I gave final yr’s Nothing Cellphone 3A Professional a coveted CNET Editors’ Selection Award, so the Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional had some actually massive sneakers to fill. It makes some dramatic modifications to the design, however the brand new cellphone packs in a hell of lots to take care of its predecessor’s status. From its strong efficiency to its well-rounded digital camera setup, it ticks all of the packing containers you’d need from an on a regular basis Android cellphone — and sprinkles in some enjoyable extras like its quirky Glyph Matrix show on the again.
However the Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional has a much bigger ace up its sleeve: the worth.
8.0
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional
Like
- Reasonably priced value
- Engaging design
- Nice digital camera efficiency
Do not like
- Fewer years of software program assist than rivals
- Battery life may very well be higher
At $499 within the US and £499 within the UK, the Cellphone 4A Professional is definitely inexpensive, coming in at the very same value as its foremost competitor, the Google Pixel 10A. Whereas the Pixel has some factors in its favor, I largely most well-liked the Nothing’s digital camera efficiency and I believe it is a way more attention-grabbing cellphone to take a look at — particularly with that rear show. Whereas the Pixel 10A is a protected mid-ranger, Nothing’s cellphone feels a bit extra like a wildcard. It definitely has extra persona, and when you like the thought of getting one thing that stands out from the gang, it is undoubtedly the one to go for.
Here is what that you must learn about this inexpensive Android cellphone.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional: Pink design with Glyph Matrix
I will be trustworthy: One in all my favourite issues in regards to the cellphone is its pink coloration. Sure, that makes me extraordinarily shallow, however I am truthfully fantastic with that. I like pink devices. I managed to flip my cosmic orange iPhone 17 Professional pink with chemical compounds, and I had a customized pink wrap placed on my costly Leica Q3 43. It is a refined pink, slightly than scorching pink just like the outdated Motorola Razr V3, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable coloration that does not take itself too significantly — and that is refreshing. Would I prefer to see the following mannequin go eye-meltingly magenta? Completely.
So a lot of immediately’s telephones are available dreary shades of black, silver or grey, so I genuinely admire when a model injects a bit extra persona into the combo. That stated, Nothing has made some vital design modifications right here over its predecessor. The corporate is understood for its see-through plastic-back telephones that present a few of the elements beneath, together with its “Glyph” LED mild patterns. I cherished that look on the 3A Professional and the Nothing Cellphone 1 and a couple of earlier than it.
The Glyph Matrix is arguably a little bit of a gimmick.
There’s nonetheless a component of that right here, nevertheless it’s been gathered up and squashed into the digital camera bar, with roughly 70% of the cellphone now being a plain expanse of aluminum. The aluminum feels premium to carry, particularly contemplating the worth, however cowl up the digital camera bar and you would be taking a look at principally every other cellphone. The bar itself appears attention-grabbing, with seen screw heads serving to to take care of that industrial really feel. It is also the place you will discover the three digital camera lenses and the Glyph Matrix launched on final yr’s higher-priced $799 Nothing Cellphone 3.
The Matrix is basically a round dot-matrix show that may show info such because the time, battery stage or incoming notifications. However Nothing has opened the Glyph as much as permit builders or customers to create their very own instruments, corresponding to a countdown timer for an arriving Uber automobile. The Cellphone 3’s Glyph Matrix was contact delicate, permitting it to make use of what Nothing referred to as “Glyph toys,” corresponding to spin the bottle, whereas the 4A Professional’s is just a show.
I discovered these options considerably gimmicky, and the brand new Glyph Matrix — used as a show slightly than an interactive toy — loses little when it comes to performance whereas providing a greater total expertise. I do not assume it is a killer function by any means, however having the ability to rapidly look on the clock or a timer has been fairly helpful all through my testing of the gadget. And if nothing else, it actually units the cellphone other than any others, particularly from the Pixel 10A’s easy digital camera cutout, which I believe appears exceptionally boring by comparability.
