Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: An Exceptionally Sensible Smartphone

Welcome to our in-depth review of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, arguably the most powerful smartphone the manufacturer has planned for this year. Despite its theoretical power, it doesn’t come with a hefty price tag; quite the opposite. The ‘a’ in its designation signifies a more accessible model, which has been priced very competitively. With the Phone (4a) Pro, Nothing has committed to further enhancing build quality while retaining the unique features that have made its previous products so highly regarded.

Table of Contents

• Unboxing, Specifications, and Pricing
• Design and Build Quality
• Display and Image Quality
• Battery Life and Charging
• Camera Performance: Photos and Videos
• Software and Performance
• Conclusion and Our Verdict

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

Unboxing, Specifications, and Pricing

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro arrives in a thoughtfully designed black box. Upon removing the outer sleeve, you’re greeted by a clean white inner carton where every accessory is neatly organized, not cramped. Standard inclusions with the Phone (4a) Pro are a pre-applied screen protector, a protective case, a 1-meter USB-C to USB-C cable, a SIM tray ejector tool, and essential documentation.

The included rubber case fits snugly around all edges, providing ample thickness for excellent protection to the sides and front. The camera island is flush with the case, offering a seamless look. A distinctive cutout is also replicated in the bottom corner. The only minor drawback is that the case tends to accumulate smudges and dust quite quickly.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is positioned as the more premium option among Nothing’s mid-range offerings. Despite this, its pricing remains highly competitive. At the time of this review’s publication, it was available for approximately:

• 8GB RAM / 128GB Storage: 1899 Polish Zloty (approx. $475 USD)
• 12GB RAM / 256GB Storage: 2199 Polish Zloty (approx. $550 USD)

(Note: These are approximate conversions, and actual pricing may vary by region and retailer.)

This pricing strategy means you don’t have to pay significantly more compared to the standard Nothing Phone (4a) to gain a larger screen, a more refined and slightly more compact body, and enhanced specifications.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro: Key Specifications

Design and Build Quality

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro distinguishes itself from other models in the brand’s lineup with its construction. While it retains the characteristic Nothing design, this is primarily concentrated around the camera island. The majority of the phone is crafted from aluminum, including the back panel, a notable departure from previous models that often featured glass or plastic rears. The absence of plastic in the Phone (4a) Pro significantly elevates the perceived quality and user experience, contributing to an overall excellent build.

The front, while largely standard, features a symmetrical design. The reviewed Nothing Phone (4a) Pro boasts relatively thin bezels, allowing for a larger screen compared to its siblings while maintaining a more compact overall body. Despite this, it remains a sizable smartphone. Notable elements include a pleasing selfie camera (though its predecessor was slightly better) and a highly effective in-display fingerprint reader. A slender earpiece grille is also present, which doubles as part of the stereo speaker setup.

The rear panel, distinctively for Nothing, is made of aluminum, with the prominent camera island immediately catching the eye. This island is quite large, and its protruding lenses cause the device to wobble slightly when placed flat on a surface. The overall finish is very positive, though users should expect fingerprints to be visible after a day’s use. Fortunately, they are easy to wipe away, preserving the phone’s consistent aesthetic. An interesting design detail is a subtle indentation in the bottom corner, which is not a button like on the Nothing Phone (3) or an accessory mounting point similar to CMF models. Antenna lines seamlessly complete the design.

Glyph Interface: A Subtle Enhancement

Nothing continues to innovate with its Glyph Interface, the distinctive lighting system on the back of its smartphones. On the Phone (4a) Pro, a sizable, pixelated screen-like area is featured, which is even larger than on the flagship Phone (3), though noticeably less interactive. It doesn’t offer additional functionalities for displaying information like a clock, battery indicator, or compass. Instead, it provides a classic interpretation of notifications, a simple flashlight function, and a volume indicator. A small red square also illuminates, but exclusively when recording videos. While still a unique design element, enthusiasts might find it a step down in interactivity compared to more premium Nothing devices.

Ergonomic Edges

The frame of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is also made of aluminum, which is a pleasant surprise given that plastic wouldn’t be unexpected at this price point. This choice significantly enhances the overall user experience, complemented by an ergonomic design. Along the edges, you’ll find:

• Top: Secondary microphone
• Bottom: Main speaker grille, USB-C port, main microphone, SIM card tray
• Left Side: Essential Key
• Right Side: Power/lock button and volume controls

The separation of the Essential Key from the standard buttons is particularly appreciated, and its functionality will be detailed further in the software section. The stereo speaker setup on the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is decent. While it doesn’t offer an exaggerated separation of frequencies or strong bass, the sound is loud and clear. It’s well-suited for hearing notifications but perhaps less ideal for everyday multimedia consumption.

Display and Image Quality

Nothing has equipped the Phone (4a) Pro with a slightly larger display than the Phone (4a), along with a modest bump in resolution to a full 1.5K. This results in a generous and noticeable working area during daily use. In terms of brightness, the phone delivers strong performance for its class, reaching around 1500 nits on a sunny day and about half that indoors.

Regarding color reproduction, Nothing tends to boost color saturation and add a bit more red, especially noticeable in the ‘Vivid’ color setting. If this preference isn’t to your liking, switching to the ‘Standard’ mode brings color inaccuracies down to an acceptable level (DeltaE slightly above 2).

