Nothing may have skipped a true flagship this year, but it has doubled down on its premium mid-range lineup with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. The Pro model, which is placed above the standard model, introduces a more sophisticated strategy, a metal unibody, a brighter and larger AMOLED display, and the more powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset.

I have had some experience with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro to find out how these improvements can be applied to practice. Having a triple-camera system with a versatile system of Glyph Matrix, is it really capable of providing a near-flagship experience? Let’s find out in this review.

An In-Depth Review on Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Wondering about the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and its potential as a trustworthy smartphone that can be used every day? The device is priced higher with a high-end metal design, a big 144Hz AMOLED screen, and the strong Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. 

It is designed to be used by people that desire to have smooth performance on browsing, gaming and entertainment as well as having a triple-camera system which is versatile. This review will cover its design, performance, camera features, price in Bangladesh and general real life experience.

Box Content

This is what you get inside the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro box:

• Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Smartphone
• USB Type-C cable
• Protective Case
• SIM ejector tool
• User manual

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro uses the minimal packaging strategy of the brand in the box. The handset is the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, a USB Type-C to Type-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and standard documentation and safety manuals. The phone is also pre-equipped with a screen protector and a clear protective case to ensure further protection even before leaving the box.

Note, similar to most contemporary smart phones, a charging adapter is not provided, so you will need to buy an appropriate fast charger separately.

Design & Build Quality

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is slightly less transparent in its design, but it still features the signature identity of the brand. The rear is cleaner and more adult, with the addition of the Glyph Matrix lighting system, which provides functionality as well as a futuristic feel without being overly flashy.

The device is significantly more high-end in terms of construction. It has a Gorilla Glass 7i front, aluminum frame and aluminum back, which makes it feel sturdier and solid in the hand. The phone is heavier at 210 grams, but the weight is distributed well hence it does not feel uncomfortable when using it normally.

The edges are flat and the surface is smooth to hold and the corners are slightly curved to aid in ergonomics. The phone is 163.7 mm tall, 76.6 mm wide, and only 8 mm thick, which makes it comparatively thin even with the bigger construction.

Nothing has also included IP65 rating of dust and splash resistance which is slightly more durable in daily use such as light rain or accidental splashes. But it is not entirely waterproof, and thus it still needs some precaution.

The phone comes in Black, Silver and Pink colour options with each having a different personality. All in all, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a more refined and high-end design than its predecessor, which makes it feel more of a flagship experience, without losing the visual appeal that Nothing is known for.

Display

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro takes it to the next level with a huge screen of 6.83-inch AMOLED display, which provides an immersive experience at the very first sight. Having a 1260 x 2800 resolution and a sharp pixel density of 450 ppi, the panel provides sharp images, and text, images, and videos appear sharp and detailed.

The 144Hz refresh rate is one of the most impressive upgrades in this category; scrolling, animation, and gameplay are so smooth with this upgrade. The fluidity is felt instantly whether you are scrolling through social media or playing games with high velocity. The screen also caters to HDR10+ which helps improve contrast and colour depth to enjoy a richer media experience.

Another good point is brightness. The screen is bright with a maximum of 5000 nits that makes it easily readable even during bright sunshine, which is a major plus in outdoor usage. The phone also has Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection which is an added advantage in terms of resisting scratches and small drops.

The punch-hole shape with a small number of bezels and an amazing 93.9 percent screen-to-body ratio contributes to the formation of a more edge-to-edge experience, which makes content consumption more interesting. Colours are bright and vivid, though balanced to a point that they do not look unnatural and hence the pleasant viewing experience in various uses.

Camera

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is also equipped with a flexible triple-camera system, with a 50MP primary (f/1.9 with OIS) sensor, a 50MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 8MP ultra-wide camera. It has a 32MP selfie camera on the front, which is a complete package in terms of both photography and video.

Daylight Photography:

The main camera provides clear and high-resolution photos in daytime, and the colours are well balanced, and the dynamic range is good. The phone does not sharpen too much and the pictures are natural yet the phone has the ability to capture finer details such as buildings and greenery.

Low-light Photography:

The main sensor works well in low light situations due to the OIS and enhanced processing and provides cleaner images with noise kept under control. It also has the telephoto camera that is able to capture good detail even in low light, which is a good feat in a mid-range camera.

