Nothing Phone (4a): A Budget Smartphone That Truly Stands Out

Welcome to our comprehensive review of the Nothing Phone (4a), the most affordable smartphone in Nothing’s portfolio (excluding their CMF sub-brand). Right away, it’s clear this is a Nothing device, and its low price point is particularly commendable given the unique design, which doesn’t inflate the cost. This is crucial: you’re not paying extra for aesthetics at the expense of other vital aspects, especially performance. Join us for a full exploration of the Nothing Phone (4a) to uncover all its advantages and disadvantages.

Nothing Phone (4a) Review: Table of Contents

• Unboxing, Technical Specifications, and Pricing
• Design and Build Quality
• Display and Image Quality
• Battery Life and Charging
• Cameras: Photo and Video Quality
• Software and Performance
• Conclusion and Our Verdict

The Nothing Phone (4a) was provided for review by Nothing. The manufacturer had no influence on the content of this material.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Excellent value for money, balancing quality and features.
• Unique and unmistakable Nothing design.
• Useful and intuitive Glyph Interface.
• Display boasting an above-average resolution and excellent image quality.
• The main camera delivers outstanding results.
• Distinctive, yet streamlined and unburdened software experience.

Disadvantages

• The wide-angle camera significantly underperforms compared to the other lenses.
• Minor omissions in specifications, such as the lack of eSIM support.

Nothing Phone (4a) Review – Our Verdict

True to form, Nothing takes promising components and integrates them into a unique chassis, adding signature elements like the Glyph Interface and Essential Space. This approach continues to prove successful. The Nothing Phone (4a) is a distinctive smartphone that offers a remarkable amount for its price, with everything generally working as expected. However, don’t anticipate a flagship-level camera, especially for night photography, where the wide-angle lens particularly reveals its limitations. Despite this, it’s a smartphone that effectively challenges much larger competitors in the market.

Unboxing, Technical Specifications, and Pricing of the Nothing Phone (4a)

The Nothing Phone (4a) arrives in a sleek black, glossy outer package that conceals the main box containing the accessories. From the outset, there’s a sense of thoughtful organization, with every component neatly placed and nothing feeling crammed.

As is common nowadays, the included accessories are minimal. However, the Phone (4a) set is nicely complemented by a protective case, in addition to a 1-meter USB-C to USB-C cable, documentation, and a SIM tray tool. Furthermore, a protective film is pre-applied to the phone’s screen.

Regarding the included protective case for the reviewed smartphone, it’s a rubberized cover that effectively wraps around the camera island and slightly elevates from the front surface. In essence, it’s a simple yet effective solution that adheres snugly to the device and offers protection against key hazards. However, it does tend to conspicuously collect fingerprints.

As mentioned, the Nothing Phone (4a) is the manufacturer’s most affordable offering, denoted by the “a” in its name. The price naturally varies depending on storage capacity. In the US, you can typically choose from two variants:

• 8 GB RAM / 128 GB Storage: Approximately $399
• 12 GB RAM / 256 GB Storage: Approximately $479

The unit reviewed here is the more powerful version. Other markets may also feature an intermediate variant (8 GB RAM / 256 GB Storage). You can find the full specifications below, but keep in mind that Nothing often runs various promotions on its models.

Technical Specifications of Nothing Phone (4a)

Design and Build Quality of the Nothing Phone (4a)

The unconventional, unique, and simply original design of Nothing devices is a primary reason to consider their models. While you could always encase the smartphone in an opaque cover, doing so would negate a significant aspect you’ve paid for.

Beyond the design, which is a matter of personal taste, let’s focus on the build quality itself. The Nothing Phone (4a) combines two glass surfaces with a plastic frame, which is entirely understandable for this price segment. Fingerprints are visible over time but are easy to wipe away.

The front of the Nothing Phone (4a) opts for a classic approach. The bezels around the display aren’t record-breakingly thin but are consistently sized, maintaining full symmetry, including the centrally placed selfie camera and the earpiece grille. The selfie camera itself performs quite well. Similarly, the in-display fingerprint reader operates flawlessly.

Naturally, much more is happening on the back. The glass back panel, though not attributed to a specific brand, does collect fingerprints. However, what lies beneath the glass captures more attention. Despite the intricate design, there’s still a practical aspect: the camera island is centrally located, preventing wobbling when the smartphone is placed flat on a surface.

