Nothing is the first smartphone maker that makes you not want to use a case, or at least use a transparent one if you really have to—thanks to its transparent back and the Glyph that adds life to the device. The brand continues this tradition with the new Nothing Phone (4a). Though the same cannot be said for its sibling announced alongside it, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. But more on the Pro in the next article cos we have so much to say about the (4a).
The new Nothing Phone (4a) keeps the geeky transparent design the brand is known for, but the Glyph system is no longer what it used to be. It is still there, just reimagined as a Glyph Bar. This is essentially a bank of lights powered by 63 precision mini-LEDs, now 40% brighter than the Phone (3a) Pro. You can assign discreet light patterns to specific contacts or keywords, so only the things that matter get your attention. It also syncs with the display to show progress-based notifications for rides, deliveries, and timers. Subtle when it needs to be, attention-grabbing when it has to be.
Up front, the Phone (4a) packs a 1.5K flexible AMOLED display with 13.6% more pixels than the Phone (3a) Pro. It gets seriously bright too, peaking at 4,500 nits, with 10-bit color delivering 1.07 billion tones. Visibility under sunlight is improved, and the adaptive refresh rate ranges from 30 Hz to 120 Hz. It also reduces flicker intelligently, so your eyes do not feel like they have been through a boss fight after a long scroll.
Nothing is leaning hard into AI this time, but in a way that tries not to feel like yet another feature dump. The AI Essential Tools are baked into Nothing OS and revolve around something called Essential Space, which acts like a second memory. Using the dedicated Essential Key on the side, you can capture notes, screenshots, photos, or voice input instantly. From there, AI organizes everything, creates summaries, extracts to-dos, and even helps you remember events.
There is also Essential Search for quick answers without jumping between apps, Essential Memory for recalling context, and Essential Voice, which turns speech into clean, structured text while keeping your tone intact. It even supports translation across up to 12 languages. Then there are Essential Apps, which let you create simple, task-specific tools directly on your home screen. Less downloading, more doing.
Under the hood, the Phone (4a) runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, paired with UFS 3.1 storage. It supports 120 FPS gameplay with a 2,500 Hz touch sampling rate, backed by a 4,600 mm² vapor cooling system. The X-axis linear motor adds sharp, responsive haptics, which is one of those things you do not notice until it is done right.
Battery life is handled by a 5,080 mAh cell, good for up to 21 hours of YouTube or around 26 hours of Instagram scrolling, depending on how deep you fall into the algorithm.
Camera-wise, the Phone (4a) is going big for its segment. It features a 50 MP OIS periscope camera with up to 70x ultra zoom, which is rare at this level. The tetraprism system delivers 3.5x optical zoom using a W-shaped light path, while keeping the camera bump in check. The 50 MP main camera pulls in more light for cleaner shots, especially at night, and the 32 MP ultra-wide front camera makes group selfies less of a squeeze.
You also get RAW shooting, manual controls, and presets from the Nothing community. The AI Eraser removes unwanted elements directly on-device, while the TrueLens Engine 4 handles multi-frame RAW processing and AI segmentation for more natural results. Video features include 4K recording and Ultra XDR Full HD, along with a nice touch: a red recording light, just like old-school cameras.
The Phone (4a) is built to handle everyday mishaps, too. It is rated IP64 for dust and water resistance, tested under 25 cm of water for up to 20 minutes, and features stronger glass with improved structural rigidity over its predecessor.
It comes in Black, White, and a new tinted glass finish that reveals Blue and Pink colorways, adding a bit more personality to the usual monochrome crowd.
If anyone’s interested, the Nothing Phone (4a) is now available in the U.K. with configurations ranging from 8 GB + 128 GB to 12 GB + 256 GB, with prices starting at £349.
Images: Nothing.
