The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (review) has officially launched in India, starting at Rs 39,999. While our full review dives deep into every aspect of the device, which could well be Nothing’s most powerful release this year, this piece takes a more focused approach. We’re keeping things concise, zeroing in on what the phone gets right and where it falls short. So, without wasting any time, let’s jump straight into the reasons to consider buying the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.
Table of Contents
Reasons to buy the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
A refined, standout design
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro introduces a distinct identity of its own. This time, the brand moves away from its signature all-transparent aesthetic in favour of a metallic unibody design. This doesn’t mean Nothing has completely abandoned its roots. The transparent camera module, paired with the Glyph Matrix display, still lends the device a recognisable and unique character.
While the handset doesn’t push durability boundaries, offering an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance at a time when other brand shave moved to IP69 and IP69K, it makes up for it with a premium look and a solid in-hand feel, helped by its flat-edged design. A transparent case is provided in the box for added durability.
Clean, clutter-free software
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro runs Nothing OS 4.1, layered atop Android 16, out of the box. It remains one of the biggest highlights of the smartphone. The near-stock Android experience, absence of bloatware, and thoughtful features like Essential Space and Glyph integration make the phone feel fluid and focused. Long-term support (4 years of OS updates) adds further value.
Reliable performance, good thermal efficiency
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC under the hood, paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The hardware may not get you the absolute best performance in its class, but it is good enough to handle everyday tasks, multitasking, and even moderate gaming without breaking a sweat.
Nothing has equipped the device with a sizeable vapour chamber cooling system, which does a good job of keeping thermals under control. In real-world usage, this translates to stable performance with no noticeable overheating. The same was evident in the Burnout CPU throttle test, where performance dropped to 64 percent of its peak, a respectable result, pointing towards consistent sustained performance.
Strong primary and telephoto cameras
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro ships with a triple camera setup, comprising a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP periscope-style telephoto lens. While not perfect, the camera system delivers where it matters. The primary sensor captures sharp images with good details and dynamic range across scenarios, and the periscope lens produces impressive zoom shots with nice separation of the subjects in the foreground from the background.
The colours may not be accurate, but the images look social media-ready with slightly oversaturated tones. Furthermore, as observed in the full review, the low-light performance of the smartphone is also its strong point, especially with Night Mode. The handset leans towards realism, while controlling the noise and light flare.
Bright, vibrant display
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz peak refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness. While the panel isn’t fully optimised to consistently hit 144Hz across the UI and supported apps, it reliably maintains 120Hz in most scenarios, ensuring smooth visuals and fluid animations.
Beyond refresh rates, the AMOLED panel stands out for its vibrant colours and balanced calibration, making it well-suited for streaming content and everyday use. Complementing the display is a set of stereo speakers that remain stable even at higher volumes, rounding off a dependable multimedia experience.
Reasons not to buy the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
Underwhelming ultrawide lens
The 8MP ultrawide lens adds a layer of versatility to the camera setup, but it falls short when it comes to detail retention and colour consistency compared to the primary sensors. The output often appears softer, with noticeable differences in colour science across lenses.
If ultrawide photography, especially landscapes, is a priority, there are better options in this segment. The Realme 16 Pro+ stands out with more accurate colours and improved detail capture, making it a more reliable choice for wide-angle shots.
Limited durability and features
While the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro stands out with its unique and appealing design, it does fall short in terms of durability. The handset carries an IP65 rating, which essentially limits it to handling light splashes and dust exposure. For many buyers, this could be a drawback, especially when rivals like the Realme 16 Pro+, Redmi Note 15 Pro+, and others offer stronger protection with IP66, IP68, and even IP69/IP69K ratings. In practical terms, those devices are better equipped to handle harsher conditions, including exposure to high-pressure water jets and more demanding environments.
Beyond durability, the Phone (4a) Pro also misses out on some basic features. There’s no NFC support, which is increasingly common even on more affordable smartphones and is particularly useful for contactless payments. Additionally, the lack of eSIM support in India further reduces its overall practicality.
No charger in the box
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro may come in a slightly bulkier box than its predecessor, Phone (3a) Pro, but there is still no bundled charger in sight. The handset supports 50W fast charging, and that too, a PD charger. If you don’t have one, you will have to buy one separately – adding to the overall cost of the smartphone.
Nothing doesn’t officially sell a compatible 50W charger for the phone, which means you will have to settle for a third-party one. Amazon.in has a plenty of chargers listed on the official website, available for as low as Rs 1,000.
