Nothing Phone 4a Review – Design, Display, Camera, Performance and Battery

The smartphone brand Nothing Technology Limited has launched its latest mid-range smartphone, the **Nothing Phone (4a). Along with it, the company has also introduced the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, but this article focuses on the standard 4a model.

This new smartphone brings several improvements compared to the previous generation Nothing Phone (3a). The upgrades include a better display resolution, improved camera system, upgraded processor, faster storage, and a larger battery. Because of these improvements, the Nothing Phone 4a aims to be one of the most balanced smartphones in its segment.

Let’s take a closer look at all the important details of the device.

Design and Build Quality

Nothing smartphones are known for their unique design, and the Nothing Phone 4a continues that tradition. The phone has a transparent-style back design with the signature Glyph lighting system, which is one of the brand’s most recognizable features.

This year, Nothing has slightly changed the camera module design. Earlier models had a circular camera module, but the Phone 4a now uses a pill-shaped camera module which gives the phone a more refined look.

The back panel is made of glass, while the frame is made from polycarbonate. The phone also includes aluminum buttons for the power and volume keys, which gives it a premium feel while using the device.

The phone has a thickness of 8.5mm and weighs around 203 grams, making it comfortable to hold in hand.

Color Options

The phone is available in multiple color variants, including:

• White

• Blue

• Two additional color options depending on region

Both the white and blue variants look stylish and maintain Nothing’s minimal and futuristic design language.

Glyph Lighting System

One of the biggest highlights of the phone is the updated Glyph interface on the back.

The Nothing Phone 4a now includes 63 mini LED lights integrated into the rear panel. These LEDs can be customized for different functions such as:

• Notifications

• Incoming calls

• Ringtones

• Charging indicator

• Volume level indicator

• App alerts

Users can customize these lights through the Glyph settings inside the phone. The lights can also be used for visual alerts and live activity indicators.

Display

The Nothing Phone 4a comes with a significant display upgrade compared to the previous model.

Display Specifications

• 6.78-inch Flexible AMOLED display

• 1.5K resolution

• 120Hz refresh rate

• HDR support

• Gorilla Glass 7i protection

Earlier models in the series used a Full HD+ display, but this time Nothing has upgraded it to 1.5K resolution, which improves clarity and sharpness.

The display also offers:

• 800 nits typical brightness

• 4500 nits peak brightness

This means the screen remains easily visible even under bright outdoor sunlight.

The display colors look vibrant, with deep blacks and strong contrast thanks to AMOLED technology.

Security Features

For security, the phone offers:

• In-display fingerprint scanner

• Face unlock

Both methods work quickly and reliably.

Camera Setup

Camera improvements are another major highlight of the Nothing Phone 4a.

Rear Camera Setup

The phone features a triple-camera system on the back:

• 50MP primary camera

• 50MP telephoto camera

• 8MP ultra-wide camera

One of the biggest upgrades is the 3.5x telephoto lens, which allows users to capture detailed zoom photos.

This is quite rare in this price segment, making the Nothing Phone 4a stand out compared to many competitors.

Front Camera

The phone also includes a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls.

Camera Performance

In real-world usage, the camera performs well in different lighting conditions.

The primary camera captures:

• natural colors

• good dynamic range

• strong detail levels

The portrait mode works especially well with the 3.5x telephoto lens. Skin tones appear natural, and edge detection is accurate thanks to AI processing.

Nothing uses its own computational photography system called TrueLens Engine 4, which processes images to improve colors and details.

Ultra-Wide Camera

The ultra-wide camera provides good color consistency but slightly lower detail compared to the main sensor.

Night Photography

In low-light conditions, the phone uses Night Mode to brighten images while maintaining decent color balance. Some shots may appear slightly inconsistent, but overall the camera performance has improved compared to the previous generation.

Video Recording

For video recording, the phone supports:

• 4K video at 30fps (rear camera)

• 1080p video at 60fps (front camera)

Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) helps in reducing shake while recording videos.

Performance and Processor

The Nothing Phone 4a is powered by the **Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor.

This chipset is built on a 4nm architecture, offering a balance of performance and power efficiency.

Benchmark Scores

• AnTuTu score: around 1.14 million

• Geekbench single-core: around 1252

• Geekbench multi-core: around 3312

The processor also shows strong stability with 99% stability in stress tests, which means it can handle heavy workloads without significant performance drops.

Gaming Performance

The phone performs well during gaming sessions.

Games like **Battlegrounds Mobile India can run at up to 120 FPS, delivering smooth gameplay.

During testing:

• Average frame rate stayed above 110 FPS

• Maximum temperature reached around 39°C

Overall gaming performance is smooth with minimal frame drops.

Storage and RAM

The phone comes with multiple storage variants:

• 8GB RAM + 128GB storage

• 8GB RAM + 256GB storage

• Up to 12GB RAM

One important upgrade is the UFS 3.1 storage, which replaces the slower UFS 2.2 storage used in the previous model.

This results in faster app loading and improved overall system performance.

Battery and Charging

The Nothing Phone 4a includes a 5400mAh battery, which is larger than the previous generation.

This battery can easily last an entire day with normal usage including:

• gaming

• social media

• video streaming

• photography

Charging

The phone supports:

• 50W fast wired charging

This allows the phone to charge quickly and reduces downtime.

Software Experience

The device runs Nothing OS 4.1, which is based on Android 16.

The software experience is clean and minimal, which is one of the strengths of Nothing phones.

Software Updates

Nothing promises:

• 3 years of Android updates

• 4 years of security updates

AI Features

The phone also includes several AI tools such as:

• Google Gemini AI assistant

• Circle to Search

• Essential AI features for quick search, reminders, and app access

Connectivity Features

Connectivity options include:

• Bluetooth 5.4

• Wi-Fi 6

• Dual-band Wi-Fi

• NFC support

• 5G connectivity with multiple bands

• 360° antenna system

These features ensure stable connectivity during calls, browsing, and gaming.

Price and Availability

The Nothing Phone 4a starts at around ₹31,999 for the base variant.

However, with bank offers and exchange discounts, the effective price may drop to around ₹25,000–₹26,000, making it more competitive in the mid-range smartphone market.

Final Verdict

The Nothing Phone 4a brings meaningful improvements over the previous generation. The upgraded display resolution, improved camera system with a 3.5x telephoto lens, faster processor, larger battery, and UFS 3.1 storage make it a well-balanced smartphone.

While the price could have been slightly more aggressive, the overall improvements justify the upgrade.

For users looking for a unique design, good camera performance, and smooth software experience, the Nothing Phone 4a is a strong option in the mid-range smartphone segment.