Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro - Stylish, but Expensive

The Chinese company Nothing has expanded its mid-range smartphone offerings with several models. The most expensive member of the updated lineup is priced close to some flagships, but can it match them in terms of technical specifications and other parameters? It's not so clear-cut.

In terms of design, the phone deserves praise. Thin bezels all around the screen, a metal frame and photo module assembly, a secondary matrix display for notifications and other information, and attractive color options create an exceptionally positive impression. However, it's surprising that the developer didn't equip the device with IP68 water resistance. Its competitors are ahead here. The 6.83-inch AMOLED panel has a high resolution of 2800x1260 pixels, and the clarity of content is impeccable. A flagship 144Hz refresh rate, 5000 nit peak brightness, natural color reproduction, and a highly effective oleophobic coating add to the AMOLED display's appeal.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, 8GB/12GB RAM, and Adreno 722 GPU aren't exactly record-breaking in performance (approximately 1,100,000 points in AnTuTu), but they're suitable for both everyday use and gaming. Notoriously resource-intensive games like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Diablo Immortal run smoothly at medium-high graphics settings with a fairly stable frame rate. Battery life isn't mediocre, but the battery could have been larger (5080mAh or 5400mAh in some regional versions). You can expect 8-9 hours of active screen time. Wireless charging is still missing, and the wired version offers a rather unimpressive 50W. Internal storage is limited to 128GB/256GB.

The Pro version's photography capabilities have become slightly more interesting thanks to the more advanced 50-megapixel Sony LYT700C main sensor. It, along with a Samsung telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, features hybrid image stabilization and preserves plenty of detail even in photos with lots of moving objects. Low lighting isn't a hindrance to high-quality photography either. A better 8-megapixel wide-angle lens would be nice, too. The stereo speakers are louder, with a balanced frequency response. NFC and 5G support remain. Overall, this is a beautiful, functional device with no obvious drawbacks. However, compared to its more powerful and battery-efficient competitors, it might get lost.