Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Fun, Daring, and Not Ready to Settle

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is going to be the most polarising smartphone of 2026. Why? Well, the design is always the point of contention, but its price and specs are another hot topic that people will be debating over for the rest of the year. But how is it in reality? Does it bring enough upgrades to justify its price tag? Should you consider it over the Nothing Phone (3)? There are a lot of questions floating around this device, and I will try to answer all of them in this Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review. 

Unboxing 

Before starting with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review, let's take a look at everything included in its box:

• Nothing Phone (4a) Pro smartphone
• Transparent silicone case
• Pre-applied screen protector
• USB Type C to C cable
• SIM Ejector tool
• Paperwork

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Key Details

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

• Adreno 722

Display

6.83" (144Hz)

• 1.5K AMOLED
• HDR10+

Rear Camera

50MP (Wide-angle)

8MP (Ultra-wide)

50MP (Periscope)

Hybrid Stabilization

4K@30fps

Battery

5400mAh (Lithium Polymer)

• 50Watt (wired)

RAM/Storage

8GB (LPDDR5X)

• 128GB (UFS 3.1)

Front Camera

32MP (Wide)

• 4k@30fps

Design

Gorilla Glass 7i (Front)

• Aluminium (Back)
• Aluminium Frame (Side)
• IP65 (Dust and Water Resistant)

OS

Android (Nothing OS)

• 3 year(s) of OS Update

See full specifications

Build and Design 

• 163.6 x 76.6 x 7.95 mm, 210 grams weight
• Aluminium unibody design, USB Type-C 2.0
• IP 65 dust and water protection

I have been using the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro for the past week, and when I first took it out of the box, it was "nothing" like I thought it would be. It's a large device, covered in a single sheet of aluminium with a little window at the top, housing the cameras and the larger Glyph matrix.

This is a very polarising design, because fans of the series love Nothing for its transparent look. So this censored version of transparency on the Phone (4a) Pro may feel like a sore to their eyes.

I personally love this design because the all-metal body makes the phone far more premium. I would even say it looks better than the Nothing Phone (3) and the Phone (2). The camera layout and Glyph arrangement at the top, covered by a transparent plastic window, gives it a retro-transistor style appeal.

At the bottom of the Phone (4a) Pro, there's a circular cutout that's just for show. Some could confuse it for a button to interact with the Glyph Matrix, like on the Phone (3). But no, it just sits there as a design choice. 

The phone is a little top-heavy, but I still enjoyed its in-hand feel. That's because it has smooth chamfered edges, which make it comfortable to grip. This is an improvement over the thick flat sides of the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro. Moreover, it doesn't even feel that heavy as the weight spreads evenly across the large body, except for the top part. 

There is no IP68/69 rating, so the phone is prone to water damage. But in my time for this Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review period, I have fallen in love with its design. If the Phone (3) had launched with this look, I think I would have been daily driving it today. 

Glyph Matrix Overview

• Circular Glyph Matrix design, 137 mini-LEDs
• Can reach 3000 nits brightness
• Red LED while recording videos

The Glyph Matrix returns on the Phone (4a) Pro. This time, it is bigger, brighter, and more pixelated as it features 137 mini-LEDs instead of 489 micro-LEDs on the Phone (3). This is both aesthetic and functional. You still get support for all the Glyph features, like Flip to Glyph, volume indicator, Glyph Mirror, Battery indicator, and notification alerts.

It also glows when you put it to charge. The only change is that the interactive Glyph Toys aren't accessible on the Phone (4a) Pro since there is no button to cycle through them. I tried using them, but besides notification and call alerts, I couldn't get more mileage out of it during my Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review period. 

Display and Audio Quality 

• 6.83-inch (1260 x 2800) 1.5k 144Hz LTPS AMOLED display
• Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection, HDR 10+ supported, 10-bit panel
• 1600 nits High brightness mode, 5000 nits peak brightness

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro comes with a giant screen, the biggest in the company's history. This is a 1.5K panel that looks sharp and offers ample screen space to enjoy your favourite show. However, there is no HDR support on Netflix. It is also the first Nothing phone with a 144Hz refresh rate display. It seems like the norm since other devices like the iQOO 15R and the OnePlus 15R also feature super high refresh rate. 

But it is overkill since most apps and games don't support it. That said, everyone, I handed this device to had only one thing to say, "This is the smoothest Nothing Phone I have used". And I completely agree. It also gets quite bright under direct sunlight, so the screen contents were still visibly readable outdoors.

 The stereo speakers are also loud, sound full. During my Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review period, I noticed that the sound clarity is better on this one than the Nothing Phone (4a). 

Performance Tested 

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm), Adreno 722 GPU
• 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM + 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage
• 5300 mm vapour chamber cooling

In terms of performance, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. This is a midrange chipset that we have also seen on the Moto Edge 70. It's a decent processor that delivers a smooth experience devoid of any complaints and even handles some light gaming. Here are the benchmark results of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro for reference. 

As you can see, this is an upgrade over the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 on the base (4a) and the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 seen on the Phone (3a) Pro. In everyday use, I didn't notice any hiccup, lag or RAM management issues. Typically, I have encountered performance-related issues on previous Nothing phone, but I found the experience to be very stable on this device.  

