I’ve been using the new Nothing Phone (4b) for about two weeks now as my primary device.
This isn’t a benchmark-heavy review. Just what it’s actually like to use every day. Design, Glyph Bar, cameras, battery, software and all the little things I noticed.
⚠️ Note: This is not a long-term review.
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📦 What’s in the box?
You get:
- Phone (4b)
- Transparent soft case
- USB-C cable
- New SIM ejector tool
- Documentation
- Pre-applied screen protector
- ❌ No charger in the box.
I like that Nothing includes a case from day one. It fits well and doesn’t completely hide the design.
🔗 Full Unboxing video here
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🤌 Design
The Phone (4b) borrows stuff from the Phone (4a) and the Phone (4a) Pro, and honestly, that’s worked very well.
It has:
- Plastic frame & back
- Matte finish
- New Glyph Bar (from 4a)
- Transparent camera plateau (from 4a Pro)
Although it’s plastic, it genuinely doesn’t feel cheap.
The matte coating feels smooth, doesn’t attract fingerprints much, and the phone feels nicely balanced despite having a 6000 mAh battery.
🤔 One thing I noticed immediately though…The bezels. Especially the bottom chin. Not something you’ll notice after a few days, but side-by-side, it’s obvious.
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📱 Display
It’s a good display. Not as bright as the Phone (4a) series, but bright enough outdoors. Animations are smooth. Fingerprint sensor is quick.
No complaints here.
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👾 Glyph Bar
The Glyph Bar is brighter than before and has no light bleed. That’s something I noticed immediately.
Glyph Progress with Live Updates has also become one of those features you don’t think you’ll use until you actually do. It works with: Uber, Zomato, Timers and Delivery Progress.
It’s surprisingly useful.
✅ I’ll do a detailed post about Glyph Bar and the features, so stay tuned!
Also nice to see the red recording indicator making its way here in the budget series too.
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⚡ Performance & Software
- Snapdragon 6 Gen 4
- 8GB RAM, UFS 2.2
- Nothing OS 4.1, Android 16
Honestly…Daily performance has been completely fine. Social media. Browsing. Binge-watching. Editing. Messaging. No random stutters.
The phone stays fairly cool too.
Nothing OS continues my favourite Android skin. Clean, fast, minimal.
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📸 Cameras
• 50MP Main (OIS)
• 8MP Ultrawide
• 16MP Selfie
I haven’t got enough time to take the camera for a spin around the city but I can say…
Very natural colours.
Good HDR.
Daylight photos are genuinely nice.
Video: 4K 30fps recording, Dual-view video mode (NEW) is fun if you’re into content creation.
Compared to the Phone (4a)? The (4a) still wins. Especially consistency and overall image quality.
But for everyday photos… The (4b) does a perfectly good job. One thing I’d like Nothing to improve is the shutter speed.
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🔋 Battery
Probably my favourite thing about this phone.
6000mAh (India) with 33W charging
Battery life has been excellent. Comfortably lasts an entire day. Charging isn’t the fastest, but it’s reliable.
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🎧 Extras
Stereo speakers are loud. Haptics feel nice but aren’t controllable. No connectivity issues during my usage.🤔
Things I didn’t like
• Thick bezels
• UFS 2.2 + LPDDR4X at this price (can still let it slide considering the on-going memory crisis)
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✅ Verdict
I think the Phone (4b) is getting judged a little too much because of the chipset.
Yes… The pricing could have been better.
And yes… If you can stretch your budget, I’d still recommend getting the Phone (4a) because it becomes a better deal. (although, watch out for price hikes)
But that doesn’t suddenly make the Phone (4b) a bad phone.
It has a premium design, excellent battery life, a clean software experience, useful Glyph features, and cameras that are more than capable for everyday use.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: ⅘
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🫶 This review unit was provided by Nothing India under the Community Review Program. Big thanks to @Deepanshu_Saini_ and Haroon for trusting me with the Phone (4b). Always grateful for the opportunity. ❤️
