Nothing has introduced the Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro, refreshing its mid-range lineup with noticeable design changes, brighter displays, and upgraded chipsets. Unlike last year’s (3a) series, where the biggest difference was mainly camera hardware, the new Pro model separates itself more clearly with a larger screen, a stronger processor, better materials, and a redesigned Glyph Matrix inspired by the flagship Phone (3). Both phones run Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16 and come with a longer software support promise, while pricing positions them directly against other premium mid-range Android devices.
Design and Display: Metal Pro Body and Brighter OLED Panels
The Phone (4a) Pro shifts to a metal unibody build, replacing the previous plastic frame. It is thinner at 7.95mm compared to 8.4mm last year, while keeping the same weight. It carries an IP65 rating and is claimed to survive submersion up to 25cm for 20 minutes, though it does not meet IP67 standards.
The standard Phone (4a) retains a plastic build and measures 8.55mm thick. It has an IP64 rating but shares the same submersion claim. On the front, the Pro uses a 6.83-inch OLED display (1260×2800) with a 144Hz refresh rate, up to 5,000 nits peak brightness, and 2,160Hz PWM dimming. The Phone (4a) comes with a 6.78-inch OLED panel (1224×2720) with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 4,500 nits peak brightness. Both phones use Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.
Glyph Changes, Performance Upgrades, and Software Support
On the back, the Phone (4a) Pro introduces a circular Glyph Matrix with 137 LEDs. While it has fewer LEDs than the Phone (3), the circle is larger and twice as bright, reaching 3,000 nits, which Nothing says can work well as a flashlight.
The standard Phone (4a) uses a redesigned Glyph Bar made up of six LED segments plus a red recording indicator, for a total of 63 LEDs. Nothing says it reaches up to 3,500 nits, making it noticeably brighter than the previous (3a) Glyph setup.
For performance, the Phone (4a) Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, paired with 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Nothing claims meaningful gains versus the older 7s Gen 3, including improved CPU, graphics, and AI performance. It also adds a 5,300mm² vapor chamber for sustained performance. The Phone (4a) uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 with 8GB or 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, but without a vapor chamber.
Both phones ship with Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16. Nothing says it will provide three major Android updates and six years of security patches, matching the previous generation’s support policy.
Cameras, Battery, and Pricing: Key Differences to Know
The Phone (4a) Pro offers a triple rear camera setup with a 50MP Sony Lytia 700c main sensor (with OIS), a 50MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom (OIS), and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. It supports 4K 30fps Ultra XDR video recording. The front camera is 32MP, which is lower than the 50MP unit used on the earlier (3a) Pro.
The Phone (4a) uses a different 50MP main sensor (Samsung GN9) with OIS but keeps the same telephoto, ultra-wide, and 32MP front camera hardware as the Pro model. It can record 4K 30fps video, but Ultra XDR recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps.
Both devices come with a 5,080mAh battery (India models are listed at 5,400mAh) and support 50W wired charging. Nothing claims the battery will retain at least 90% capacity after 1,200 charge cycles. In pricing, the Phone (4a) starts around $406, while the Phone (4a) Pro starts at $500. Notably, the Pro is the first A-series model to launch officially in the United States, while the standard Phone (4a) will not be available there.
Nothing Phone (4a) Series Specifications
| Nothing Phone (4a) | Nothing Phone (4a) Pro | |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4 nm) | Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.7 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3×2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A520) | Octa-core (1×2.8 GHz Cortex-720 & 4×2.4 GHz Cortex-720 & 3×1.8 GHz Cortex-520) |
| GPU | Adreno 810 | Adreno 722 |
| OS | Android 16, Nothing OS 4.1, up to 3 major Android upgrades | Android 16, Nothing OS 4.1, up to 3 major Android upgrades |
| Supported Networks | 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G | 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G |
| Display | 6.78 inches, 1224 x 2720 pixels, AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 4500 nits (peak) | 6.83 inches, 1260 x 2800 pixels, AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (peak) |
| RAM | 8 GB, 12 GB | 8 GB, 12 GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256 GB | 128GB, 256 GB |
| Card Slot | No | No |
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.57″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.9, 80mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.75″, 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm |
50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.9, 80mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.75″, 0.64µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm |
| Front Camera | 32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.42″, 0.64µm | 32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.42″, 0.64µm |
| Colors | Pink, White, Black, Blue | Black, Silver, Pink |
| Battery | 5080 mAh, non-removable, 50W Wired charging | 5080 mAh, non-removable, 50W Wired charging |
| Price | $406 | $499 |
Overall, the Phone (4a) series looks like a stronger attempt to separate the standard and Pro models through build quality, display performance, and chipset choices. For buyers, the main decision comes down to whether the metal unibody, bigger 144Hz screen, stronger processor, and Glyph Matrix are worth the higher Pro price, or whether the standard Phone (4a) offers a better value with similar core features.
