Nothing has introduced its latest mid-range smartphone, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, bringing a refreshed design and upgraded features. The new device marks a change in the company’s design approach, as it is the first Nothing phone to move away from glass and polycarbonate in favour of an aluminium unibody.
The smartphone also carries forward the company’s distinctive lighting system with a toned-down version of the Glyph Matrix first seen on the Nothing Phone 3. With this launch, Nothing aims to offer some of its flagship-style features in a more affordable device.
Design and Signature Glyph Matrix lighting system
The latest instalment in the Nothing Phone lineup has undergone major changes in terms of the exterior design. Rather than using glass or plastic materials that are commonplace in previous iterations of the phone, the new model features an aluminium unibody construction.
Not only does this metallic finish add to the overall premium feel of the product, but it also assists with reducing fingerprint smudging due to its smooth surface.
The device is 7.95mm thick, making it the thinnest smartphone released by the company thus far. It has also been assigned an IP65 rating, meaning it is protected from dust and light water splashes.
As with the other phones, the customer will have three different colour choices: silver, black, and pink.
Just like on the flagship model, there will be a circular lighting system on the back of the device referred to as the Glyph Matrix. While there are fewer individual LEDs in this version of the glyphs compared to those on the flagship, the overall effect is still visually appealing.
Unlike previous versions of the Glyph Matrix on the flagship, this phone contains 137 mini-LEDs that will create brighter glyphs as well as provide a more evenly distributed light across the surface area.
The company claims that the LED glyphs in this version are twice the brightness of previous versions while also covering 57% more surface area.
The mini-LEDs in the Glyph Matrix can be used to indicate notifications, alerts, and any other type of visual indication. In addition, the Glyph Matrix can be used in conjunction with the widget and lighting features of the Phone 3.
Camera system
The camera setup sits inside a wide camera module on the back of the phone. The device includes a 50-megapixel main camera built around a Sony LYT700C sensor with a 1/1.56-inch size.
It is accompanied by a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera that supports 3.5x optical zoom. The third camera is an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor for capturing wider scenes.
On the front, the phone features a 32-megapixel punch-hole camera designed for selfies and video calls.
Display and performance
The Nothing Phone 4a Pro features a large 6.83-inch AMOLED display. The screen offers a 1.5K resolution and supports a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate, which allows smoother scrolling and animations.
The display can reach a peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits and is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i. An optical fingerprint sensor is placed under the display for unlocking the phone.
Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. The phone is available in multiple memory configurations, including 8GB RAM with 128GB storage and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage. An additional 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant will be available specifically for the Indian market.
Battery and software
The smartphone is equipped with a 5,080mAh battery. It supports 50W wired charging, which the company says should provide enough power for extended daily use.
The phone runs on NothingOS 4.1, which is based on Android 16. The software experience focuses on a clean and minimal interface, with fewer pre-installed apps compared to many other Android phones.
Nothing has also included a feature called Essential Space, which uses artificial intelligence to organise screenshots, web links and voice notes.
The company has promised three major Android updates and six years of security updates for the device.
Price and availability
The Nothing Phone 4a Pro will be available for pre-order from March 13 through the company’s official website. Sales are scheduled to begin on March 27.
The smartphone starts at a price of $499 or £499, placing it in the mid-range category while offering several features commonly seen in higher-end devices.
Also read: Nothing Phone 3 Review: A Look Back Before The Phone 4 Launch
