GoKawiilNothing Phone 4a Pro Stylish and distinctive, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro pairs excellent design, a slick UI, and strong battery life with solid value. Nothing's first mid-ranger to officially hit the US is a compelling pick — if carrier support isn’t an issue.
My first experience with a Nothing smartphone was the Nothing Phone 3. For what was intended to be the company’s first “true flagship,” it didn’t exactly blow me away, but I did fall in love with its design. It stood out; it was different.
Now, the newly released Nothing Phone 4a Pro ($499.99 at Amazon) is officially bringing Nothing’s unique style to the mid-range in the US for the first time. Can it deliver? Let’s find out.
Nothing nails the design again
Paul Jones / Android Authority
I’m going to start by giving Nothing a lot of credit here. The company’s phones, its aesthetic, and the whole brand stand out in a sea of the same, even with some fairly significant changes to the typical Nothing blueprint.
Let’s start with the rear. With the 4a Pro, Nothing has done away with the transparent back, instead only offering a hint of transparency on the camera module. Oddly, the Nothing Phone 4a — a phone that won’t be officially available in the US — does retain the retro-styled transparent back. Regardless, it does come with a big, circular Glyph Matrix on that same camera bump.
I like the idea of seeing notifications for specific contacts or apps on the back without having to pick up the phone. This is bigger than the one on the Phone 3, but it doesn’t seem as high-quality, so everything displayed on it looks a little soft.
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Nothing is also really pushing Essential Space — what the company bills as users’ “second memory” — but it’s a feature I can’t really get on board with. I’m not sure what benefit it has to me that I can’t just get from using Google Gemini. I don’t want another app that I have to remember to use. At least Nothing moved the Essential Key to the left-hand side this time around, so I won’t accidentally touch it like I always did with the Phone 3. Now that I know exactly where it is, I never have to use it.
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