Nothing Phone (4a) review: More zoom, new glyph bar and a touch of pink

Nothing Phone (4a): Design and workmanship

The Phone (4a) remains unmistakably a Nothing Smartphone. The semi-transparent back reveals coils, screws, and graphic elements, making the internal components an integral part of the design, even in the new generation.

In direct comparison with the Phone (3a), it's immediately noticeable that Nothing has redesigned some lines. On the Phone (3a), the camera area appeared as a continuous bar that stretched relatively evenly across the upper part of the back.

On the iPhone 4a, this bar was broken up and replaced by a more compact, pill-shaped camera module. The aluminum bezel looks significantly more premium and draws more attention to the cameras themselves, as well as to the new Glyph Bar located to the right of them.

In direct comparison, the upper part of the Phone (4a) appears somewhat more lively and playful. The lines around the camera and Glyph Bar are more complex, almost a little chaotic. At the same time, Nothing has visibly tidied up the lower part of the back.

The graphic elements are more minimalist, the surfaces are more clearly separated, and the overall design appears less cluttered than its predecessor. This combination of more dynamism at the top and more order at the bottom gives the iPhone (4a) a more futuristic look overall.

Nothing has also made slight adjustments to the casing design. The curve of the sides begins a little earlier on the Phone (4a) than on the Phone (3a). This makes the edges appear softer and the device feel a touch more comfortable in the hand.

Nothing has reinvented itself to some extent with the Glyph. The familiar LED strips of its predecessor are gone, replaced by the new Glyph Bar. Behind the rectangular bar are 63 mini-LEDs, divided into six individually controllable zones. This allows for significantly more precise visualization of notifications, charging progress, or timers than before.

Functionally, the Glyph philosophy remains largely unchanged, but is being further developed. Familiar features such as Flip to Glyph, Glyph Timer, volume indicator, and Glyph Progress remain and are still part of the system. The latter can currently display live updates from apps like Uber, Zomato, and Google Calendar.

For example, the progress of a food delivery or the countdown to the next appointment can be tracked directly via the LEDs, without having to activate the display. Support for additional apps will follow via software updates.

A small but noticeable improvement in everyday use concerns the key layout. On the Phone (3a), the so-called Essential Key was located directly below the power button, which frequently led to accidental presses. On the Phone (4a), Nothing has moved the button to the left side of the casing, where it now sits alone. The volume rocker and, below it, the power button are located on the right.

Measuring 163,95 × 77,57 × 8,55 mm and weighing approximately 204,5 g, the Phone (4a) remains close in size to its predecessor. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i, and thanks to IP64 certification, the device continues to be protected against dust and water splashes. In terms of color, Nothing offers a blue variant in addition to black and white, very similar to the Phone (3a). New to the lineup, however, is a pastel pink, which is deliberately soft rather than bright and lends the transparent design an extra touch of character.

Nothing Phone (4a): Display

On the front, Nothing remains more conservative. The phone (4a) uses a 6,78-inch LTPS AMOLED display with a resolution of 2720 × 1224 pixels, which corresponds to a pixel density of approximately 440 ppi. Content appears correspondingly sharp, text is displayed cleanly, and even fine UI elements remain clearly recognizable.

The refresh rate ranges from 30 to 120 Hz, ensuring pleasantly smooth animations and scrolling. Unlike an LTPO panel, however, the adjustment is not stepless, but rather via fixed switching steps. This is not surprising in this price range, though, and is hardly noticeable in everyday use.

In everyday use, the panel impresses above all with its brightness. Nothing specifies up to 800 nits in typical operation, up to 1600 nits are possible outdoors, and with HDR content, the display briefly reaches a peak brightness of up to 4500 nits. This means the screen remains easily readable even in direct sunlight, which is far more important in everyday use than extreme peak values ​​on the spec sheet.

Colors are displayed with up to 1,07 billion shades thanks to 10-bit color depth. This ensures smooth color gradients and strong contrasts, which are particularly noticeable with HDR content. With a contrast ratio of 1.000.000:1, black appears correspondingly deep, and content gains a pleasing sense of depth.

The panel also responds very quickly to touch input. The touch sampling rate is 480 Hz in normal operation and can increase to up to 2500 Hz in gaming mode. This makes the display feel very responsive, especially during fast inputs or games. At the same time, Nothing uses a PWM frequency of 2160 Hz, which reduces flicker and makes the panel more comfortable for users with sensitive eyesight.

Nothing Phone (4a): Performance

Under the hood, the Phone (4a) is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. The chip is manufactured using TSMC's 4nm process and features an eight-core Kryo CPU with clock speeds of up to 2,7 GHz. It succeeds the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, which was used in the Phone (3a), and once again positions the device in the upper mid-range segment.

In everyday use, the chip delivers pleasantly smooth performance. Apps launch quickly, multitasking works flawlessly, and even demanding applications for image editing or navigation don't slow the Phone (4a) down. Overall, the performance increase compared to the Phone (3a) is rather moderate, but in everyday use, the (4a) feels a touch more responsive.