It’s worth noting that Nothing officially boasts an IP64 certification, indicating splash resistance. The company also conducted its own tests, finding that the Phone (4a) can be submerged in water up to 25 cm deep for 20 minutes and survive.

Simplified, Yet Still Useful Glyph Interface

The Glyph Interface is, of course, present in the Nothing Phone (4a). However, in this model, it has been significantly simplified, consisting of a single light strip. This strip comprises 64 LEDs, divided into 6 individual zones. A red LED below completes the setup, used for functions such as signaling the start of video recording.

Functionally, the Glyph Interface in the Nothing Phone (4a) fulfills all essential needs, including informing about notifications, serving as a countdown timer, and displaying various indicators (e.g., sound intensity, battery level). Undoubtedly, this is the most minimalist version, but we know that the manufacturer has gone much further in higher-end models (e.g., Nothing Phone (3) review).

Edges with an Additional Button

Finally, let’s examine the edges of the Nothing Phone (4a) to fully understand its construction. At first glance, the sides of the smartphone might resemble aluminum, but in practice, it’s well-finished plastic. The following elements are found on its surfaces:

• Top: Secondary microphone and additional speaker grille.
• Bottom: SIM card tray, main microphone, USB-C port, speaker.
• Left Side: Essential Space button.
• Right Side: Power/lock button and volume control buttons.

I appreciate the sensible distribution of all buttons and the dedication of the Essential Key to a separate edge, along with its rounded design. This is a convenient improvement compared to models like the Nothing Phone (3). The Essential Space itself is essentially an advanced notepad/diary, which we’ll discuss more when covering the software.

Regarding audio, the Nothing Phone (4a) offers decent stereo speakers. They are loud enough, but don’t expect deep bass or other exceptional characteristics. For this price segment, the audio quality is perfectly adequate.

Nothing Phone (4a) Display and Image Quality

On paper, the Nothing Phone (4a) display nearly matches that of higher-end models. First and foremost, I must commend the increased screen resolution to 1.5K (2720 × 1224 pixels), though it’s worth noting that this is a larger rather than smaller smartphone (6.78 inches).

In terms of brightness, Nothing even mentions up to 4500 nits, clarifying that this refers to peak brightness for HDR content. The realistic maximum brightness of the Phone (4a) screen is around 1600 nits, and in my tests, I achieved 1530 nits. This figure, of course, applies to strong outdoor lighting conditions. In standard environments, the reviewed smartphone reaches approximately 750 nits. These are excellent results for this segment.

When it comes to color reproduction, Nothing tends to slightly boost saturation and enhance colors, but it remains well within reasonable limits (deltaE: ~2.3). If this preference bothers you, you can always switch the display color settings to standard to reduce this deviation.

Meanwhile, the maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz, but it is adaptive. While there aren’t seamless transitions typical of higher-priced devices, the software dynamically adjusts between 60, 90, and 120 Hz. Unfortunately, in most games, the lowest of these values is automatically applied.

Nothing Phone (4a) Battery Life and Charging

Some sources suggest the Nothing Phone (4a) might offer a battery capacity of 5080 mAh or 5400 mAh. This is a considerable difference, but in Europe and the US, expect the smaller cell. The larger battery appears in regions like India, where Nothing has removed NFC, which is less essential there, allowing for a bigger battery. Nonetheless, the 5080 mAh battery, coupled with well-optimized components and software, comfortably delivers two days of usage.

If you’re gaming or extensively utilizing the components, you’ll feel some warmth on the casing, and the available energy will deplete noticeably faster. This is partly linked to the elevated display resolution, but even with such intensive use, around 5 hours of screen-on time on a single charge is achievable without issue.

For charging, Nothing has opted for 50 W power, which can be achieved with support for popular technologies like USB Power Delivery. A full recharge of the Phone (4a)’s battery takes approximately 1 hour, while the first 30 minutes can replenish about 65% of the energy. These aren’t record-breaking speeds but are entirely acceptable.

Nothing Phone (4a) Cameras – Photo and Video Quality

Let’s delve into the Nothing Phone (4a)’s camera application, which is quite feature-rich for a mid-range smartphone. The company has created a simple interface that hides many useful features, including predefined settings. A unique community element allows users to upload various camera settings from other device owners. Beyond that, the interface is straightforward, clear, and convenient.

