Nothing Phone (4a) Review: Style, Camera & Software Done Right!

Due to the ongoing RAM price hike, phones have gotten expensive. The NPR 55,000-60,000 segment phones feel underwhelming right now. They are all about durability, large capacity, just take the example of Honor X9d (review) and Redmi Note 15 Pro Plus (review). But for someone like me, software, overall user experience, and cameras matter a lot. And that's where the Nothing Phone (4a) comes. This guy starts at NPR 56,000 for the 8/128GB variant. However, I’d recommend going for the 256GB variant, which costs around NPR 61,000. 

I’ve been using this phone for about two weeks now, and honestly, I liked it much more than I expected. It has been a joy to use, and this might just be the best phone under NPR 60,000 right now. More about this in my Nothing Phone (4a) review.

Nothing Phone (4a) Specifications:

• Design, build: Transparent back with Glyph Bar lighting, glass front/back, plastic frame, IP64 dust and splash resistance
• Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 2720 × 1224 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, up to 4,500 nits peak brightness
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4nm)
• Memory: 8GB / 12GB RAM, 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage (non-expandable)
• Software & UI: Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16
• Rear Camera: 50MP main (Samsung GN9, f/1.88, 1/1.56″, OIS) + 50MP periscope telephoto (Samsung JN5, f/2.2, 3.5x optical zoom, 7x lossless zoom, up to 70x ultra zoom) + 8MP ultra-wide (IMX355, f/2.2, 120°)
• Front Camera: 32MP (Samsung KD1, f/2.2, 1/3.44″, punch-hole), 4K video up to 30 fps
• Security: In-display fingerprint scanner
• Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, USB Type-C
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, ambient light, compass
• Audio: Stereo speakers, no 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery: 5080mAh with 50W wired fast charging
• Price in Nepal: NPR 55,999 (8/128GB), NPR 60,999 (8/256GB), NPR 67,999 (12/256GB)

Nothing Phone (4a) Review:

Design and Build

Nothing has always been different from the crowd. And the vibe continues with the Phone (4a) as well. My personal favorite color is the pink variant, and Nothing has done a great job with the colors this time—especially the pink and blue, which really stand out in real life. But the White variant isn't bad either! I don't have the Black one with me, but that one looks fine too.

The clean, transparent design immediately grabs anyone's attention. It’s the kind of phone that people will notice as soon as you hold it.

In hand, it feels slightly wide—similar to the Phone (3a) (review)—but the weight distribution is good. Button placement has also improved this time, with the volume and power buttons on the same side and the essential button on the other, reducing accidental presses.

A bit of downside

One downside is the ingress protection: it’s only IP64, meaning it’s protected from minor splashes but not full water immersion. At least IP67 would have been better, especially when competitors like Samsung’s A-series offer it.

Compared to the Phone (4a) Pro, this one feels a bit more plasticky, as the Pro version uses metal frames and feels more premium, I must say.

Glyph Bar

A new design change is replacing the Glyph lights with a Glyph Bar. There are six LED bars that can be customized. For example, you can set specific rules—like lighting up only when you receive emails from important clients. There’s also a small red light below the Glyph Bar that turns on during recording. Some might find it gimmicky, others useful—it depends on personal preference.

Display

I can say that the display is excellent. This time, instead of FHD+, you get a sharper 1.5K resolution, which improves overall clarity. Color reproduction, touch response, and smoothness are all very good. Whether you’re scrolling, gaming, or watching content, the experience is enjoyable.

Brightness is also strong enough for outdoor visibility, with improved peak and high brightness levels compared to last year. My only complaint is the lack of HDR10 support on Netflix. Hopefully, this gets fixed via an update, since HDR works on platforms like YouTube.

