Motorola Edge 60 Pro vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Realme 14 Pro+: Which is the Best Sub-30K Triple-Camera Phone?

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro is set to go on sale for the first time in India today. Motorola's latest premium mid-range smartphone features three non-gimmicky rear cameras, no macro or depth sensors here. However, it isn't the only phone in the segment with three such sensors.

The Edge 60 Pro's two main competitors in that respect are the Realme 14 Pro+ and Nothing Phone 3a Pro. So without any further delays, let's see which phone comes out on top in our full specifications comparison of the Moto Edge 60 Pro, Realme 14 Pro Plus, and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro.

Motorola Edge 60 Pro vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Realme 14 Pro Plus

Design & Build

All three smartphones exhibit distinct designs. The Realme 14 Pro+ features a quad-curved panel, whereas the Phone 3a Pro opts for a flat display, and the Edge 60 Pro has a curved screen. The Pearl White Realme 14 Pro+ model is notable for its back panel that changes colour when the temperature drops below a certain threshold. Furthermore, the Edge 60 Pro offers textured leather or nylon back panel options.

However, the Phone 3a Pro stands out with its distinctive back panel incorporating Nothing's proprietary Glyph Interface, adorned with LED lights. Each of the three phones has unique camera islands, with the Phone 3a Pro also featuring an Essential Key, which provides access to Essential Space (read more). Among the three smartphones, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro boasts the most unique design. It is important to note that the Motorola Edge 60 Pro includes a new AI key that facilitates easy access to various AI features.

Additionally, the Edge 60 Pro is the most durable, utilizing glass protection on both the front and back along with an aluminium frame made from 100% recycled materials. Both the Edge 60 Pro and Realme 14 Pro+ have plastic backs, although the former is equipped with a metal frame, while the latter uses a plastic frame. Lastly, the Realme and Motorola smartphones possess flagship-grade water resistance.

Display

While all three phones feature OLED displays, the Realme 14 Pro+ and Edge 60 Pro feature higher resolutions. The maximum brightness is around 1,200 to 1,300 nits on all three phones, although Motorola takes the lead in terms of peak brightness. Finally, HDR10+ is only supported on the Phone 3a Pro and Edge 60 Pro. Additionally, the Edge 60 Pro's screen is Pantone Validated for higher levels of colour accuracy.

Performance

In performance benchmarks, the Edge 60 Pro is unrivalled-its MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Extreme chipset outperforms the chips on the Phone 3a and Realme 14 Pro Plus. The Edge 60 Pro's base model also offers twice the storage of its competitors. Since we haven't tested the two phones, so there's nothing separating the Realme 14 Pro+ and Nothing Phone 3a in terms of performance.

Battery

While the Motorola Edge 60 Pro and Realme 14 Pro Plus both use 6,000 mAh silicon carbon cells, the former features the best battery life of any smartphone, according to DxOMark. It is worth noting that the Phone 3a Pro's battery, despite features a 5,000 mAh capacity, is around 20% smaller than the cells on the Edge 60 Pro and Realme 14 Pro+.

Also Read: iQOO Z10 vs Realme Narzo 80 Pro vs Motorola Edge 60 Fusion: Which is the Best Competitive Mid-Range Smartphone

Additionally, the Edge 60 Pro also features the fastest wired charging of all three phones, while being the only one to offer wireless charging support. It is worth noting that the Nothing Phone 3a Pro doesn't include an adapter in the box.

Cameras

• For optics, the Motorola Edge 60 Pro feature a triple-camera setup with a 50MP OmniVision OV50E primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. The main camera is accompanied by a 50MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 10MP telephoto unit with 3x optical zoom and OIS support. Up front, the Edge 50 Pro opts for a 50MP Samsung JNS selfie camera with autofocus.
• The Realme 14 Pro+ also boasts a triple-camera setup with a 50MP Sony IMX896 primary sensor with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture. The main camera is paired with a 50MP Sony IMX882 periscope shooter with OIS, an f/2.7 aperture, and 3x optical zoom and an 8MP ultrawide shooter with an f/2.2 aperture. Up front, the Realme 14 Pro+ 5G opts for a 32MP Sony selfie shooter.
• The Nothing Phone 3a Pro also features three cameras, including a 50MP primary sensor with an f/1.9 aperture and OIS, an 8MP Sony IMX355 ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture, and a 50MP periscope lens (based on Sony LYTIA 600 sensor) with OIS and an f/2.55 aperture. Up front, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro opts for a 50MP selfie camera that uses a Samsung sensor and an f/2.2 aperture.

The Realme 14 Pro+ stands out with its dual 50MP rear sensors, including a periscope telephoto lens, making it ideal for zoom photography. The Motorola Edge 60 Pro excels in low-light performance and autofocus selfie camera. Moreover, the phone also features a high res ultrawide camera to ensure better consistency between the main and ultrawide lenses.

Meanwhile, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro's cameras offer the versatility of the Realme 14 Pro Plus's rear cameras, while offering superior selfie camera performance. Overall, Realme and Nothing are the best for zoom camera performance, while Motorola is better for night shots. Moreover, the Edge 60 Pro also has the best ultrawide and selfie cameras of the three phones. However, the Phone 3a Pro's overall camera setup offers slightly more versatility despite its dated ultrawide shooter.

Software

Motorola and Nothing's software are clean and bloat-free, offering a near-stock Android experience, although Realme UI 6.0 does come with its fair share of bloatware. All three phones come with a wide array of AI features. Additionally, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro also features the best software support. If we had to choose between one of the three for the software experience alone, it would have to be the Phone 3a Pro.

Motorola Edge 60 Pro vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Realme 14 Pro+: Conclusion

In summary, each of these mid range contenders brings something unique, but the Motorola Edge 60 Pro nudges ahead thanks to its blistering performance and class leading cameras. Its MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Extreme chipset delivers the fastest real world speeds, and its base model offers twice the storage of its rivals.

The Edge 60 Pro excels in low light shots, ultrawide consistency, and autofocus selfies, while its HDR10+, Pantone validated OLED, fastest wired charging, wireless charging, IP rating, and recycled aluminium frame ensure durability and premium appeal.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro impresses with the Glyph Interface, Essential Key, periscope zoom, high res selfie sensor, and clean Android with top tier support, though its 5,000 mAh battery is smaller and it ships without a charger. The Realme 14 Pro+ shines in zoom photography with dual 50 MP rear sensors and a 6,000 mAh battery but carries UI bloat and lacks wireless charging or an IP rating. Overall, the Edge 60 Pro offers the most complete package.