In what feels like a busy few days in tech, Nothing has just announced its flagship series with the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro.
Nothing promises that the 4a series will see a “major leap forward” for its mid-range smartphone lineup, but what does that really mean? Plus, is it a given that the Nothing Phone 4a Pro offers more than the 4a model?
To help you decide, we’ve compared the specs of the Nothing Phone 4a to the Phone 4a Pro, and highlighted the key differences between the two below. Keep reading to see what separates the Nothing Phone 4a series and whether either has a chance at making it into our best smartphone or best mid-range phone lineups.
Price and Availability
The Nothing Phone 4a is available to pre-order now and will launch officially on March 13th. It comes in a choice between four colours (black, white, blue and pink) and has a starting price of £349 / €349 for its 8+128GB handset.
The Nothing Phone 4a Pro, on the other hand, will be available to pre-order from March 13th, with open sales starting from March 27th. As its name suggests, it has a higher starting price of £499 / $499 / €479 for the 8+128GB model.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro is the slimmest ever Nothing phone
Nothing has hailed the Phone 4a Pro as being its slimmest ever handset to date, measuring at just 7.95mm. This is the same size as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which boasts the title of being Samsung’s thinnest Galaxy Ultra. In addition, the Phone 4a Pro’s slim profile is paired with a metal finish and flat refined surfaces.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro has a higher IP rating
Although neither the Phone 4a nor Phone 4a Pro sport an IP68 rating, which has become the norm for many of the best smartphones, both handsets do have a few additional tricks up their sleeves.
Firstly, the Phone 4a Pro sports a slightly higher IP-rating of IP65, while the Phone 4a’s certification is IP64. Essentially, this means that although both are dust-protected, the Phone 4a Pro can withstand “water projecting in jets” whereas the Phone 4a is only protected from water splashes.
Having said that, both the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro are also fitted with 25cm submersion protection for 20 minutes too. While it’s not quite an IP68 rating, that does offer a bit more peace of mind in the event you accidentally drop your phone in a bath or pool.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro promises up to 140x zoom
It seems as if one of the main reasons to opt for the Phone 4a Pro is for its photography prowess. Nothing explains that the Phone 4a Pro sports a Sony LYT700c large-size OIS main lens and a “versatile” Sony ultrawide, both of which are supported by a 50MP telephoto lens that’s promised to offer up to 140x zoom. This, according to Nothing, is both the “longest zoom ever” on a Nothing phone, and an industry-leading capability in its class too.
With that in mind, we’re keen to see how the Phone 4a Pro measures up in real world use and whether it will make it into our best camera phones guide.
That’s not to say the Phone 4a is a slouch by any means. Nothing still promises the cheaper phone will deliver a “best-in-class camera system”, with 50MP main, 50MP periscope and an ultrawide camera set-up. While it doesn’t quite promise the 140x zoom of the Phone 4a Pro, the Phone 4a still promises up to a 70x zoom – although we’ll have to wait until we review the phone to see how well it really performs.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 vs Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
It’s worth noting that the Nothing Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro are clear mid-rangers and, consequently, neither sport a flagship processor. Instead, the Phone 4a runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 while the Phone 4a Pro is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 4.
According to Nothing, the Phone 4a Pro should deliver up to 27% faster CPU, 30% improved graphics and 65% stronger AI capabilities, which should make running the likes of Essential Search and Playground which allows users to build and share no-code Essential Apps on the home screen.
While we can’t confirm those stats at this stage, it’s worth noting Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is the same chip found in the Motorola Edge 70 and we found the handset “feels about as rapid and responsive” as you could hope for. With this mind, we can reasonably expect the Nothing Phone 4a Pro to offer a solid performance too.
Otherwise, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 on the Phone 4a promises 7% faster CPU and 10% better power efficiency than its predecessor. While those numbers might not sound like much, its AI promise is its redeeming factor with a promise of being up to 92.5% faster than the Phone 2a.
Nothing Phone 4a introduces the Glyph Bar
Easily one of the reasons to opt for a Nothing Phone is thanks to its unique rear designs, and the Phone 4a series is no different. In fact, the Phone 4a introduces a refined Glyph Bar which includes 63 mini-LEDs in seven square light zones, each of which is controlled for illumination of up to 3500 nits.
The Glyph Bar can also double as a fill light for taking photos or videos, while retaining its purpose by reducing screen disruptions by offering light-up notifications for certain alerts.
Instead, the Phone 4a Pro is fitted with the Glyph Matrix which was first introduced with the Nothing Phone 3. Made up of 137 mini-LEDs which covers a 57% larger area to deliver sharper and more detailed notifications than before.
Early Verdict
Judging by their specs alone, the Nothing Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro seem like exciting mid-range options for those looking for a reliable Android that’s affordable yet eye-catching. However, we’ll have to wait until we review both handsets to see how well they really perform.
