Nothing Phone 4a Series: Your Ultimate UK Guide

The Nothing Phone 4a series has officially landed in the UK, boasting a huge design overhaul and significant upgrades across the board. With prices starting at £349, these mid-range phones are set to shake up the market.

Nothing has made a name for itself by offering unbelievable value across its entire range. The CMF Phone 2 Pro, for example, is one of the best cheap phones available in the UK. Last year’s Nothing Phone 3a was a solid upgrade, with its eye-catching style and well-designed software making it a viable alternative to more expensive mid-rangers.

The Nothing Phone 4a series is ready to shake things up yet again, but with stiff competition from the likes of the Pixel 10a and upcoming Galaxy A57, it won’t be an easy fight. The range consists of the Phone 4a and 4a Pro, with prices starting at £349 and £499, respectively.

The Phone 4a features an all-new Glyph Bar, which represents a simplified version of Nothing’s rear-facing light system. The 4a Pro, on the other hand, boasts an all-metal design and a tiny circular display on the back, known as the Glyph Matrix. Both phones have undergone significant upgrades, including improved displays, cameras, and chipsets.

The displays on the new Nothing phones have been given a real shot in the arm, making them better suited for both outdoor use and streaming. The screens are slightly bigger, with the 4a jumping to a 6.83-inch panel and the 4a Pro featuring a 6.78-inch alternative. Both screens use AMOLED technology and have a 1.5K resolution, delivering more detail and a better viewing experience.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro has been given more attention in terms of durability, with a handful of key upgrades that should allow it to go the distance. The phone has been built with tougher Gorilla Glass 7i, making it less likely to succumb to dents and scratches. Nothing claims that it has also increased the bend resistance of the Phone 4a by 34%.

Key camera upgrades across both phones include a larger 50Mp main sensor on the 4a Pro, designed to capture more detail in every shot. The autofocus is also supposedly 20% faster, making it ideal for capturing those blink-and-you-miss-it moments. The 4a has been fitted with a more capable main sensor, which should similarly be more capable in everyday use.

Both phones now feature 3.5x optical zoom from their respective 50Mp periscope lenses, paving the way for more detail when taking a shot from further away. There’s also a new 140x and 70x ultra-zoom mode on the 4a Pro and the 4a, respectively, which will likely use AI to upscale images once they’ve been taken.

The selfie camera on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro has had a slight downgrade, moving from 50- to 32Mp, but as our camera tests have shown, higher megapixel counts don’t immediately translate to great photos. We’ll keep an eye out to see if Nothing’s software can plug the gap.

The batteries on both phones have jumped from 5000mAh to 5080mAh, with the same 50W wired charging as before. It’s definitely a minor tweak, but given just how optimised Nothing’s software tends to be, that extra capacity could go a long way with the 4a series.

When it comes to performance, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, while the 4a features the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. Both phones will have Android 16 right out of the box, with Nothing OS 4.1 overlaid on top of it.

The Nothing Phone 4a and 4a Pro were unveiled on 5 March, but only the 4a will be available to buy from 13 March. The 4a Pro will be available to buy at a later date. Prices start at £349 for the 4a and £499 for the 4a Pro.