Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Growing up Hard to do

Quick Verdict:

With the Phone (4a) Pro, Nothing has moved away from transparent plastic and created a phone that feels truly premium in metal. The 3.5x optical zoom is impressive, and the battery life is strong enough to last you through the day without worry. At Rs. 39,999, it stands out as one of the best-looking mid-range phones you can pick up right now. Still, the display does not always reach its promised 144Hz, and you will notice that there is no charger included in the box. So, you have to consider whether you are choosing this phone for its features or simply for the way it feels in your hand

Buy it if: You want distinctive design, a clean software experience, Glyph interface and relable performance.

Skip it if: You are a looking for best photos, and best-in-class gaming experience.

When Nothing first hit the scene, it survived entirely on its transparent backs and flashing Glyph lights. It was the quirky alternative to a sea of boring glass slabs. But being the quirky alternative only gets you so far. With the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, priced at Rs. 39,999, the company is finally trying to prove it can compete on pure hardware.

Switching from plastic to a solid aluminum body and adding a capable Sony periscope camera, the Phone (4a) Pro feels like Nothing’s most refined phone so far. In this price range, there are strong options like the vivo V70 and POCO X8 Pro, so the 4a Pro has to stand on its own strengths. After using it as my main phone for two weeks, I found it has a certain charm, though there are a few compromises you will notice in daily use.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Design and Build

The era of the transparent plastic back is over. Switching to a single, curved sheet of aluminum is a massive shift for Nothing, and it pays off immediately. At 7.9mm thick, the Phone (4a) Pro feels impossibly slim for a phone with a massive 6.83-inch screen.

The way the phone feels in your hand is a clear improvement. The Silver version I tried does a good job of hiding fingerprints, which is not common for dark metal phones. There is also a small dimple on the bottom-left corner of the frame, making it easier to grip when you are taking it out of your pocket.

There are some unique physical details as well. A small dimple in the bottom-left corner of the frame helps you grip the phone when taking it out of a pocket. However, the volume and power buttons have swapped places compared to most phones, and since they feel the same, it takes a few days to adjust to the new layout.

Durability gets attention too. The Phone (4a) Pro comes with an IP65 rating, and Nothing says it can handle water exposure at around 25cm depth for up to 20 minutes. Gorilla Glass 7i protects the display as well.

While the outer chamfered edges feel refined, our review unit had a slight machining flaw: the inner metal lip where the frame meets the flat display glass feels noticeably sharp to the touch when swiping in from the bezels.

The transparent design remains, mainly around the Glyph Matrix and the camera dome at the top of the phone. The camera dome, made of plastic, tends to collect dust around the edges and can pick up small scratches more easily than glass. Using a case with a raised camera lip is recommended to protect it.

Because of the metal body, wireless charging is not available on this phone. The IP65 rating means it can withstand splashes and light water jets, but it does not match the higher water-resistance ratings of some competitors, such as the vivo V70.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Glyph Matrix

The Glyph Matrix adds some useful features compared to earlier versions, though it is less advanced than what is found on the flagship Phone 3.

The Glyph Matrix uses 137 mini-LEDs, making it larger in area than the Phone 3’s micro LED version, but with fewer, larger LEDs. This makes the lights look more pixelated, but it allows scrolling text, a helpful feature in daily use.

Nothing says the matrix is 37% larger than the one on the Phone (3), and it can get twice as bright, reaching up to 3000 Nits.

You can see small icons for incoming notifications, battery status, timers, or even a digital clock. The phone also lets you assign specific contacts to custom indicators. When those people call or message, the matrix lights up in a unique pattern so you immediately know who it is.

There is also a progress tracker built in (thanks to Live Activities on Android 16). The lights move across the matrix to show the status of things like rides, deliveries, or timers (a subtle animation that slowly completes as the task progresses).

Supported services include Uber, Google Calendar, Zomato, Just Eat, and Google Maps, and Nothing says more apps will join later. 

With Android 16 Live Activities, the Glyph Matrix can show updates like delivery progress, ride tracking, and calendar alerts on the back of the phone, so you do not need to turn on the screen. The lights are bright at full power, but for daily use, setting the brightness to level 2 or 3 is comfortable.

There are a couple of limitations: the Glyph lights do not adjust brightness automatically, so you need to set it yourself. The circular cutout at the base is just for looks and does not function as a button like on the Phone 3.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Display

Nothing markets the 6.83-inch panel as 1.5K (1260 × 2800 pixels at 450 PPI). It is a Flexible AMOLED protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The symmetrical, slim bezels are among Nothing’s best work; the Phone (4a) Pro’s bezel truly looks flagship-grade.

