Recording summary · April 2025
Why i'm returning my Nothing Phone 3a - very disappointing
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Overview
Daniel is returning the recently purchased Nothing Phone 3a after acquiring it to replace a damaged phone.
The return is driven by third-party camera and live streaming applications failing to support the Nothing Phone 3a's wide-angle and zoom lenses, a feature present on Samsung devices.
Daniel chose instead to purchase a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S10+ for £130, favoring its lower price, older flagship hardware, and built-in camera skin smoothing features.
Themes
Damage to Daniel's original Samsung Galaxy S10+ caused by shutting it in a car boot hinge.
Features and initial impressions of the Nothing Phone 3a, including charging speed, widgets, display, and camera resolution.
Third-party camera API limitations impacting non-Samsung Android devices in apps like IRL Pro, Prism Live Studio, and iVCam.
Front camera performance comparisons and a preference for Samsung's built-in skin smoothing filters over high-resolution capture.
Developments
Daniel cracked the screen of a Samsung Galaxy S10+ by accidentally closing the car boot onto it.
Daniel purchased a Nothing Phone 3a for £320.
Daniel ordered a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S10+ for £130 scheduled to arrive on Monday.
Uncertainties & gaps
Whether Samsung holds exclusive agreements with app developers or app developers simply fail to support third-party Android camera APIs.
Why the main camera failed to display and showed only a black screen during the test of Prism Live Studio.