Nearly all of the cellphone is simply an expanse of pink steel. I undoubtedly assume Nothing might have carried out extra right here.
The cellphone is IP65-rated, defending it from spills or taking calls within the rain. That doubtless makes it as dust-resistant as most different telephones, although it could not survive extended submersion in water like gadgets with an IP68 score. Nothing says the corporate makes use of recycled plastics, metal, aluminum and tin within the gadget’s building, giving it the bottom carbon footprint of any of its telephones.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional: Processor and software program
Powering the cellphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip together with 8GB or 12GB of RAM. I reviewed the 12GB mannequin and located it satisfyingly swift in on a regular basis use. Navigating across the Android interface was stutter-free, apps opened rapidly and the graphically demanding sport Genshin Impression performed easily sufficient for informal avid gamers, even at high-quality settings.
Benchmark testing places it barely under the Pixel 10A, however hardly by a lot. It isn’t essentially the most highly effective cellphone available on the market, nevertheless it’s obtained greater than sufficient grunt for all of your day by day wants.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional efficiency in contrast
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional 1,322 4,115 2,105Pixel 10A 1,664 3,984 2,579
- Geekbench 6 (single core)
- Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
- 3DMark Wildlife Excessive
Be aware: Longer bars equal higher efficiency
It runs Android 16 with Nothing’s customized pores and skin on prime, which transforms a lot of the interface right into a stark, monochrome expertise. I do not like it, largely as a result of the dearth of coloration cues makes it more durable for me to tell apart between app icons — a problem I additionally encountered with the Leica UI on the Xiaomi Leitzphone.
Nonetheless, you’ll be able to change the theme to a extra typical interface when you additionally want extra coloration, and I do like the varied Nothing widgets you’ll be able to set up and the Non-public House that permits you to conceal delicate apps and pictures behind a password.
Nothing’s interface turns the icons black and white, making them a bit more durable to tell apart at a look.
You will discover Nothing’s Important House onboard, a productiveness app the corporate launched on its telephones final yr. It is principally a repository for screenshots and voice notes that will help you make sense of your stream of consciousness all through the day. It makes use of a devoted {hardware} button on the facet of the cellphone. Press and maintain it to take a screenshot of no matter you are viewing, then report a voice observe to recollect why it mattered — whether or not that is saving necessary info or reminding your self to purchase one thing later.
I like Important House. It is genuinely helpful, particularly for individuals who consider random duties all through the day however overlook them by the point they’re really in a position to do one thing about them. I really set the Motion button on my iPhone 16 Professional to report a voice observe for these moments. However the voice memos on my iPhone are simply saved in a generic checklist, whereas Nothing’s Important House actively tries to make sense of your recordings and screenshots for you by transcribing them and making them simply searchable. It is certainly not the rationale to decide on a Nothing cellphone over one other gadget, nevertheless it’s a helpful additional to play with.
Nothing is promising three years of Android updates and a complete of six years of safety updates for the Cellphone 4A Professional, that means it ought to nonetheless be protected to make use of in 2032. I would prefer to see extra beneficiant software program updates (the Pixel 10A will get each software program and safety updates for seven years), however the safety assist is the principle factor right here, as that immediately pertains to the cellphone’s lifespan.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional: Cameras
On the again is a trio of cameras, together with a 50-megapixel foremost digital camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto digital camera with 3.5x optical zoom and an 8-megapixel ultrawide digital camera. That is a fairly strong lineup of lenses for a budget-focused cellphone, and I have been pleasantly stunned at their efficiency, too.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, foremost digital camera.
Taken with the principle digital camera, this shot is vivid and vibrant. There’s loads of element, too. It is a powerful picture, significantly for a finances cellphone.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, ultrawide digital camera.