The default Alive color mode makes colors look more saturated, while Standard mode is better if you want more accurate colors, though it isn’t the most precise at this price.

The display also supports 10-bit color depth, which helps gradients look cleaner and more natural. Nothing also includes 2,160 Hz PWM dimming here, which helps reduce eye strain during long screen sessions (especially when you use the phone at lower brightness levels).

The under-display fingerprint scanner works quickly and reliably.

While the phone is advertised as having a 144Hz display, in most daily use and games, it runs at 120Hz. Only a few casual games use the full 144Hz. The LTPS panel cannot lower the refresh rate below 60Hz to save battery, unlike some other display types. The screen is still excellent at 120Hz, but it’s worth noting before buying.

Although the phone is HDR10+ certified, Netflix does not support HDR playback on this device at launch. YouTube HDR works as expected, and Ultra HDR photos look very good in the gallery app. The Netflix issue is expected to be fixed in a future software update.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review:Performance, Benchmarks & Thermals

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, which offers a good balance between battery life and speed. The phone feels fast in daily use, thanks to efficient software and quick UFS 3.1 storage. Tasks like opening apps and moving files are smooth and responsive, making the phone stand out among mid-range options.

In daily use, there are a few small issues. Taking many photos quickly can cause a slight delay, and the phone can get warm if the camera app is open for a long time. The Indian version lacks eSIM and NFC, which may disappoint some users at this price.

Benchmark numbers show that Nothing has optimized the hardware well, but it is similar to what you get from some less expensive competitors. It is an improvement over the base Phone (4a), but not a big step up from last year’s 3a Pro.

How the Phone (4a) Pro stacks up:

vivo V70	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4	1,405,769
Realme 16 Pro+	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4	1,399,710
Nothing Phone (4a) Pro	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4	1,388,927
Nothing Phone (4a)	Snapdragon 7s Gen 4	1142101

Gaming and Thermals

The Phone (4a) Pro justifies its hardware under sustained load. Nothing equipped this phone with a massive 5,300mm² vapour chamber, and it delivers.

In a 30-minute Genshin Impact session, the phone averaged 52 fps, with temperatures staying around 42°C. It also supports BGMI at 120 fps. During intense moments in games, frame rates can drop to 60–80 fps.

For most gaming, heat is not a problem. If you mainly play competitive games at the highest settings for extended periods, the POCO X8 Pro with its Dimensity 8500 Ultra chip may offer better sustained performance.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Software and AI

Nothing OS 4.1, based on Android 16, is lightweight and has a unique look. The dot-matrix style, monochrome icons, and smooth transitions give the phone a clear identity distinct from the more complex software on POCO and vivo phones.

However, getting that cohesive look requires some unnecessary friction. To extend the monochrome aesthetic across all your sideloaded and third-party apps, you have to go into the Google Play Store and manually download the official Nothing Icon Pack. It is an odd extra step for a brand so focused on out-of-the-box design.

Once set up, the phone works smoothly with other Nothing devices like the Ear (a) or CMF Watch Pro. Pairing is easy, and the OS offers home screen widgets for battery and quick controls, making it convenient to manage your devices together.

A new feature is the Playground web store, where you can find community-made Essential Widgets. These include a home-screen game, a haptic fidget toy, or a music visualizer, adding a playful touch not common in other phones.

This playful approach also shows up on the back of the phone. The Glyph Matrix now supports Live Updates from Android 16, so you can see progress bars for deliveries or rides, as well as scrolling text. This version of the Matrix has lower resolution and does not adjust brightness automatically, so you need to set the brightness yourself in the settings.

Then there is Essential Search. Instead of showing a list of links like a typical search tool, it tries to give direct answers. You can ask for things like recipes, quick translations, or news updates. Access is simple. Just swipe up on the home screen and type in the search bar.

Essential Memory works alongside this system. It helps you recall information that is already stored inside Essential Space, which makes it easier to find things you saved earlier.

The Phone (4a) Pro also gets Essential Apps. These are small tools you can create using simple text prompts, without any coding knowledge. Once created, they appear as widgets on the home screen and behave like lightweight apps designed around whatever task you want.

All of these features sit inside a section called Playground. This area also includes things like Glyph Toys, camera presets, and EQ profiles. It even hosts tools built with the Glyph SDK. Since Nothing has made that SDK public, developers and users can now create their own interactive Glyph tools and share them with others.

Smart App Drawer (in beta) automatically sorts your apps into labeled folders like Social, Utilities, and Finance. This is helpful, but you cannot rename the folders yet, so it may not feel personalized.

