I’ve been using Nothing phones every day since the first model was released, so I’m glad to have been selected for this Community Review Programme.
After using it alongside the 4(a) Pro (review will follow soon) for a month , here’s my review:
📦 Unboxing & Design Vibes
What’s in the box:
- Nothing Phone (4a)
- transparent case
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- SIM ejector tool
Like all Nothing phones, it feels far more premium than it costs right out of the box. Nothing has used the familiar pill-shaped camera layout from the 3a, expanded to fit the new third lens, combined with a new transparent back design. It’s by far my favourite design.
The new blue colour absolutely pops in person and I bet the same would go for the pink one. It uses Gorilla Glass 7i and has an IP64 rating, meaning it can technically survive being submerged in shallow water (as stated by nothing), though I definitely won’t be trying that out myself!
On a side note, this phone is very big, which makes using it one-handed very challenging.
📺 The Screen
The first thing you’ll notice when you turn it on is the huge 6.78-inch display. It’s a pretty good display again, gets extremely bright and is very readable even in direct sunlight. The only downside are rather big bezzles but it’s an “a” series phone afterall.
It comes with a pre-applied screen protector (which saves me the hassle of bubbles!), and I’d recommend keeping it on till you replace it with a normal one. That said, mine scratched very easily, so you definitely should swap it out.
⚙️ Performance & Features
Under the hood, the storage has been upgraded to UFS 3.1 and paired with a fast Snapdragon processor. Apps open instantly, file transfers are quick and the whole interface is smooth.
With Nothing OS 4.1 (running on Android 16), it flies through daily tasks. The software is clean and fast but comes with pre-installed apps like Facebook and Instagram. TikTok and Fitbit were automatically installed after the setup.
You can uninstall all of these apps, and while I understand that they are trying to generate more revenue, it’s also disappointing. At least those are the apps that most people are going to install anyway so it might be no big issue afterall.
I played a few rounds of Call of Duty, as well as some other games, to make sure it runs smoothly without overheating, which it does effortlessly, but it’s by no means a top-notch gaming phone. So don’t expect to run every game on max settings.
The Glyph lights are very bright and you should turn the brightness down if you don’t wanna be disturbed or use the auto-turn off feature for the night.
📸 Camera Check
I’m no professional photographer, so I won’t be scrutinising the cameras but having a proper periscope lens with 3.5x optical zoom for getting closer to subjects is a massive upgrade this year. For everyday use, standard photos and normal multitasking, this phone gets the job done.
🔋 Battery Life
Because the processor isn’t very power-hungry and the battery is huge, the phone lasts forever. I get through a full, heavy workday and still have plenty of battery left.
🧐 The Drawbacks (hardware and audio):
No phone is perfect, and there are a few daily inconveniences you should be aware of:
The speakers: The dual stereo speakers are loud, but sound tinny and hollow when playing bass-heavy music. Also, the music sync feature for the back lights has been completely removed, which is a huge missed opportunity.
Button layout: I find the new layout a bit weird. All the buttons are now on the right, leaving the left side purely for the new AI ‘Essential Key’. Taking screenshots, turning your phone off, etc. is more difficult overall.
I know people have accidentally touched the Essential button in the past, but I feel like this change wouldn’t have been necessary with the introduction of double-tapping to activate.
Fingerprint Scanner: The optical fingerprint scanner is super fast, but it’s placed very low down on the screen which can it make hard to reach.
💭 Conclusion
The Nothing Phone (4a) is exactly what you need: a solid, reliable everyday phone. While the speakers and button layout do take some getting used to, the massive screen, all-day battery life and smooth performance more than make up for these minor issues. If you’re looking for a reliable phone with a unique design that can handle everyday life without any issues, this is an easy recommendation.