There is a noticeable coloration shift when switching to the ultrawide lens. The blue sky is much less vibrant and the inexperienced grass appears far more muted within the wider model. It is a disgrace to see such vital variations between the 2 focal lengths, however that is widespread on cheaper telephones.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, foremost digital camera
It is the identical right here, too: vibrant blues and wealthy greens when taken with the principle digital camera.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, ultrawide digital camera
The themes of the photograph are wanting a bit extra muted when the ultrawide involves play. It isn’t a nasty picture by any means, and the variations are nicely inside what I would anticipate, nevertheless it’s value maintaining in thoughts when you completely crave hyper-vibrant ultrawide pictures once you’re out in your travels.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, 3.5x zoom.
I took this from the identical standing place as the pictures above, however switched to the three.5x optical zoom. It is a fantastic shot, with clear particulars and well-balanced publicity.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, 7x zoom.
At 7x mixed optical and digital zoom a few of the finer particulars change into a bit extra mushy, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a superbly good snap for sharing with your loved ones and associates over WhatsApp or Instagram.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, foremost digital camera.
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Pixel 10A, foremost digital camera.
I took some comparisons with the Pixel 10A and this shot actually stood out to me. The Nothing’s picture is noticeable brighter and extra vivid, particularly on the subject of the vivid purple of the pizza store’s awning. The Pixel’s shot is arguably extra pure and balanced, which might make it a greater base for additional modifying, however I am undecided that is particularly necessary on finances telephones like these. I am extra eager to see punchy pictures which might be able to share straight out of digital camera — and the Nothing takes the win right here.
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Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, foremost digital camera.
Pixel 10A, foremost digital camera
It is the identical story right here, with the Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional producing a way more vibrant shot than the Pixel’s.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional, foremost digital camera.
Pixel 10A, foremost digital camera.
I do choose the Pixel’s effort on this scene, nonetheless. The inexperienced ivy appears far more pure and emerald in its shot, whereas the Nothing’s hotter tones have made the leaves extra of a yellowy-green. It actually comes down to private desire although: In order for you massive, punchy colours, then go together with Nothing. Should you choose pure tones with lifelike saturation, the Pixel is for you.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional: Battery and charging
The cellphone packs a 5,080-mAh battery, which the corporate claims provides you with 17 hours of blended use. That’ll actually rely upon how demanding you might be of your cellphone. On our streaming rundown check, it dropped virtually 10% after its first hour and was right down to solely 73% after the third hour. That is nicely under common — and under what the Pixel 10A achieved throughout the identical check.
It’s a very intense check, nonetheless, and probably not consultant of the way you’d use your cellphone all through a mean day. Preserve issues extra smart and also you should not wrestle an excessive amount of to get a time out of it. Retaining the display screen brightness down will assist, and you may in all probability wish to keep away from streaming hours of YouTube movies except you are inside dashing distance of an influence outlet. It has 50-watt wired charging to get the facility again in rapidly, although you will want to offer your personal appropriate quick charger.
The digital camera bar with the Glyph stands out slightly.
Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional: Do you have to purchase it?
The Nothing Cellphone 4A is a uncommon instance of a cellphone that comes with an inexpensive value and does not demand you make too many sacrifices consequently. Positive, it isn’t essentially the most highly effective cellphone round, nevertheless it’ll cope admirably with virtually any of your day by day necessities, whereas its cameras put in a fantastic present, delivering vibrant, sharp pictures from all of its rear lenses.
I even just like the quirky design — particularly that pink coloration — and the seven years of safety assist is a welcome contact at this value. It does not fairly match the Pixel 10A’s processing energy and battery life, nevertheless it’s not far off, and I believe it exceeds Google’s cellphone in digital camera high quality and design. Neither cellphone has the most effective cameras round; you will must look towards the Xiaomi Leitzphone for that nevertheless it’ll actually value you at the very least thrice as a lot.
For its value, the Nothing Cellphone 4A Professional packs in every part you’d anticipate from an on a regular basis cellphone and is nicely value contemplating if you need a brand new Android handset that will not break the financial institution.