AI Eraser in the Gallery

Nothing has also tweaked its Gallery app, and the changes focus a lot on editing tools. One of the main additions is an AI Eraser. With a single tap, you can remove unwanted objects, reflections, or even people from a photo. The processing happens directly on the device (so the image does not need to be uploaded to a server).

The company also plans to introduce a Circle to Erase tool in a future update. Nothing OS 4.1 now comes with Facebook and Instagram pre-installed, though you can uninstall them if you wish. This is a change from the brand’s earlier promise of no pre-installed third-party apps.

The update policy offers three years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches. In 2026, some competitors offer longer support, so consider this if you plan to keep your phone for many years.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Camera Review

The Phone (4a) Pro features a triple camera system centered around a new Sony LYT700C 50 MP main sensor (1/1.56-inch) with an f/1.88 aperture. It’s complemented by a 0.6X 8MP ultra-wide camera and a telephoto system (50MP 1/2.76-inch f/2.88) offering 3.5X optical zoom and 7X in-sensor zoom. The phone also introduces “ultra zoom,” reaching up to 140X through digital zoom and AI processing.

The periscope module has been redesigned. Nothing claims the new unit is 32% smaller, featuring a W-shaped light path, similar to designs found in devices from OPPO, vivo, and Apple. The telephoto lens has an f/2.88 aperture and focuses at around 30 cm, losing the macro capabilities seen in the Phone (3a) Pro (15 cm focus). TrueLens Engine 4 powers imaging with multi-frame RAW processing and dual-layer AI segmentation, improving shutter speed by up to one second. The phone introduces Motion Photos (3-second clips) and 4K Ultra HDR video at 30 FPS.

Main Camera

The Sony LYT-700C sensor, with Nothing’s TrueLens Engine 4, produces natural-looking colors. Photos are not over sharpened, which was an issue on the standard Phone (4a). HDR is improved, with better detail in shadows and highlights, especially in backlit portraits.
The default color settings can look a bit cool, but you can use the in-app Camera Presets to adjust the color profile if you prefer warmer or more vibrant photos.

Portrait mode can be used at 24mm, 48mm, and 80mm focal lengths, with accurate edge detection and neutral skin tones. In low light, night mode reduces noise effectively and preserves colors, avoiding the orange tint seen on some other phones.

Periscope Telephoto

The 50MP 3.5x optical periscope delivers clean, sharp images at 3.5x and remains genuinely usable up to 7x lossless zoom. Between 7x and 20x, AI upscaling assists softer than the lossless range, but recognisably detailed for social sharing. Nothing markets a maximum of 70x “ultra zoom” (and a 140x digital ceiling), but images beyond 30x are blocky and unusable. The 7x and 20x ranges are the honest use cases, and they are legitimately excellent.

The periscope’s folded lens architecture means it cannot focus at macro distances. Macro shots require reverting to the main sensor. When we compare it with the the vivo V70 also carries a 50MP ZEISS telephoto (f/2.65, 33° FOV), and the Realme 16 Pro+ carries its own 50MP telephoto (f/2.8, 30° FOV). What makes the Nothing 4a Pro’s periscope distinctive is its 3.5x optical zoom ratio, a meaningfully longer reach than the typical 2x telephoto offered by competitors. At equivalent zoom levels, the periscope architecture delivers cleaner results because it uses optical rather than digital magnification past the 2x mark.

The Ultrawide

The 8MP ultrawide camera is the weakest part of the system. In good light, photos are decent but softer than those from the main camera. In low light, the difference is more noticeable. Some competitors offer higher-quality ultrawide lenses at this price.

Selfies and Video Recording

The 32MP front camera takes detailed selfies with natural skin tones. Face brightening is enabled by default, but you can turn it off in settings if you prefer a more natural look. The main limitation for the camera system is in video recording. The front camera records up to 1080p at 60fps, while some competitors now offer 4K video on the front camera, which may be important for those who record a lot of video or make video calls.s.The rear camera records 4K video at 30fps with good stabilization and clear audio in daylight. There is no 4K 60fps option, and the ultrawide camera does not support 4K video. You also cannot switch between lenses while recording. Some video issues, like exposure delay and low-light jitter, are expected to be fixed in a future update, but the lack of lens switching and 4K 60fps are current limitations.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Battery & Charging

The 5,400mAh battery offers very good battery life for this price range. In testing, the phone lasted over 21 hours in benchmarks. In daily use with 5G, always-on display, and regular apps, screen-on time was about 6 to 6.5 hours. Lighter users who mostly use Wi-Fi and social media can expect the phone to last about a day and a half on one charge.

