Nothing Phone (3a) Is Getting an iPhone-Style Action Button

Nothing’s Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro are set to be released on March 4, 2025, but before that, Nothing has revealed what the phone will look like. In a YouTube video titled “The SECRETS behind Phone (3a),” the company talked about the thought process behind the phone’s design philosophy.

In what appears to be an exclusive first look at the phone, SmartPrix has reported that the Nothing Phone (3a) series will come with a dedicated physical button, similar to the iPhone’s ‘Action Button.’ For the 3a series, this key is located on the right-hand side, below the Power button. It’s called the “Essential Key,” and is used to launch Nothing’s dedicated AI.

The button, when pressed, launches the Essential Space, which is essentially a “digital memory,” that could hold any information. You could press the button to capture any content and send it directly to Space. Long-pressing lets you record and save a voice note, and double-tapping opens up the Space for the user to access its contents.

The Essential Key is also integrated into some of the more commonly used apps. For instance, tapping the key within the Camera sends the photo directly to the Space. It can also be used to record voice notes on the go and can be paired with a search engine, too.

This is all we know for now, but rest assured that we will keep you updated as new information becomes available.