Audio & Haptics

Okay, talking of the audio, the phone comes with stereo speakers. And I found the sound quality to be decent—not bad, but not exceptional either. Bass feels a bit lacking, highs can be slightly sharp, and loudness isn’t the strongest, but it’s fine for regular use. Haptics have improved this time. While not flagship-level, they are satisfying enough for everyday use, like typing and unlocking. I still remember the Phone (2a)'s haptics being fantastic, and I'm happy the Phone (4a) carries the legacy.

Software Experience

This is where the Nothing Phone (4a) truly stands out.

In this price range, I can confidently say no other brand offers such a refined software experience. While competitors like Honor and Xiaomi are still launching phones with Android 15, this device comes with Android 16 out of the box, along with Nothing OS 4.1.

So, it will also be among the first to receive Android 17 updates, while other brands often delay updates significantly. There’s almost no bloatware, and the UI feels clean and responsive.

Likewise, customization options are plentiful. One standout feature is the Smart Drawer, which automatically organizes apps into categories, making them easier to find.

The essential button is also quite useful:

• Single press: take a screenshot
• Long press: record and save voice notes

These are organized neatly, making them easy to access later. Once you start using Nothing OS, it’s easy to fall in love with it. The update policy is also solid: 3 years of Android updates and 6 years of security updates.

Gaming

As this is not a hardcore gaming phone, it still performs well for most users. Despite using the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset—which isn’t the most powerful—the real-world performance feels smooth, stable, and well-optimized. Games like PUBG can run at 90 fps and Mobile Legends at 120 fps, but just don't expect a super-smooth experince. If you care about gaming, the Poco X7 Pro (review) can be a better choice thanks to its Dimensity 8400 SoC.

Battery Life

Okay, let's talk about the battery. The phone has a 5080mAh battery, which may sound smaller compared to the 6000–8000mAh batteries seen in some competitors. However, real-world performance is solid. Even with heavy usage, I got around 7 hours of screen-on time, which is quite decent. It supports 50W charging, and using a 65W Ugren charger, it took about 1 hour to fully charge. Unfortunately, Nothing provides a charger-free unboxing experience, and you’ll need to buy the charger separately.

Cameras

This is one of the biggest highlights of the phone. Unlike competitors in this segment, the Nothing Phone 4(a) excels in camera performance. The standout feature is the 50MP 3.5x telephoto lens—something rarely seen in this price range.

Portraits

Portrait shots are excellent: You get natural skin tones, good contrast, and strong edge detection and depth. But one thing to mention, processing takes 2–3 seconds after capturing, likely due to the chipset. Moving subjects may sometimes result in slight inconsistencies. So, you've got to have a steady hand. 

Moreover, zoom photography is impressive, with great perspective and usable detail.

Main Camera

The 50MP main camera performs well, with slightly contrast-heavy images. But you get good dynamic range and detail overall.

Ultra-wide

This is the weakest part, I'd say. The 8MP ultra-wide camera feels outdated and underwhelming for this price range.

Selfie

Selfies are good, with decent skin tones, though there’s noticeable smoothing and artificial sharpness.

Video

Video quality is usable but not exceptional. With good lighting and stable hands, the results are decent. One odd issue: while shooting 4K 30fps on the main camera, switching to 3.5x zoom doesn’t use the actual telephoto lens—it digitally zooms instead. This could be a bug.

Nothing Phone (4a) Review: Conclusion

So yeah, I think this is truly the best phone under 60,000 in Nepal right now. You get a very unique kind of design, and the display has improved a lot this time. The haptics and speakers have also been improved this time.

The software experience is next level! The camera performance is just so good. And I really liked Nothing's decision to include a 3.5x telephoto lens, which is unheard of in this price segment. The performance is also quite good for day-to-day workloads. Gaming performance might not be that strong, but overall performance is very good.

Nothing Phone (4a): Pros & Cons

Pros

• Great value for money
• A unique design, as always
• Excellent software experience with Nothing OS 4.1
• 3.5x periscope zoom camera!
• Nice haptics + speakers

Cons

• Just IP64 rating
• A terrible ultrawide camera
• So-so gaming performance
• Not the best battery life