Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review
The competition
The MSRP for the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro starts at €480/$500/GBP 500/INR 40,000 for the base 8GB/128GB variant. Moving up, there is the 8GB/256GB variant, which currently seems to be exclusive for India and retailing at INR 43,000. Finally, we have the top-tier 12GB/256GB one, selling for €550/$600/GBP 550/INR 46,000/AUD 950. That's a good chunk of money, especially at the higher end, and there is plenty of competition to explore.
Left: Nothing Phone (4a) Pro • Right: Nothing Phone (4a)
The thing that one has to wonder almost instantly is - why not save some money and get the regular Nothing Phone (4a)? After all, it starts at €350/GBP 350/AUD 650, which makes it notably cheaper. And you'd be getting a very similar package overall. The signature Nothing aesthetic is alive and well - arguably even more present and prevalent on the vanilla Nothing Phone (4a), with its glass back and faux-transparent effect. Sure, you are giving up on the metal unibody and have to live with a plastic frame, as well as a bit less ingress protection. The fancy 137-LED matrix is replaced by a 63-segment bar. The display is a bit smaller and the chipset a bit less powerful. But other than that, a very comparable phone indeed.
Nothing Phone (4a) • Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max • Samsung Galaxy S25 FE • vivo V70
The Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max is still fresh off our review bench, and it's already shaping up as a proper fan favorite. It may skip a dedicated telephoto camera, but that's clearly not where its priorities lie. Instead, Poco has doubled down on delivering a stellar multimedia package. Front and center is the large, impressively bright display with Dolby Vision support, which pairs beautifully with the phone's excellent stereo speakers to create a genuinely immersive viewing experience. Performance is also more than adequate, courtesy of the capable Dimensity 9500s chipset, ensuring smooth day-to-day use and solid gaming credentials. And then there's the battery - a massive 8,500 mAh unit that easily ranks among the best in its class, offering outstanding endurance that's hard to beat.
Over in camp Samsung, it is a bit tempting to instantly go for the latest Galaxy A57. However, it is a bit out of our budget and also arguably far from the best possible deal. If you don't mind spending a bit more, the Galaxy S25 FE is a solid all-round device with an excellent build, performance, display and even a versatile camera setup with a telephoto.
If you are willing to sacrifice the telephoto and a bit of performance, then by all means go for the Galaxy A56 instead. The biggest appeal Samsung arguably has in both cases is the excellent One UI software stack and the six to seven years of software support.
Left: Nothing Phone (4a) Pro • Right: Nothing Phone (4a)
The vivo V70 is an interesting option as well. It is big in the camera department, with a dedicated 3x periscope telephoto, and its main 50MP snapper is no slouch either. The rest of the package is very similar to the Nothing - a great display, similarly-positioned chipset. You do get a noticeably bigger and faster-charging battery with the vivo.
Our verdict
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro ends up being a somewhat curious addition to the lineup. It's not a dramatic step up over the vanilla model, yet it still commands a noticeable price premium. What it does bring to the table is a more refined overall package - better build materials, a larger and smoother display, a more capable chipset (particularly on the GPU side) and the more advanced Glyph Matrix implementation, which remains one of the most distinctive features in the segment.
In day-to-day use, the phone feels polished and dependable. Battery life is excellent, thermals are well under control, and Nothing OS continues to be one of the cleanest and most visually cohesive Android skins around. The added AI features and deeper system integrations are interesting, even if not all of them feel essential yet.
However, the Phone (4a) Pro isn't without its compromises. Performance is solid, but not class-leading for the price, and the same can be said about charging speeds. The camera system is a bit of a mixed bag - the main camera is consistently good, and the telephoto performs very well in daylight, but overall consistency isn't its strongest suit, especially at certain zoom levels and in video recording. Video capabilities in particular feel underdeveloped compared to some rivals.
And then there's the biggest question - value. The regular Nothing Phone (4a) delivers a surprisingly similar experience for quite a bit less money, making the Pro a tougher sell unless you specifically value its upgrades.
All things considered, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is a well-rounded and likable mid-ranger with a unique identity, but it doesn't quite go far enough to clearly justify its "Pro" badge for most users. It's easy to recommend on its own merits, but harder to justify over its more affordable sibling.
Pros
- Premium aluminum unibody build, solid and well put together.
- Large, smooth 144Hz AMOLED display with HDR support.
- Excellent battery life and great thermal performance.
- Clean, distinctive Nothing OS with useful AI features.
- Good main camera and very capable telephoto in daylight.
- Unique and functional Glyph Matrix interface.
Cons
- IP65 ingress protection rating is not competitive.
- The high price puts it too close to stronger competitors.
- Camera performance is inconsistent across zoom levels and conditions.
- Video recording quality and features lag behind rivals.
- Charging speed is only average for the class.
- No eSIM support on some market variants.
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 499.00 |
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