Nothing Phone 4a Review: Delivers iconic design and improvements across the board

Excluding the chapter of Nothing’s Phone 3 last year, the brand has done quite well in the mid-range segment. Succeeding the Nothing Phone 3a, we now review the Nothing Phone 4a.

During my testing phase, I noticed quite a few people still using the Nothing Phone 3a, and that immediately raised a question in my mind: what exactly is new this time? After all, the Nothing Phone 4a comes at a starting price of ₹31,999, which is noticeably higher than the ₹24,999 launch price of the Nothing Phone 3a. That difference makes the upgrades even more important to justify. In this review, I will talk about what the Nothing Phone 4a brings to the table, how it improves upon its predecessor, and where it stands against competitors like the OnePlus Nord 5 and the Motorola Edge 70.

Design

One constant with Nothing is that the design always turns out to be unique. The Nothing Phone 4a continues that philosophy with its transparent back panel and distinctive industrial aesthetic. This time, the company introduces a refreshed take on the Glyph Interface, called the Glyph Bar, which features 63 mini LEDs arranged in multiple zones. It is brighter than the previous generation and adds a more expressive visual notification system. The Glyph Bar can show timers, live notifications, volume indicators, and recording alerts, which means users can interact with notifications without always turning the display on.

The phone feels big in one’s hand, and at over 200 grams it definitely has a noticeable presence. However, the design still has the iconic appeal that makes it stand out when you use it in public. People do notice the phone because of the transparent back and the structured internal layout. Compared to the Nothing Phone 3a, the Phone 4a feels more refined with stronger materials, improved bend resistance, and Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front. It also retains the IP64 rating, meaning it can handle splashes and light exposure to water.

In terms of layout, the phone keeps things familiar. The power and volume buttons sit on the right side, while the Essential Key is placed on the left for quick AI interactions. The USB-C port, speaker grille, and SIM tray are located at the bottom. On the front, the display has relatively slim bezels and a clean punch-hole camera, giving it an open and immersive look.

However, when compared with the Motorola Edge 70, the Nothing Phone 4a loses some ground in design practicality. The Edge 70 stands out for its ultra-thin 5.99mm profile and lightweight build, which makes it far easier to handle over long periods. While the Nothing Phone 4a wins in uniqueness and visual identity, Motorola still has the edge when it comes to comfort and slimness in this segment.

Display

The Nothing Phone 4a comes with a 6.78-inch flexible AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a pixel density of around 440 PPI. This is a clear upgrade over the Full HD panel found on the Nothing Phone 3a. The screen supports a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, delivering smoother scrolling and improved responsiveness. The brightness levels have also been improved, with outdoor brightness reaching 1,600 nits and peak brightness going as high as 4,500 nits for HDR content.

During real-world usage, the display feels vibrant and sharp. Watching videos, browsing social media, or playing games all look great on this panel. Compared to the Nothing Phone 3a, the new display is not only sharper but also brighter and more responsive, thanks to the improved touch sampling rate.

Against competitors, things get interesting. The OnePlus Nord 5 still holds an advantage with its 144Hz refresh rate and faster touch response, which gamers will appreciate. Meanwhile, the Motorola Edge 70 focuses on colour accuracy and extremely high brightness levels. The Nothing Phone 4a sits somewhere in between: offering a balanced display that is sharp, bright, and smooth without necessarily being the absolute best in any one area.

OS and AI

The Nothing Phone 4a runs Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16, and this remains one of the most refined Android experiences in this segment. The interface stays close to stock Android but introduces subtle visual customisations and smoother animations across the system. App transitions feel fluid, and the OS maintains the minimalist design language Nothing has become known for.

AI features also play a bigger role this time. The Essential Key now acts as a shortcut to capture screenshots, voice notes, or content from the screen, which are stored in Essential Space. The system then analyses this content using AI to extract useful information. Features like Essential Search, Essential Memory, and Essential Apps make the phone feel smarter and more contextual. There is also an upcoming feature called Essential Voice, which converts speech into structured text and even translates languages instantly. These additions make the OS feel thoughtful rather than overloaded with AI gimmicks.

