Nothing has unveiled its latest quirky smartphone, the Phone 4a Pro, a large aluminium Android device with three cameras and a distinctive LED matrix screen on the back, challenging the notion that mid-range phones cannot be fun. Priced at £499, it sits between the regular Phone 4a (£349) and the top-tier Phone 3 (£699), competing with devices like the Google Pixel 10a.
Design and Display
The Phone 4a Pro marks a departure from Nothing's previous glass-clad transparent designs. While the camera island retains some transparent elements, the rest of the body is solid aluminium, a rarity in the Android world. The slim aluminium body feels premium, but the phone is notably large with a 6.83-inch OLED screen, making it a two-handed device for most users. The screen is bright, colourful, and crisp, with a high 144Hz refresh rate ensuring smooth scrolling, ideal for video consumption.
Glyph Interface
The large camera island on the back houses a circular dot-matrix LED screen, part of Nothing's Glyph interface. It can display notification icons, time, timers, volume, and charge levels, and even serve as a rough selfie screen or show fun widgets like a moon phase tracker. While some features remain gimmicky, the ability to see the time or notification icons on the back is surprisingly useful.
Performance and Battery
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, the 4a Pro handles daily tasks smoothly, though it is not a raw performance leader. Gaming at medium settings is possible, but the phone warms up during play. Battery life is impressive, lasting over two days with mixed use, including messaging, browsing, and video streaming. Heavy gaming reduces battery life by about 30% per hour, but even intensive users will end the day with around 20% charge remaining. The battery fully charges in 72 minutes using a 50W or higher USB-C adapter.
Software and AI Features
Nothing OS 4.1, based on Android 16, offers a slick and highly customizable experience. Users can choose between standard app icons or dot-matrix-style designs for a retro feel. The Essential Space app now syncs to Nothing's cloud, backing up AI-analyzed images, text, voice notes, and call recordings. AI-powered search and Essential Voice, a dictation tool that cleans up speech errors, are included, though the latter requires an internet connection and can be slow. Nothing promises three years of Android version updates and six years of security updates, which falls short of some rivals. Additionally, some apps like Netflix lack HDR certification, limiting video quality.
Camera System
The 4a Pro features a triple rear camera setup and a 32MP selfie camera. The main 50MP camera excels in good light, capturing detailed photos with wide dynamic range, but struggles in low light. The 50MP 3.5x telephoto camera is excellent in bright conditions, offering sharp details and good colour, with effective zoom up to 7x before digital zoom degrades beyond 30x. The 8MP ultrawide camera disappoints with soft detail. Night mode is softer than expected, and exposure and colour balance can be inconsistent. Video recording is solid but lacks 4K at 60fps, which is becoming standard.
Sustainability and Price
The battery retains at least 80% capacity after 1,200 full charge cycles, and the phone is repairable in the UK. It uses recycled aluminium, plastic, steel, and tin, with a carbon footprint of 50.5kg CO2 equivalent. Priced at £499, it is expensive for a mid-range device, with the cheaper Phone 4a offering many similar features for better value. Competitors like the Google Pixel 10a and Samsung Galaxy A57 offer better cameras or performance, but the Nothing stands out for its unique design and software experience.
Verdict
The Nothing Phone 4a Pro is a slick, striking Android phone that bucks the trend of dull metal and glass slabs. Its aluminium body feels premium, the screen is large and vibrant, and the dot-matrix display on the back is a standout feature. Combined with a visually interesting version of Android, it is a fun daily driver. However, its mid-range performance, limited software update policy, and high price for the segment make it less compelling than the cheaper Phone 4a or rivals with better cameras and performance. Pros include great software, solid build, eye-catching design, good telephoto camera, large screen, fast charging, and solid battery life. Cons are lack of wifi 7, camera inconsistencies, AI features still evolving, only three Android upgrades, gimmicky Glyphs, and high price for mid-range performance.
