This phone has a lot to love, but can it really take the crown as a successor to last year’s device? Let’s see..
The Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes in three colors. Silver, pink, and black. The design is a departure from previous devices, but I wouldn’t say it’s bad. I actually like the clear cut-out for the camera module and the use of aluminum across the rest of the body. It feels more premium than last year, which says a lot. But the design and build aren’t the only things that matter here.
I have the black variant with me, sporting the 12/256 model out of available configurations. (8+128 or 12/256) I think the configuration I have makes the phone feel more complete, as storage won’t be used too quickly. Plus, you have extra headroom for multitasking on the device.
This model does come with a different processor compared to last year’s model. Instead of sharing the 7s Gen 4 with the Phone (4a) it ships with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, which is an improvement, and I think it helps separate the two very well. In my experience, it’s powerful enough for the things I do. This includes some gaming, mainly Pokémon Go. (Which supports 144Hz!) I also do photo editing, lots of picture editing, and I try my hand at video these days, but nothing share-worthy. However, I would like to mention a stuttering issue that sometimes happens when recording video. The Phone 4a Pro can shoot up to 4k30 HDR video from the main and telephoto cameras, while the ultrawide is capped at 1080p due to limitations related to being only 8 megapixels.
This phone comes with an upgraded Sony LYT-700c sensor as the main camera. This is a change I can get behind. It’s supposed to offer better performance in low light and with auto focus. I have a history with devices using this sensor, and it’s reliable. The next camera is a 3.5x tetraprism lens that uses the JN5, which is the same sensor as the Nothing Phone (3)'s camera system. It’s a notable change compared to the LYT-600 used last year. There’s a change that I don’t quite like, but it is what it is. The other noticeable change is the minimum focus distance. It changed as well, it’s not further away, which means this leans on the main camera for macro images. This relies on punching into the sensor at that 3.5x magnification and relying on software to make it happen. This approach isn’t bad, I like it, it’s interesting, but leaning into software can be a harder task, from what I know. I’ll share examples as always!
Now, how’s the battery life? Good, good enough for me at least. I get between 5 and 7 hours. It depends on how much I’m using it as a camera or if I’m gaming. For basic YouTube viewing, book reading, and social media, I don’t worry about it at all. I charge it when I need to, and that 50 watts comes in handy for a fast burst. It isn’t the fastest, no, but it’s enough, I’d say.
My experience with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has been a good one. I look forward to hearing what you think and your experiences down the line. Let’s chat, and thanks for stopping by!
Here are photos I’ve taken with the Phone (4a) Pro! I hope you like them.