Another differentiating factor for the Phone (4a) Pro over the standard Phone (4a) is its increased refresh rate, moving from 120 Hz to 144 Hz. The software on the reviewed smartphone adeptly switches between 60, 90, 120, and 144 Hz, though this adaptive refresh primarily benefits the system UI and basic applications like Chrome and YouTube. Unfortunately, in gaming, the smartphone is often locked to the lowest refresh rate.

Battery Life and Charging

Despite a slightly larger screen and a more compact body compared to the Nothing Phone (4a), the Phone (4a) Pro retains the same battery capacity. In some regions, its capacity is 5080 mAh, while in others (e.g., India), the same model offers a larger 5400 mAh battery, albeit at the expense of NFC functionality. At its price point, some competitors do offer significantly larger batteries. Nothing seems to have prioritized standard battery parameters, meaning a full day of intensive use is achievable, two days with lighter usage, and around 5 hours of screen-on time during heavy loads. While not groundbreaking, the battery performance is perfectly acceptable and won’t deter users.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro supports a maximum wired charging power of 50 W, which is decent but certainly not a standout feature in today’s market. A full charge takes approximately one hour, with the first 30 minutes delivering around 65% battery life. These speeds are reasonable, but competitors in the same price range often offer faster charging solutions.

Camera Performance: Photos and Videos

The camera application on the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro cleverly integrates several interesting features while remaining exceptionally user-friendly. It offers a comprehensive suite of modes, from simple point-and-shoot options to more advanced settings, all arranged ergonomically. A unique feature is its community integration, allowing users to create and share predefined camera settings, with Nothing itself offering a selection of default presets.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro records videos at the following resolutions: 1080p at 30 and 60 frames per second (fps), and 4K at 30 fps. Unfortunately, seamless switching between all lenses is only possible in the standard settings. When recording at 60 fps, you can independently use the main and telephoto cameras, but you cannot switch between them mid-recording. The ultrawide lens is limited to 1080p at 30 fps, and for 4K video, you are restricted solely to the main camera.

A Well-Rounded Dual-Lens Setup (with one caveat)

On paper, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro appears to utilize the same camera setup as its more affordable sibling, the Phone (4a). However, closer inspection reveals key differences. The Pro model benefits from a modified image processor, enabling greater capabilities. Furthermore, while the main camera is different and improved, the persistent issue remains with the ultrawide sensor, which falls short compared to the other lenses in the array.

Turning to the ultrawide camera, it’s important to note that it uses an older sensor (Sony IMX 355, 8 Mpx, f/2.2) that has seen better days. While overall results are acceptable, limitations are apparent across the board in terms of color reproduction, contrast, and detail levels. While one shouldn’t expect flagship-level performance from an ultrawide camera in the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro’s price segment, the quality difference compared to the other cameras is noticeable.

The telephoto lens (Samsung S5KJN5, 50 Mpx, f/2.9) performs quite well, offering 3.5x optical zoom. The software also encourages users to push this further with 7x digital zoom. However, it’s advisable to avoid the latter mode, as it significantly degrades the otherwise excellent baseline quality.

Naturally, the best results are achieved with the main camera, which differs from the one found in the Phone (4a). For the Pro model, Nothing opted for the highly-regarded Sony IMX 896 sensor (50 Mpx, f/1.9) instead of a Samsung unit. This is a popular sensor that excels in what are often termed ‘affordable flagship’ smartphones. It performs admirably in the reviewed phone, with the software competently handling it across all scenarios.

For video recording, the inclusion of optical image stabilization (OIS) for both the main and telephoto cameras is a significant advantage. The overall quality of recordings is commendable, aligning well with, and often exceeding, expectations for this price segment. As with photos, there’s a noticeable drop in quality when using the ultrawide lens for videos. Digital zoom should also be avoided, as it leads to a clear reduction in detail.

Software and Performance

The operating system, specifically Nothing’s Android overlay, is another signature element of the brand’s smartphones. It’s far from bloated, instead offering a distinct character and a clean, intuitive experience. Notable additions include ‘Essential Space,’ an advanced notepad that integrates screenshots and voice recordings. Furthermore, Nothing actively engages its community in software development and incorporates AI features, including integration with ChatGPT.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro launched with Android 16 (Nothing OS 4.1) and comes with a promise of three years of major Android updates. This means the smartphone’s software lifecycle will extend to Android 19, which is a respectable commitment. While some manufacturers (like Samsung) offer longer update periods, many provide less. A significant positive is the six years of security updates, ensuring long-term device protection.

The overall performance of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is remarkably positive. This smartphone boasts ample processing power for daily tasks, and only during highly complex operations might you notice a slight increase in processing time. There are no significant slowdowns or anything that would negatively distinguish it from competitors. On the contrary, it stands out as one of the most powerful devices in its price segment.

Conclusion and Our Verdict

Our review of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro concludes, highlighting a smartphone with immense potential to be one of the most value-driven devices in its price class. True to its brand, Nothing has delivered a unique design and intriguing features (such as Glyph and Essential Space), all harmonized with robust processing power and an overall excellent user experience. This includes a capable camera system, a striking display, and, crucially, refined software.

While the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro presents no outright flaws, there are minor points to consider. The ultrawide camera, for instance, doesn’t quite match the quality of its companion lenses. Additionally, while its battery performance is solid, some rival models offer larger capacities and faster charging. Brand enthusiasts might also find the Glyph interface on the (4a) Pro less interactive compared to Nothing’s flagship devices. Nevertheless, these are minor considerations in an otherwise compelling package.

Source: Editorial Team. Opening photo: Lukasz Pajak