In gaming, the Phone (4a) Pro can play BGMI at 120FPS with Smooth and Ultra Extreme settings. But the frame rates were not stable. It often dipped to 80FPS and even 60FPS in intense encounters. Meanwhile, in Call of Duty: Mobile, I was able to get 90FPS at Ultra settings. Graphic-heavy games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves do even worse, lingering around 30-50FPS for the most part.  

It is quite clear that it is not to be counted among the best gaming phones under Rs 40,000. You can find some far better options in the segment if gaming is your priority. 

Software and Updates

• Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16
• Up to 3 Android updates, 6 years of security patches

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro comes with Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16 out of the box. It still carries the company's iconic minimal design language, with mostly a clean software experience. Well, not entirely clean since it comes with Instagram and Facebook pre-installed. Still, it is miles better than the cloud of bloatware apps that come stuffed with the likes of the POCO X8 Pro that I recently reviewed. 

This latest version brings some new changes too, like new clock customisation on the lockscreen, and wallpaper depth effect. It also supports Android 16's live activities, along with an AI eraser in the Gallery app, and new breathing widgets to help you calm down. Throughout the week of using the device for this Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review, I never had any issues with the OS, and I enjoyed the overall experience.

Nothing has also included the new Essential Search feature that lets you filter through your apps, contacts and locally stored files. The Essential Space has also gained a new Memories option that helps it deliver more personalised results. But again, I didn't use it much, so I can't comment on that. 

Cameras Reviewed

• 50 MP (main), f/1.9, 1/1.56", OIS, video recording upto 4K 30FPS with HDR
• 50 MP (periscope), f/2.88, 3.5x optical zoom + 8 MP (ultrawide), f/2.2, 120˚
• 32 MP (selfie), f/2.2, video recording up to 4K 30 FPS/ 1080p 60FPS with HDR

The camera setup is identical to the Phone (4a). The only difference is the new main camera lens, which is now a Sony LYT 700C. It's the same sensor as the one on the Motorola Edge 60 Pro. So, let's see whether it delivers any improvements in the photos. 

Starting with the main camera, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro does a fairly solid job. The 50MP sensor captures natural-looking photos with accurate colours, and HDR is handled well across different lighting conditions. In daylight, the shots come out detailed and balanced. However, in low light, I did notice that the colours can occasionally look saturated.

The periscope camera is where things get interesting. It can take some genuinely impressive close-up photos. The shots turn out with a ton of details at 3.5x, 7x, 10x, 20x and even 30x. But anything past that point, and the AI noticeably tries to fix the image, which botches the overall look. Nothing says that it can do 140x, and yes, it can. But images are so blurry and devoid of any details that I wonder whether it should. 

During my Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review, I also noticed that the colour tuning feels inconsistent. In some shots, the colours look accurate, while in others they appear slightly oversaturated. This is more noticeable in tricky lighting, like with neon signs at night. The same inconsistency is present in human subjects, where faces can sometimes look overly bright or slightly dull. 

The ultra-wide camera takes good, wide-viewing photos that look social media-ready. But once you zoom in, the lack of detail becomes quite apparent. There were also instances where it gets everything right, but there are also shots where HDR, colours, and details all fall apart.

For selfies and portraits, the results are mostly positive. The front camera captures good details with accurate skin tones, and portraits come out with solid edge detection. However, similar to the rear cameras, there are moments where the phone brightens up the face unnecessarily. 

Video shooting capabilities are also good. Colours and HDR are handled well, and stabilisation is reliable in good lighting. However, in low light, you can notice slight jitters while walking. That said, overall, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro cameras are capable, especially in its segment. However, there are a few inconsistencies that Nothing needs to fix to make it the best camera mobile phone under Rs 40,000. 

Battery Life and Charging 

• 5400 mAh battery capacity
• 50W Fast charging supported, 50% charge in 22 minutes

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is no joke when it comes to battery life either. It comes with a 5400 mAh capacity, which is just 100 mAh less than the Phone (3). Still, I managed to get an average of around 8.5 hours of screen time during my Nothing Phone (4a) review period. 

This includes watching movies, YouTube videos, scrolling Instagram for memes, an hour of Call of Duty: Mobile and taking calls for work. On days when I took the phone out for camera samples, I got about 7 and a half hours of battery life, which is still not bad at all. As for charging, it supports 50W fast charging and can go from 1–50% in 22 minutes with a supported adapter. 

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review Verdict: Should You Buy It? 

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is really good when it comes to its build, display, software and especially the cameras. While brands like OnePlus are playing it safe with predictable slabs one after the other, Nothing refuses to settle for the same design again.

Where it falls behind is in terms of performance. The brand claims that they don't chase benchmark scores. But a better chipset would have drastically improved the overall experience. If that's what you're after, the Nothing Phone (3) is often available for around the same price tag, with offers and exchange bonuses. And it's surely a better pick over the Phone (4a) Pro.

But if you don't care about gaming or performance in general, and just want a head-turner with good cameras and software experience, then there is nothing stopping me from recommending you the Phone (4a) Pro for under Rs 40,000. 

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₹39,999

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