This is crowned by the 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom, which provides actual flexibility. It enables you to shoot faraway objects with ease and even higher zooming levels can be used in taking casual shots. It is an uncommon characteristic of this segment and provides the phone with a decisive advantage.

The 8MP ultra-wide lens is good in landscape and group shots. Although it is not as sharp as the main sensor, the colours are consistent and the dynamic range is reasonable, and therefore can be used in everyday situations.

The front camera is a 32MP that takes clear selfies with good colour reproduction and a wide angle of view. On video, the rear cameras can record 4K at 30fps and 1080p at up to 120fps and provide smooth and stable shots to social media and content creation.

In general, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has a powerful and versatile camera system, particularly due to the telephoto functionality, which makes it one of the more camera-centric ones in its category.

Performance & Software

The main difference between the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and the 4nm architecture is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, which offers a tangible performance and efficiency improvement. It is accompanied by a powerful octa-core processor (Cortex-A720 and A520 cores) and Adreno 722 graphics, which will provide it with easy-to-use everyday work and a stable graphics performance.

In actual application, browsing, social media, streaming and multitasking are all easily done on the phone. Switching between apps is smooth, and the phone also sustains high performance when there are several applications in the background. It is no flagship power, but it fits in the upper mid-range category and is reliable in its experience.

The performance in gaming is also good. The graphics card can handle the popular titles without any issue in medium to high frame rates. Long gameplay will bring some form of warmth, but the overall performance will not experience any significant slowdown and frame drops.

The device is powered by Nothing OS 4.1, which is an Android 16-based operating system, on the software side, providing one of the purest and most polished Android experiences. The interface is bare and does not have any unwanted bloatware, and adheres to the signature monochrome design language of Nothing, which provides it with a distinct visual identity.

The software also comprises one or other helpful features such as the Smart App Drawer to get more organised, the system animations are smoother and the customization options are thoughtful. The stability is generally good, with only a few glitches when used normally.

There is no assurance of several OS updates and several years of security support that will keep the phone relevant. Although it does not bring significant changes, the software experience is still polished, smooth, and quite user-friendly, which suits those who want to have a clean and distraction-free interface.

AnTuTu & GeekBench Score

In order to have a better understanding of its practical performance, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro provides good benchmark values of a high-end mid-range phone. The phone achieves a score of about 1.3 million points in the AnTuTu benchmark, which represents a good performance in general CPU, GPU, memory, and user experience.

The device scores about 1,385 in single-core and 4,314 in multi-core tests on Geekbench, indicating that it can effectively work on both fast and more serious assignments.

These scores make the Phone (4a) Pro more superior to most of the mid-range competitors particularly when it comes to multi-core performance. Although it is not of flagship quality, it is nonetheless a reliable, quick, and consistent performer in multitasking, gaming, and intensive applications, and thus a reliable option in daily life.

Battery & Charger

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is supported by a 5080mAh lithium-polymer battery, which is a good balance between capacity and efficiency. In daily life, the phone can easily get through a day with its activities of browsing, social media, streaming and a bit of gaming. The battery performance is reliable even when used moderately to heavily and hence can be used by the majority of users.

The device is capable of charging using 50W wired fast charging, which can charge the battery between 0 and 50 per cent in approximately 22 minutes and 100 per cent in slightly over an hour. This allows this to be easily topped up during a hectic day.

Another feature is reverse wired charging (7.5W) which lets you charge accessories such as earbuds or even another phone when necessary. There is, however, no standard wireless charging support, which some users would regard as part of this segment.

The phone has a USB Type-C connection, but similar to most contemporary smartphones, the charging cable is not supplied in the package, and you will have to buy a matching fast charger separately to achieve the maximum charging speeds.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Price in Bangladesh

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is currently available in Bangladesh as an unofficial device. The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro price in Bangladesh is BDT 60,000 (Unofficial) for  8GB RAM and 128GB storage base model.

The phone is yet to be widely released, and thus, the pricing can be slightly different in various stores. In general, it is placed in the high-end mid-range category and provides the almost flagship experience at the specified cost.

Final Word

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is a bold move towards a flagship experience, with a high-quality design, a slick AMOLED screen, and a solid performance. It is also improved with the introduction of a telephoto camera and clean Nothing OS which makes it even more attractive. Although it might not be flawless in all aspects, the experience is refined and balanced, and it is a solid option among those users who require fashion with a touch of substance.