Nothing Phone 3a Lite Becomes More Expensive in India

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-Kabir Jain

Published: Thursday, January 1, 2026, 17:59 [IST]

If you’ve been noticing smartphone prices quietly creeping up, here’s another one to add to the list. The Nothing Phone 3a Lite has become more expensive in India. The revised pricing is now live on Flipkart, confirming a ₹2,000 increase across both storage variants.

As things stand, the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage version is listed at ₹22,999, up from ₹20,999. The 8GB RAM and 256GB model now sits at ₹23,999, compared to its earlier ₹21,999 price. The phone itself hasn’t changed. This is purely a pricing revision.

Price Revisions Are Becoming Common

This kind of price movement is going to become familiar in 2026. Instead of headline-grabbing revisions, many brands are adjusting prices directly at retail, especially for mid-range and budget phones. For buyers, the end result is the same. Phones that launched at one price are slowly moving into higher brackets over time.

The Nothing Phone 3a Lite fits neatly into that pattern.

Why Smartphone Prices Keep Going Up in 2026

The bigger story here isn’t one phone or one brand. Smartphone prices are rising across the board, and a major reason is memory. RAM and storage prices have been climbing as chipmakers focus more on supplying high-margin memory for AI data centers. With the AI boom still accelerating, general-purpose memory for consumer devices is under pressure.

That cost increase hits mid-range phones harder. In this segment, margins are already thin, so brands have limited room to absorb higher component prices. Passing some of that cost to buyers is often unavoidable.

The Phone Remains the Same

Despite the higher price, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite is still the same device buyers saw at launch. It offers a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a 50MP main camera paired with an 8MP ultrawide lens, and runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset. You also get Nothing OS 3.5 based on Android 15, along with a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging.

What Buyers Should Keep in Mind

Smartphone prices in India are adjusting upward, and 2026 doesn’t look like a year where that reverses. If you’re planning to upgrade, waiting too long may not necessarily mean getting a better deal.