Motorola Edge 70 vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Vivo T4 Pro: Which is the Best Smartphone Under Rs 30,000?

Motorola unveiled a new game-changing smartphone in India earlier this week. The Motorola Edge 70 brought the ultra-thin form factor of the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge to India's mid-range smartphone market.

However, given the Edge 70 sits in India's highly competitive sub-30K smartphone market, it cannot afford to make any compromises, despite its sleek appearance. So how will the Motorola Edge 70 fare in a battle against two of India's top mid-range smartphones, the Vivo T4 Pro and Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Let's find out!

Motorola Edge 70 vs Vivo T4 Pro vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro

Design, Build, Display

Motorola, Nothing, and Vivo have all opted for similar designs for their smartphones, with flat displays and box-shaped frames with rounded edges. However, it is the rear panel design for the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro that stands out the most, with its customizable LED lighting and transparent back. On the other hand, the Motorola Edge 70 and Vivo T4 Pro feature more subtle designs.

In terms of build quality, the Edge 70 stands out for offering a textured back panel and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front as well as a metal frame. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses Panda Glass on the front and unnamed glass on the back with a plastic frame. Finally, the Vivo T4 Pro 5G has Diamond Shield Glass on the front and uses plastic for the rear panel and frame.

Additionally, the Motorola Edge 70 and Vivo T4 Pro feature MIL-STD-810H compliance for added durability and an IP68/IP69 rating for resistance to dust and water. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro boasts an IP64 rating for dust and mild splash resistance.

While all three phones feature 120Hz AMOLED displays, the Edge 70's screen has the highest resolution, making content look sharper and colours more vibrant. The display on the Edge 70 can achieve can HBM (High Brightness Mode) of 1,600 nits, 100 nits more than the Vivo T4 Pro 5G. The Edge 70 also has a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio than its competitors.

Cameras

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro also features three cameras, including a 50MP primary Samsung ISOCELL GNJ 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 Vivo T4 Pro 5G also has three rear cameras, including a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture, a 50MP Sony IMX882 periscope-telephoto shooter with OIS, an f/2.7 aperture, and 3x optical zoom, and a 2MP bokeh lens. It also opts for a 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.5 aperture.

Finally, the Motorola Edge 70 features a 50MP Samsung GNJ primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and OIS and a 50MP Samsung JNS ultrawide lens with an f/2.0 aperture. Up front, the Edge 70 opts for a 50MP Samsung JNS selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

In terms of video recording, the Edge 70 can capture 4K video at 60fps across all three lenses. The Vivo T4 Pro 5G can record 4K video at 30fps across the selfie and two rear cameras. On the flip side, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro can only record 4K video on the main rear and selfie cameras, the other two rear lenses are limited to 1080p video recording at 30fps.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro stands out for versatility, pairing a capable 50MP primary sensor with a useful periscope camera, though its video limitations on secondary lenses hold it back. The Vivo T4 Pro 5G offers consistent imaging with dual OIS-enabled 50MP sensors and reliable 3x optical zoom, making it a balanced choice for photography, even if the 2MP bokeh camera adds little value.

The Motorola Edge 70 emerges as the strongest all-rounder, delivering high-resolution cameras across the board and superior video support with 4K at 60fps on all lenses, making it ideal for both creators and everyday users.

Performance, Battery, Software

Moving on to performance, both the Edge 70 and Vivo T4 Pro 5G pull out ahead with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset. While it isn't the best chip in the segment, it is faster than the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoC on the Phone 3a Pro. However, the Motorola Edge 70 features faster LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. Additionally, the base model of the Edge 70 comes with 256GB of storage, although it loses out on a 12GB RAM variant.

The Vivo T4 Pro 5G offers the best battery life of all three phones, with its cell being 30% larger than its competitors. The T4 Pro 5G also has the fastest wired charging support of all three phones. On the flip side, the Edge 70 packs a 5,000mAh battery despite its ultra-slim form factor, while offering quick 68W wired and 15W wireless charging support. And while the Phone 3a Pro's battery isn't small by any means, it only supports 50W wired fast charging with no adapter in the box.

On the software side, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Motorola Edge 70 feature clean, bloat-free versions of Android, while the T4 Pro's FuntouchOS isn't nearly as clean and fluid. While the Vivo T4 Pro 5G features the best long-term software support, it will receive the same number of Android updates as the Edge 70 as the latter runs on Android 16 out of the box. Finally, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and Vivo T4 Pro also come with six years of regular security patches.

Motorola Edge 70 vs Nothing Phone 3a Pro vs Vivo T4 Pro: Conclusion

The Motorola Edge 70, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and Vivo T4 Pro 5G each target slightly different priorities within the sub-₹30,000 segment. The Edge 70 makes the strongest case as an all-rounder, combining an ultra-slim yet durable design, a sharper AMOLED display, solid performance, clean software, and class-leading video capabilities. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro appeals to users who value distinctive design and camera flexibility, particularly its periscope lens, though its performance and video limits place it a step behind.

Meanwhile, the Vivo T4 Pro 5G focuses on endurance and reliability, offering the best battery life, fast charging, and dependable cameras, even if its software experience is less refined. Ultimately, the best choice depends on whether you prioritise design and video, battery longevity, or visual uniqueness.