Nothing teases Arcanine: Is the Nothing Phone (3a) in the starting blocks?

Updated by Timo Altmeyer on the 27. January 2025

Nothing is once again causing a stir. With a cryptic teaser showing the Pokémon Arcanine, the company has really fueled the rumor mill about its next Nothing Phone. The big question: Which model will we soon see?

Nothing Arcanine Teaser Hero

Arcanine as a hint for the next model

Anyone who knows Nothing knows that Pokémon code names have long been a trademark of the company. Phone (1)? Codename Abra. Phone (2)? Alakazam. Phone (2a) even got Aerodactyl.

Now Arcanine comes into play, a clear indication that something new is in the pipeline. Speculations mainly revolve around a possible mid-range version of the upcoming Phone (3), which Nothing could perhaps launch as the Phone (3a).

Nothing's Codename Logic Explained

Nothing's internal codename logic is based on Pokémon names and Pokédex numbers, with the letter A representing the Pokémon's first letter and 059 representing its place in the Pokédex. In this case, A059 refers to Arcanine, which is number 59 according to the official Pokédex order.

  •  A063 : The Nothing Phone (1), codename Abra , is number 63 in the Pokédex.
  •  A065 : The Nothing Phone (2) was named after Alakazam, the number 65.
  •  A142 : The Nothing Phone (2a) was named Aerodactyl , number 142 in the Pokédex.
  •  A059 : The latest teaser hints at Arcanine (#059) – presumably the Nothing Phone (3a).

What do we know so far?

Not much - at least officially. But some leaks and a Geekbench entry provide the first possible details. According to them, the device could be equipped with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 8 GB RAM, a solid chip that perfectly combines performance and efficiency for the mid-range.

Nothing A059 Geekbench entry
Nothing A059 Geekbench entry

More interesting, however, is what CEO Carl Pei has already revealed about the upcoming devices. According to him, Nothing's next generation of smartphones will bring "groundbreaking innovations in the user interface" by placing greater emphasis on an AI-supported platform.

Could this also apply to the possible Phone (3a)? Quite possible, although probably in a slimmed down form, because the actual flagship is expected to be the Nothing Phone (3).

Will the big reveal come at MWC 2025?

The timing of the teaser could indicate that Nothing is planning a release at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The MWC will take place from March 3 to 6 and has been the perfect place for big reveals for years. Back in 2024, Nothing used the stage to present the Phone (2a), so why not this year too?

But Nothing could also take a completely different path and show the Nothing Phone (3) straight away. That would be unusual, however, as the launch is expected to take place in summer 2025. So it remains exciting to see whether we will see the (3a) or both devices in Barcelona.

Source: Nothing Social Media

  • It doesn't make sense to publish a 3a before the 3. I'm curious. There's supposed to be an announcement today.

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