Nothing Phone (4a) Series Debuts With New Glyph Design And Full Metal Build

Nothing has been revealed about the Phone(4a) and Phone(4a) Pro, which updates the mid-range lineup with notable design changes, improved displays, and upgraded chipsets. While last year’s (3a) series was primarily separated by camera hardware, this year’s Pro models are further differentiated with a larger screen, more powerful processor, improved materials, and a new Glyph Matrix interface inspired by the flagship Phone(3).

Design and Display

The Phone (4a) Pro replaces the previously used plastic frame with a metal unibody construction. Despite the metal switches, the thickness has been reduced from 8.4mm to 7.95mm while maintaining the same weight. The device is rated IP65. Although it does not meet the IP67 standard, there is no mention of it being able to withstand up to 25cm of water for 20 minutes.

The standard phone (4a) retains its plastic construction and is 8.55 mm thick. Although it has an IP64 rating, it shares the same 25cm for a 20-minute immersion claim.

The Pro model features a 6.83-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1,260×2,800 pixels and a refresh rate of 144Hz. Maximum brightness reaches 5,000 nits and is controlled by 2,160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i. Phone(4a) Pro is available in black, silver, and pink colors.

The Phone (4a) uses a 6.78-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 1,224×2,720 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The brightness reaches 4,500 nits. It also uses Gorilla Glass 7i, which is twice as scratch-resistant compared to last year’s Panda Glass. Nothing Phone (4a) is available in black, white, blue, and pink.

The rear of the Pro introduces a circular Glyph Matrix consisting of 137 LEDs. That’s fewer than the 489 LEDs in the phone (3), but the circle is 57% larger and twice as bright, reaching 3,000 nits. The brightness level allows it to function effectively as a flashlight.

Instead, Phone(4a) adopts a redesigned Glyph Bar. The LEDs are arranged in six segments with a red recording indicator below them, for a total of 63 LEDs. The interface reaches a maximum brightness of 3,500 nits, making it 40% brighter than the previous (3a) Glyph interface.

Internal and software

Phone(4a) Pro is powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset. Compared to the Snapdragon 7s 3rd generation used in the (3a) series, CPU performance improved by 27%, graphics performance improved by 30%, and AI performance improved by 65%. It comes with 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The new storage delivers read speeds up to 147% faster than the previous UFS 2.2. A 5,300mm² vapor chamber helps maintain continuous performance.

The standard phone (4a) uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset. This processor delivers a 7% increase in CPU and GPU performance and a 10% increase in efficiency compared to its predecessor. It is paired with 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Unlike the Pro model, it does not include a vapor chamber for cooling.

Both devices come with Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16. Nothing promised to deliver three major Android updates and six years of security patches consistent with the previous generation’s support policy.

camera

Phone (4a) Pro features a triple rear camera setup. The main camera uses a 50MP Sony Lytia 700c sensor measuring 1/1.56 inches with an f/1.88 lens and optical image stabilization. Supports 4K 30fps Ultra XDR video recording. The telephoto camera uses a 1/2.75-inch 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with 3.5x optical zoom and OIS, expandable to 7x via in-sensor zoom. The ultra-wide camera remains a 120-degree 8MP device with a Sony IMX355 sensor. The front camera now features a 32MP 1/3.42-inch sensor, down from the 50MP module used in the (3a) Pro.

The Phone (4a) uses a 50MP Samsung GN9 1/1.57-inch sensor for its main camera with an f/1.88 OIS lens instead of the Sony sensor found in the Pro. It shares the same 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto camera, 8MP ultra-wide camera, and 32MP front camera hardware as the Pro model. The standard version can record 4K 30fps video, but Ultra XDR recording is limited to 1080p at 30fps.

Battery and Price

Both phones feature a 5,080mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 5,000mAh capacity of their predecessors. The device sold in India will feature a 5,400mAh battery. Charging is still limited to 50W wired charging. There is no claim that the battery will retain more than 90% of its original capacity after 1,200 charging cycles.

The Nothing Phone (4a) costs around $406 in 8GB and 128GB versions. The price is $452 for the 8GB and 256GB models, and $499 for the 12GB and 256GB models. Nothing Phone(4a) Pro starts at $500 for 8GB and 128GB models. The 12GB and 256GB versions cost $600. The Pro model is the first A Series device to officially launch in the US, although the standard Phone (4a) is not available in the US.

Nothing Phone(4a) Series Specifications

	call anything (4a)	Anything Phone 4a Pro
chipset	Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4nm)	Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 (4nm)
CPU	Octa-core (1×2.7GHz Cortex-A720 and 3×2.4GHz Cortex-A720 and 4×1.8GHz Cortex-A520)	Octa-core (1×2.8GHz Cortex-720 and 4×2.4GHz Cortex-720 and 3×1.8GHz Cortex-520)
GPU	Adreno 810	Adreno 722
OS	Android 16, Nothing OS 4.1, up to 3 major Android upgrades	Android 16, Nothing OS 4.1, up to 3 major Android upgrades
supported networks	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G	2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
mark	6.78 inches, 1224 x 2720 pixels, AMOLED, 1B color, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typical), 1600 nits (HBM), 4500 nits (peak)	6.83 inches, 1260 x 2800 pixels, AMOLED, 1B color, 144Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits (typical), 1600 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (peak)
ram	8GB, 12GB	8GB, 12GB
save	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB
card slot	no	no
main camera	50MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide angle), 1/1.57″, 1.0μm, PDAF, OIS 50MP, f/2.9, 80mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.75″, 0.64μm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 8MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12μm	50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0μm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS 50MP, f/2.9, 80mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.75″, 0.64μm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 8MP, f/2.2, 15mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12μm
front camera	32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.42″, 0.64μm	32 MP, f/2.2, 22mm (wide), 1/3.42″, 0.64μm
colors	Pink, white, black, blue	Black, silver, pink
battery	5080mAh, all-in-one, 50W wired charging	5080mAh, all-in-one, 50W wired charging
price	$406	$499