This is also reflected in the benchmarks. In Geekbench, the Phone (4a) achieves around 1251 points in single-core and 3284 points in multi-core. Compared to the Phone (3a), the (4a) shows a slight improvement in single-core performance, while multi-core performance remains largely at the same level.

An Adreno 810 GPU handles graphics tasks and easily manages current games. Titles like Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Genshin Impact run stably at medium to high settings, as long as you don't push the graphics details too far. For a device in this price range, the gaming performance is therefore absolutely solid.

Under sustained load, the Phone (4a) proved stable. During the 30-minute stress test, no significant thermal throttling occurred. The CPU maintained its performance consistently, while heat was concentrated primarily in the area next to the camera module. There, the device reached just under 46 °C in the test. While this is noticeably warm, it remains significantly below the temperatures of the Phone (3), which temporarily exceeded 50 °C in previous tests.

One of the more noticeable improvements concerns storage. While the Phone (3a) still relied on UFS 2.2, the Phone (4a) now uses significantly faster UFS 3.1 flash storage. This reduces loading times and apps open somewhat faster overall. However, Nothing sticks with LPDDR4X RAM, even though the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 would also support LPDDR5. In everyday use, this is hardly noticeable.

Three storage options are available: 8 + 128 GB, 8 + 256 GB, and 12 + 256 GB. A larger 512 GB version is not offered, nor is there an option for storage expansion via microSD. Therefore, anyone planning to store many photos, videos, or games on the device should opt for the larger version and consider using cloud storage.

Nothing (4a): Software

The phone (4a) runs Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16. Nothing promises three years of Android updates and a total of six years of security updates for the device, which means the smartphone will remain up-to-date for a comparatively long time in its price range.

Nothing OS remains true to its minimalist approach. The interface continues to rely on a reduced design language with dot-matrix elements, clear black-and-white contrasts, and a largely uncluttered user interface without unnecessary bloatware. Animations appear fluid, and the system remains pleasantly responsive even with many apps open.

An important component of the software is the Essential features, which Nothing has been gradually expanding since the (3a) generation. These include Essential Space and Essential Search, which were introduced with the previous generation. Essential Space serves as a central repository for content such as screenshots, notes, web pages, and voice recordings. Essential Search complements this with a system-wide search function that allows users to quickly search apps, contacts, messages, and photos.

New to Nothing OS 4 is the Playground, a kind of community hub for Essential Apps, Camera Presets, Glyph Toys, and EQ Profiles. Here, users can discover, download, and share content with others. The Essential Apps are particularly interesting: small widgets or mini-tools that can be created with simple voice commands and then used directly on the home screen.

The approach is somewhat reminiscent of a no-code workshop for small everyday helpers. Instead of classic app programming, you simply describe what the widget should do, such as display information or organize specific content. To ensure that such community apps remain secure, Nothing relies on a controlled system. New Essential Apps are reviewed before publication and then run in an isolated sandbox environment.

Nothing Phone (4a): Camera

With the Phone (3a), Nothing introduced a telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom to the a-series for the first time. The Phone (4a) takes the next step and features a periscope camera with 3,5x optical zoom, offering even more scope for distant subjects.

periscope camera

The periscope camera uses a 50 MP Samsung JN5 sensor with a 1/1.57 inch sensor size, f/2.88 aperture, optical and electronic image stabilization and autofocus.

It offers a 3,5x optical zoom and up to 7x in-sensor zoom. In addition, the camera provides a digital ultra-zoom of up to 70x, which, as expected, relies heavily on software interpolation.

Subjects can be captured from a comfortable distance, while backgrounds blur more naturally, giving images greater depth overall. Especially with people, architecture, or spontaneous street scenes, the perspective offered by the longer focal length often appears significantly more interesting than with the main camera. The periscope camera's sharpness, level of detail, and color reproduction were impressive in testing.

main camera

The main camera also uses a 50 MP sensor, the Samsung GN9, with a sensor size of 1/1,57 inches and an aperture of f/1.88. A combination of optical and electronic image stabilization compensates for shaky hands.

The images are sharp, detailed, and with relatively natural color reproduction. Especially in daylight, the sensor impresses with a solid dynamic range and balanced contrasts, without oversaturating colors.

Ultra wide angle camera

The triple-camera setup is completed by an 8 MP ultrawide camera (Sony IMX355) with a 120-degree field of view. The sensor is a familiar one, already used in the iPhone 3a. While still well-suited for landscape shots or group photos, it noticeably lags behind the main camera in terms of detail and dynamic range. Structures appear somewhat softer, especially at the edges of the image, which isn't surprising in this price range.

In terms of color, all three cameras are well-matched; color temperature and contrast remain largely consistent when switching between focal lengths. The periscope camera only exposes slightly brighter and emphasizes highlights a bit more. Bright areas such as reflective facades or white surfaces appear somewhat more brilliant as a result, without the images appearing overexposed.

Front camera

On the front, unchanged from the iPhone 3a, is a 32 MP selfie camera (Samsung KD1) with an f/2.2 aperture and an 89-degree field of view. The hardware remains the same, but still delivers sharp selfies with relatively neutral skin tones and sufficient dynamic range for social media photos or video calls.

