Nothing Phone 4a hands-on: A more technically accomplished entry-level smartphone

Nothing is back with two new smartphones, the entry-level Phone 4a and the mid-range Phone 4a Pro. With the base 4a in particular, there’s no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades since the 3a, even if the design doesn’t quite stand out as much. This year, that’s apparently the role of the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. That said, the base 4a’s two new color options (blue and pink) are gorgeous additions to the usual monochrome duo of white and black.

There have been many upgrades since 2025’s Phone 3a. It comes with IP64 dust and water resistance, and is also physically tougher: Nothing says it has increased bend resistance by 34 percent, but I always considered all of the company’s phones pretty solid. The display also gets Gorilla Glass 7i, something I’ve wanted to see Nothing improve on its cheapest phones. My Phone 2a’s screen g...