Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: The Price Is Right And Largely Justified

Despite bottlenecks in supply chains and rising prices, smartphones are still being launched at a brisk pace. Despite the multitude of launches, including three from the OnePlus Nord series, there is one model that should always be at the top of your list if you’re in the market for a mid-range smartphone. 

Yes, I’m talking about the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, which starts at Rs 44,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.

The 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, which I’d highly recommend, comes in at Rs 50,999. At that price, and looking at the market dynamics, this is one of the few solid deals that won’t disappoint you. Of course, if you can snag it at a discount of around Rs 45,000, it becomes an even sweeter deal and an easier recommendation from me. 

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is one of the most distinctive smartphones on the market today. It’s heavily focused on design, but also delivers everyday performance that the average user demands. 

It’s got that glyph back that will catch absolutely anyone’s attention. With an aluminium unibody, Wi-Fi 6E, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, good battery life (5,400mAh for Indian buyers), and a periscope zoom that sets it apart from many competitors, the Phone (4a) Pro is the one to look out for this summer. 

 Let’s dive in deeper. 

That Eye-Catching Design 

Honestly, I didn’t like the pink colour when I first laid eyes on it. It has since grown on me, and that’s also true of Nothing’s smartphones in general. 

With a little more personality injected, along with that Glyph Matrix on this year’s Phone (4a) Pro, Nothing has evolved in ways consumers can truly appreciate. The ‘transparent/see-through design’ is now confined to the camera bar. The smartphone has matured, with most of it now just a plain slab of aluminium that feels very premium. 

 The most noticeable design change is the ‘Glyph Matrix’ that sits at the right-hand side of the camera island (with three camera lenses). It’s a circular dot-matrix display and can display lots of different kinds of information: time, battery level, incoming notifications, or even a progress bar.

Nothing has opened it up for developers to create their own tools. It’s genuinely more useful than the LED lights of the older Nothing phones. It’s also a far more evolved version of the Glyph Matrix “display” that debuted with the Nothing Phone (3). 

 The Glyph Interface has been one of the key defining features of Nothing's phone designs over the years, but the shape and function have changed with each generation.

This year's Glyph Interface is an evolved version of the Glyph Matrix "display" that debuted with the Nothing Phone 3, and it's substantially more powerful than the simple LED lights on the back of older Nothing Phones. While on the Phone (3), the Glyph Matrix was touch sensitive; it’s simply a display on the Phone (4a) Pro. 

The phone may only have an IP65 rating, but it should withstand much more than just accidental spills or a rain shower. It’s also the lowest carbon footprint of any of its smartphones, so that’s something to cheer about. 

How’s The Display And Performance? 

 The star of the show is probably, with all due respect to the “Glyph Matrix” on the back, is the AMOLED display on the front. Yes, the 6.83-inch AMOLED display (2800x1260) with an adaptive refresh rate from 30Hz to 144Hz and a peak brightness of 5000 nits is my favourite thing about the Phone (4a) Pro. 

It’s a stunning display. It’s big, bright, and crisp, with colours that are popping. The interface is smooth, and that black-and-white theme has really grown on me since I first laid eyes on a Nothing smartphone many years ago.[Text Wrapping Break] 

For the price, this display feels like a dream. I’ve had to confine it to my drawer over the past few days (it’s a busy period for reviewers), but I do try to watch a video or two on it when I can. Even doomscrolling is a vivid experience. 

While the display gets an A+ rating from me, the performance isn’t the top-tier, mid-range king you'd expect. Under the hood is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, UFS 3.1 storage and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. You think that’d be enough to power all your daily needs. 

Well, if you take gaming into account, then this smartphone falls behind its rivals. Some of the games, including Athletics Mania, stutter at times, and it isn’t a pleasant experience. 

On the other hand, day-to-day tasks like WhatsApp, Google Chrome (with 50+ tabs), calling, doomscrolling, and watching YouTube videos run like a charm.

Are The Cameras Justified? 

While the display stole the show, it was the cameras that surprised me the most. You get two 50MP sensors (main and periscope zoom) on the back, with OIS, that deliver clean, crisp photos.

You can use the periscope zoom lens, with a digital magnification of 140x, which is rarely found in any other smartphone. The telephoto zoom offers 3.5x zoom. The availability of a telephoto camera on a mid-range smartphone was a surprise, but a very happy one. 

The photos from the main camera are detailed, have natural, pleasing colours, and are well-exposed. Where the camera suffers a little is during low-light photography.

The main problem is the shutter lag. That 3.5x zoom, though, makes up for it a little. Daytime photography is a delight. Even portraits come out well, with good edge detection and soft bokeh.  

The ultrawide camera suffices for basic photography, but isn’t anything to write home about. 

Zoom is impressive, and if the photos aren’t over-processed, you get clean, natural-looking images that are pleasing to the eye. It can very well hold up against rivals in the mid-range category. Even macro shots are top-notch. The selfie camera is also solid. 

How Long Will the Phone Last On a Single Charge? 

With a 5,400mAh battery, I managed to get a solid 6 hours of screen-on time (SoT), which is enough for me to last an entire day without having to plug it in.

The smartphone supports 50W of wired charging, but sadly, there is no charger in the box. A full charge with a compatible PD charger takes just over an hour, which isn’t bad at all. 

There is no wireless charging on the Phone (4a) Pro. 

Excellent Haptics 

I rarely write about haptics because they are just about average in most smartphones. Nothing, though, is one company that truly understands haptics.

With bumps and vibrations during most actions, the haptics come out on top. Even typing out half an article on the smartphone was a satisfying experience. Google, OnePlus and a few others also have great haptics, but Nothing is not at all far behind. 

Verdict: Best Mid-Range Smartphone of 2026? 

For now, the answer is yes. I’ve truly enjoyed my time with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. With very few compromises, the Nothing (4a) Pro comes out on top. It’s got an excellent display, good performance, reliable cameras, excellent haptics, and a quirky and unique design. The Phone (4a) Pro is a winner. 

Yes, this is not a gaming smartphone, and that’s one of the drawbacks. Despite the 144Hz refresh rate, hardly any games can make full utilisation of it.

Furthermore, the smartphone lacks wireless charging capabilities, and the ultrawide is not up to scratch. 

At Rs 44,999, the Phone (4a) Pro gets a solid recommendation from me. Just wait until there is a discount for the 12GB RAM and 256GB variant, and snag it for under Rs 50,000.