The Nothing Phone (4a) supports video recording at the following resolutions:

• 1080p at 30 and 60 fps
• 4K at 30 fps

Given that this is a budget smartphone, you can only utilize all lenses simultaneously in the basic 1080p 30fps setting. For 60fps or 4K recording, you can select the telephoto lens, but only before you start recording. Once recording begins with the main sensor, only that sensor functions, which can make the switching options somewhat misleading.

The Main Lens Dominates the Nothing Phone (4a)

I have a quite positive impression of the camera setup Nothing has prepared for the Phone (4a). There isn’t a single unnecessary sensor, and overall, it offers a lot. Alongside the main lens, there’s a wide-angle and a periscope telephoto lens, with most of them featuring optical image stabilization (OIS).

Undoubtedly, the wide-angle lens is the weakest of the trio, utilizing the older Sony IMX 355 sensor (8 Mpx, f/2.2), and its age is noticeable. It clearly falls short of the other cameras, which are brighter, offer significantly greater detail, and handle smooth shots better. It might serve in emergencies when you can’t move away from the subject, but it’s generally advisable to focus on the Phone (4a)’s other cameras.

I’m very impressed by the telephoto lens, supplied by Samsung (50 Mpx, f/2.9, S5KJN5). It’s evident that this unit is quite similar in quality to the main sensor. Naturally, it’s a slightly darker lens, which is entirely understandable. By default, it offers 3.5x zoom, which Nothing extends hybridly to 7x, and I must admit, the quality offered is highly satisfying, especially for this price segment.

Meanwhile, the main camera (50 Mpx, f/1.9, Samsung S5KGN9) performs excellently, regardless of the conditions. Of course, this assessment is relative to the Nothing Phone (4a)’s price, but for daily use, you truly don’t need anything more. Only at night, sometimes you need to hold the phone longer than indicated for the system to actually save the photo, an issue likely to be resolved in future updates.

For video recording, hybrid image stabilization is present, with optical stabilization for the main sensor and telephoto lens. The video quality offered is decent, but it’s clear that Nothing primarily focused on the basic resolution. In higher resolutions, issues with contrast and accurate color reproduction begin to emerge.

Nothing Phone (4a) Software and Performance

Just as Nothing devices boast a unique aesthetic, so too does Nothing OS. It prioritizes simplicity while distinguishing itself with unique colors, fonts, and features. Increasingly, the company is emphasizing community integration. Beyond that, it stands out with features like Essential Space, a sophisticated diary/notepad. With a single button, you can save a screenshot with an additional description, and even use voice input. Naturally, there are various mentions of AI integration, with ChatGPT taking center stage.

The Nothing Phone (4a) launched with Nothing OS 2.5, based on Android 14. The manufacturer guarantees 3 years of OS updates, meaning the reviewed smartphone will receive full support up to Android 17. Nothing also plans to release security patches for 6 years. In other words, this is a sensible approach for a smartphone in this price range.

In terms of performance, I never felt as if the Nothing Phone (4a) was the cheapest smartphone in the lineup. The chosen components, led by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, perform exceptionally well in everyday tasks and even in more demanding games. Of course, for complex operations, you might notice slightly longer processing times, but users with such intense needs typically opt for flagship models. The Nothing Phone (4a) isn’t a flagship, but it excels in delivering smooth daily performance.

Conclusion: Nothing Phone (4a) Review – Our Final Thoughts

We’ve concluded our review of the Nothing Phone (4a), a smartphone characterized by an exceptional balance of quality and price. When you add its unique design and innovative features, you get a truly one-of-a-kind device. It’s a sufficiently powerful, excellently performing piece of hardware that strives to be above average in every aspect.

This brings us to its drawbacks, which are, frankly, almost non-existent. Yes, the wide-angle lens doesn’t quite shine, and some might expect a bit more from the specifications. However, considering the price and regular promotions, the Nothing Phone (4a) simply emerges as an outstanding choice.

Source: Gemini. Opening photo: Gemini

About Post Author

Sankesh Verma

Sankkesh Verma is a technical guy who brings a unique combination of strategic, creative, and technical expertise to identify elements that constitute success, propose solutions, and help build them. He is the founder of “Webbpearl” which is a highly-acclaimed web development agency that offers web design and development, mobile app development, and digital marketing. More importantly, he is the admin of Techtiper.

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