Performance

Powering the Nothing Phone 4a is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset, which is an upgrade over the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 found on the Nothing Phone 3a. In day-to-day use, the phone feels smooth and responsive. My review unit came with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. Multi-tasking was handled without any noticeable slowdown.

The phone also benefits from faster storage speeds and better memory management compared to the previous generation. Apps open quickly, switching between tasks is seamless, and the phone maintains consistent performance even under heavier workloads.

However, when we look at benchmarks, the Nothing Phone 4a does fall short compared to some rivals. The device scored 1254 in Geekbench single-core, 3361 in multi-core, 3537 in GPU, and 1,157,910 in AnTuTu.

For comparison, the OnePlus Nord 5 posts significantly higher numbers with 2009 in single-core, 5166 in multi-core, GPU score of 9572, and an AnTuTu score of 1,487,298. Similarly, the Motorola Edge 70 performs well with 1,325 single-core, 4,186 multi-core, GPU score of 4,775, and over 1.42 million on AnTuTu.

So yes, the Nothing Phone 4a does fall behind in raw benchmark performance. But during practical usage, the difference is not as dramatic. The phone runs smoothly, and I was able to play games like BGMI without major issues. Gaming performance remains stable, and the device handles everyday tasks comfortably.

Camera

I liked the contrast and the cleanliness of the images captured on the Nothing Phone 4a. It is also nice to see the company upgrading its camera system with every generation, and the Phone 4a is a clear example of that approach.

Nothing Phone 4a camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

The phone features a triple camera system, led by a 50 MP Samsung GN9 main sensor with OIS. It also includes a 50 MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom, along with an 8 MP ultrawide camera. On the front, you get a 32 MP selfie camera.

Nothing Phone 4a camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

In daylight conditions, the camera performs well. Images come out detailed with balanced colours and a good dynamic range. Indoor images were particularly impressive, as the phone manages highlights and shadows effectively. The AI processing is present but not overly aggressive, which means photos often look natural rather than artificially enhanced.

Nothing Phone 4a camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

Night photography also holds up well. The images retain details and reflect the real environment quite accurately without over-brightening the scenes. Noise levels remain controlled, and the camera system benefits from OIS and improved processing.

Nothing Phone 4a camera sample
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan

Portrait shots are another strong area. Thanks to the telephoto lens, the phone captures portraits with a more natural depth effect. Edge detection works well, and subject separation looks accurate in most cases.

Selfies from the 32 MP camera are sharp with good skin tone reproduction. The front camera also performs reliably for video calling and social media content. When compared with the Motorola Edge 70 and OnePlus Nord 5, it would be fair to say that the Nothing Phone 4a holds its ground in the camera department. While Motorola focuses on colour accuracy and OnePlus delivers solid consistency, Nothing brings a balanced system that performs well in most situations.

Battery

The Nothing Phone 4a packs a 5,400 mAh battery, which is the largest battery ever used in the company’s “a” series lineup. Compared to the 5,000 mAh battery on the Nothing Phone 3a, the improvement may seem small on paper, but the optimisation helps the phone deliver reliable battery life.

In real-world usage, the phone comfortably lasts a full day with moderate to heavy usage. Charging speeds are also decent, with the device supporting 50W fast charging that can take the phone from zero to full in about 64 minutes.

When evaluating its competitors, the OnePlus Nord 5 still leads with its massive 6,800 mAh battery, while the Motorola Edge 70 offers a balanced 5,000 mAh battery with fast charging. The Nothing Phone 4a sits comfortably between them, offering dependable endurance without being the class leader.

Verdict

The shortage of components globally has clearly pushed smartphone prices higher, and that is visible with the Nothing Phone 4a as well. Coming back to the question we started with: what is new? The phone brings a brighter and sharper display, a redesigned Glyph Bar, improved cameras with a periscope zoom lens, and a more refined software experience with Nothing OS 4.1 and Essential AI tools.

That said, the competition in this price range is strong. Users can also consider options like the OnePlus Nord 5, which offers stronger performance and battery life, or the Motorola Edge 70, which excels in design and display quality.

However, if you are someone who likes a phone that stands out, the Nothing Phone 4a certainly delivers from a design perspective. It remains one of the most visually distinctive smartphones in the segment. That said, if the pricing had been a little lower, perhaps closer to the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, the narrative in this segment might have been very different.