Nothing states the battery retains 90% of its maximum capacity after 1,200 charging cycles.

With 50W wired charging, the battery goes from 0% to 100% in about 64 to 65 minutes and reaches 50% in 22 to 30 minutes. Some competitors offer faster charging, but 65 minutes for a full charge is still reasonable for most users. No charger is included in the box. No wireless charging. The aluminum unibody construction is a physics constraint here since inductive charging requires a glass or plastic rear surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Nothing Phone 4a Pro worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if you value a unique design, impressive optical zoom, reliable battery life, and software that feels different, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is a strong option under Rs. 40,000. However, if your main focus is gaming performance, super-fast charging, or recording 4K video from the front camera, the POCO X8 Pro or vivo V70 may suit you better.

Does the Nothing Phone 4a Pro support 5G in India?
Yes. It supports 10 5G bands, including the primary Jio and Airtel bands (n78, n77, n28, n41, n40), and 4×4 MIMO for improved network performance in congested areas.

How does the Nothing Phone 4a Pro compare to the POCO X8 Pro?
The POCO X8 Pro comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 8500-Ultra, giving it an edge in gaming, especially for long sessions. It also supports faster charging at 100W, compared to 50W on the Nothing 4a Pro. However, the POCO lacks a telephoto lens, its front camera video is limited to 1080p, and its software has more pre-installed apps than Nothing OS 4.1. If you mainly want a phone for gaming, the POCO X8 Pro is a good pick. For everyday use and a more balanced experience, the Nothing 4a Pro stands out.

How does the Nothing Phone 4a Pro compare to the vivo V70?
Both the Nothing 4a Pro and vivo V70 use the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor and are close in price. The vivo V70 offers faster charging, a larger battery, stronger water resistance, a higher resolution front camera with 4K video, and faster storage. The Nothing 4a Pro stands out with its longer periscope zoom, unique software feel, and distinctive design. If you want standout specs, the vivo V70 is ahead of the pack. If you are drawn to character and camera zoom, the Nothing 4a Pro is worth considering.
No, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro does not support wireless charging. Its all-metal aluminum body does not allow for it, as wireless charging usually needs a glass or plastic back. None of the phones in this group, including the Realme 16 Pro+, POCO X8 Pro, or vivo V70, offer wireless charging.

Does the Nothing Phone 4a Pro support Netflix HDR?
Not at launch. The display is HDR10+ certified and YouTube HDR works, but Netflix has not whitelisted the device for HDR playback. Nothing has acknowledged this and an OTA fix is expected. Check the Nothing community forum or support page for the latest status.

What is the actual refresh rate of the Nothing Phone 4a Pro in daily use?
In daily use, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro runs at 120Hz for most apps and games, even though the display is rated for 144Hz. The screen does not go below 60Hz, so battery savings from lower refresh rates are limited. Only a few casual games use the full 144Hz.
The camera on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro offers 3.5x optical zoom and up to 7x in-sensor zoom, with minimal detail loss. There is also an AI-assisted ultra-zoom up to 70x, and the digital zoom can reach 140x. In real use, photos stay sharp up to 7x, are usable at 20x, but lose quality beyond 30x. The 140x zoom is more of a technical limit than something you would use every day.

Will Nothing Phone 4a Pro receive software updates?
Nothing promises three major Android OS updates (up to about Nothing OS 4.4 or Android 19) and six years of security updates from when you buy the phone. This is similar to Realme and vivo, but POCO gives four years of OS updates, and Google and Samsung go further with five to seven years.

Is the Nothing Phone 4a Pro good for gaming?
It handles popular titles like BGMI, COD Mobile, Subway Surfers, and Standoff 2 at high, stable settings. BGMI at 120FPS is officially supported. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 with Nothing’s large vapour chamber manages thermals well, averaging 52 FPS in Genshin Impact at 42°C after 30 minutes. For graphic-intensive titles at sustained maximum settings, the POCO X8 Pro’s Dimensity 8500-Ultra has a clear performance advantage.

Is Nothing Phone 4a Pro waterproof?
It is rated IP65, protected against dust and low-pressure water jets, and confirmed by Nothing to withstand submersion to 25cm for up to 20 minutes. It is not rated IP68 or IP69. In this group, the POCO X8 Pro carries IP68, and the vivo V70 carries both IP68 and IP69.

You can follow Smartprix on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google News. Visit smartprix.com for the latest tech and auto news, reviews, and guides.