s big reveal, as additional leaks may emerge.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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