Nachtaufnahmen

At night, the phone (4a) automatically activates its night mode as soon as the lighting conditions become more challenging. The camera extends the exposure time to about one to two seconds and combines several shots into a single image. Even in quite dark scenes, the smartphone manages to capture a surprising amount of detail from shadow areas, albeit with a slightly softened appearance. Facades, street signs, and paving textures remain recognizable without the images becoming pixelated or appearing artificially brightened.

As is typical for many smartphone cameras, bright light sources tend to be overexposed on the Phone (4a). Particularly with bright streetlights or illuminated shop windows, visible overexposure occurs, where a bright cone of light or slight flares appear around the light source. This is not unusual behavior, but it is quickly noticeable in high-contrast night scenes.

In terms of color, night shots tend slightly towards warm tones. Streetlights are often rendered with a slight yellow tint, which, while not always entirely accurate, creates a more pleasant and natural atmosphere in many scenes than an overly cool rendering. Overall, the night mode delivers convincing results for a mid-range device, as long as you can tolerate extremely bright light sources in the image.

TrueLens Engine 4.0

For image processing, Nothing relies on the TrueLens Engine 4.0. This combines HDR processing, scene recognition, and AI-powered optimization, bringing together several functions. These include Ultra XDR for extended dynamic range, Auto Tone for automatic adjustment of color and contrast, and a Portrait Optimizer designed to render faces and skin tones more naturally. Motion capture for moving subjects and a special macro mode for close-up shots complete the package.

In everyday use, the engine works largely unobtrusively in the background. Exposure, color, and contrast are automatically adjusted, so photos appear balanced immediately after being taken. Especially in high-contrast scenes with bright skies and dark shadows, the HDR processing ensures that details are preserved without making images look overly artificial. Overall, the image processing remains rather restrained, avoiding overly aggressive sharpening or excessive color saturation.

 Presets 

Ten pre-configured presets are available, altering the look of a photo through adjustments to contrast, color temperature, or saturation. Unlike traditional filters, these presets don't act as an afterthought; instead, they influence the mood of the image during the shooting process. Depending on the preset, photos can take on a warmer, more contrasty, or more cinematic character. Custom presets can be created and saved directly within the Nothing camera app and shared via QR code.

Presets are a great source of inspiration, especially when you want to quickly add more personality to your photos. A quick preset change can suddenly make a subject look completely different and encourages you to try out the same subject multiple times with different looks.

Anyone using a preset while taking photos should keep in mind that it cannot be changed later in image editing. While additional filters are available there, these are simply applied to the finished image and do not replace the originally selected preset. However, watermarks and frames can still be adjusted.

Video

Videos can be recorded with the main camera in 4K at 30 frames per second. Alternatively, 1080p at up to 60 fps and slow-motion recording in Full HD at 120 fps are available. The phone (4a) also supports Ultra XDR video in 1080p, which is designed to provide greater dynamic range in high-contrast scenes. Time-lapse recordings are also possible in 4K or 1080p.

Nothing Phone (4a): Connectivity

The Phone (4a) offers solid connectivity. In terms of mobile network capabilities, the device supports dual-mode 5G (NSA and SA) as well as a wide selection of global LTE and 5G bands. Two nano-SIM cards can be used simultaneously. While eSIM support is also available, it's only for the Japanese market, which is somewhat disappointing for European users.

Connections remain stable in everyday use. For wireless networks, the smartphone supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO, enabling high data rates and stable connections even in heavily congested networks. Bluetooth operates via Bluetooth 5.4, allowing for a reliable connection to headphones, smartwatches, or other devices. NFC is also included, enabling contactless payments via Google Pay, among other features.

For location tracking, the phone (4a) uses several satellite systems, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS. In practice, this combination ensures fast position determination and stable navigation, for example when used in map apps or when tracking outdoor activities.

For sound, Nothing relies on dual stereo speakers and two microphones for voice recordings. The speakers deliver a balanced sound with clear highs and sufficient volume for videos or games. However, don't expect miracles from the bass.

The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the display and works reliably and quickly enough. However, Nothing has placed it somewhat deep within the panel. In everyday use, this means that your thumb has to reach further down to unlock the phone than you're used to with many other devices. Especially when using one hand, this can occasionally require some finger acrobatics.

 Nothing Phone (4a): Battery

The battery capacity of the Nothing remains largely the same as its predecessor. The Phone (4a) has a 5.080 mAh battery, which is only a small increase compared to the 5.000 mAh of the Phone (3a). The Indian version of the device is an exception, as it has a slightly larger 5.400 mAh battery.

In everyday use, the battery capacity is easily sufficient for a full day. Messaging, social media, navigation, and occasional photo or video recording reliably keep the device going until the evening. With moderate use, battery life of well over a day is also possible.

Charging speed remains unchanged. The Phone (4a) supports 50-watt wired fast charging, just like the Phone (3a). A full charge from 0 to 100 percent takes approximately 64 minutes, while reaching about 50 percent takes around 22 minutes. Reverse charging via cable also works.

 Wireless charging is still not available on the iPhone (4a). While this isn't a huge surprise in the mid-range market, it remains a feature that is now more common on some competing devices.