Nothing Phone (4b) first impressions: new series, new possibilities
The new Nothing Phone (4b) marks as the entry-point to the Nothing smartphone lineup for 2026. With the Phone (4a) (review) now starting at Rs 40,000, the Phone (4b) caters to users who want to experience Nothing’s products at a more accessible price point. I’ve been using the device for a couple of days now and have been pleasantly surprised by my overall experience. Here are my thoughts.
Table of Contents
A Nothing-esque design through and through
The Nothing Phone (4b)’s design feels like a mix of its earlier launches, with some elements taken from the Phone (4a) Pro (review), Phone (3a) (review), and so on. It has a large camera island made of a transparent glass panel that holds the two camera lenses, flash unit, and Glyph lights. It is pretty similar to the Phone (4a) Pro’s camera island, just sparsely populated.
The colourway I received is a vibrant blue shade, with engravings such as Nothing’s brand name at the bottom left and a small circular dent similar to what you’d see on a CMF Phone. The frame is polycarbonate and feels rigid and robust enough for day-to-day use.
The SIM tray sits at the bottom, and the volume and power buttons sit towards the right, alongside the power button. On the left, you’ve got the essential space key for quick access to the essential space.
The display on the Phone (4b) looks like one of the best parts of the package, with a 6.77-inch bright AMOLED panel (1200nits HBM) that makes colours pop and everyday content look sharp and lively. It also works well for both casual scrolling and media consumption, and smoothness adds to the overall experience.
The Glyph bar is another nice Nothing-esque touch here, and it adds a bit of character to the device. It comes in handy for quick visual alerts, notifications, and a few extra interactions, while also tying in nicely with the phone’s design language. In short, the Nothing Phone (4b) fits Nothing’s design language to a T and makes its identity pretty clear from the start.
Swift out of the box with Snapdragon 6 Gen 4
The Nothing Phone (4b) feels surprisingly swift for its price. Powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, daily tasks like browsing, multitasking, and app switching happen smoothly without noticeable lag.
The 4,400mm² vapour chamber helps keep temperatures in check, which is a thoughtful addition for sustained use. With 90 fps support in both BGMI and COD Mobile, it already looks like a solid performance machine in the Rs 30,000 segment, offering a good balance between speed, thermals, and gaming readiness.
A balanced camera system at a glance
Next up is the camera system, which keeps things fairly straightforward. You get a 50MP main camera with OIS and EIS, an 8MP ultra-wide camera with about a 120-degree field of view, and a 16MP selfie camera up front.
There is no telephoto lens on offer, which has become more commonplace in this segment, but it also makes the Phone (4b) the only Nothing phone this year without one, which highlights its more entry-level positioning.
For most regular users, the setup should be more than enough for still photos, while 4K video support on the rear camera should come in handy for those who like shooting stable clips. But if you’re after a telephoto camera system, you’ll want to consider the Phone (4a). For a deeper look at how the cameras perform on the Phone (4b), stay tuned for our full review.
The goodness of Nothing OS
Nothing OS on the Phone (4b) feels clean, simple, and nicely thought out, just like you’d expect from a Nothing device. It runs on Android 16 with Nothing OS 4.1 on top, and you get a fresh, easy-to-use interface with fun touches like the lock screen, widgets, and the usual Nothing styling.
What makes it better is the extra stuff that actually feels useful. There is Essential Search for quickly finding things, Essential Apps and Playground for customisation, and Essential AI tools like Voice and Space that help with notes, screenshots, and everyday tasks.
The promised software support is also pretty decent for the price, with three Android version updates and six years of security patches, which should help the phone stay relevant for longer.
The biggest battery in a Nothing phone yet
The Phone (4b) also gets the biggest battery in a Nothing phone yet, at 6,000mAh with 33W charging. In my limited time with it, it already feels like a battery that takes some pressure off daily use, and standby drain looked pretty decent too, with only around 2 to 3 percent lost overnight.
Even during a mixed photo and video session over about two hours, the battery drop stayed fairly low at around 7 to 8 percent. Although, I do need to inform you that the test was in an area with no network or Wi-Fi, so the phone was not really working as hard in the background. Still, the result makes the phone feel reassuring to carry around, and is a big welcome over Nothing’s traditional stance when it comes to larger batteries.
Final thoughts
Starting at Rs 34,999 for the 8+128GB variant and Rs 38,999 for the 8+256GB model, the Nothing Phone (4b) arrives at a price that reflects the ongoing memory shortage. On paper, it looks like a well-rounded package with a decent mix of features and specifications, but a fuller judgement will only come after detailed testing and comparison with similarly priced rivals.
Even so, for Nothing fans, the device looks like a decent entry point into the brand’s lineup. It seems to offer a balanced experience across design, software, battery, and everyday performance, and the full review will show how well it holds up in comparison to the wider market.
