Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Are we looking at the future of Nothing?

After two weeks of using the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro As my personal device, what has captivated me most is its design. The truth is that their announcement completely threw me off, breaking with the style Nothing had accustomed us to, but it has ultimately won me over for all the reasons. implicit improvements that this new direction entails. There are many details to discuss; this is not just any ordinary launch.

This is probably the brand's most strategic move to date in its mobile devices. A product that, according to my theories, can laying the groundwork for Nothing's next phones. Located one step above the Phone (4a) and looking him straight in the eye Phone (3) In some ways, this Pro model is here to prove that Nothing can be a mass-market brand without losing its soul.

Are you interested in the Phone (4a)? Read my full review here.

Design: The least Nothing to date

This is undoubtedly the most understated and restrained device built by Nothing. Holding it, its unibody construction is striking. aluminum, available in silver, black and pink which really suit it. I promise you the renders don't do it justice. This time, Nothing abandons total transparency to embrace an aesthetic maturity that, in my opinion, seeks to attract a wider audience. However, the essence remains alive in its camera module, where the glass lets us see a Glyph Matrix Large in size, although with a resolution of 137 LEDs, lower than that of the flagship model. It bears a strong resemblance to the structure of the Headphone (1), creating perfect visual cohesion.

I have a theory: this metal design will define the company's future if it's well-received by the public. By forgoing those extra millimeters occupied by the rear glass layer, Nothing has been able to invest that extra space in integrating additional components and, if that weren't enough, significantly reduce the weight and thickness compared to the Phone (3). Thanks to this, they have included a system of vapor cooling in a 210-gram body that feels very premium. And my question is… would these improvements have been viable while maintaining the transparent look we were used to? I highly doubt it.

Button layout

Regarding ergonomics, the Essential Key It is located alone on the left side, while on the right we find the volume and power buttons, located a few millimeters lower than on the Phone (4a). This lower button placement makes it much easier to reach when holding the phone. Furthermore, they feel firm and high-quality when pressed, without any of the wobble that plagued its predecessor.

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Bright screen with tiny bezels

On the front, we find a panel 6.83-inch flexible AMOLED which is, quite simply, a visual delight. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i and offers a pixel density of 450 PPI, which guarantees absolute clarity in any content.

What really makes the difference outdoors are its 5,000 nits peak brightness. Those extra 500 nits compared to the standard model are noticeable when you try to reply to a message in direct midday sunlight. The automatic brightness sensor and the in-display fingerprint reader work with almost flawless speed and accuracy; I've only had to manually readjust the screen brightness on very few occasions.

Performance

In terms of power, the leap to Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 Along with the excellent optimization we've come to expect from Nothing, this makes the experience almost indistinguishable from the Phone (3). In the version of 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM, The system performs flawlessly. On the Phone (4a) Pro, I didn't experience the slight stuttering I saw on the (4a) model when I was pushing the device's features to their limits. In demanding tasks, such as video editing or heavy multitasking, this Pro model shines and maintains a more stable temperature thanks to its new internal cooling system.

Are you also interested in the Phone (3)? Read my full review here.

Autonomy

The battery of 5,080 mAh It doesn't stand out for its enormous capacity, but it has been more than enough to endure a long and intense day. During My visit to Madrid for the community event, I spent hours with the GPS running in the foreground and background, I used the camera constantly, I was chatting and listening to music with the Nothing Ear (3), I browsed through various social networks and made a few calls.

I arrived at the hotel at night with a 7% battery after 5 hours and 20 minutes of intensive use. On more ordinary days, it's easy to reach the 7-8 hours of screen time Watching videos or browsing. We have a charge of 50W And one very useful detail: 7.5W reverse wired charging to save the life of a pair of headphones in a pinch.

Nothing OS 4.1 is still king

Software remains the key differentiator. Nothing OS 4.1 It introduces animations that add extra fluidity when opening and closing apps. Finally, we have some small options to customize the lock screen in more detail, including a depth option for the clock.

I especially liked the widget Breathing Break, which uses haptic patterns to help you relax. On the other hand, Essential Space It continues to evolve with the memories search engine and the "For You" screen, which organizes your upcoming events in a very organic way. If you want to know more about its latest features, Click here.

Glyph Matrix: larger and brighter, but with lower resolution

The rear light interface is larger and brighter than ever; I've noticed it has a purer white tone than the iPhone 3. However, despite its larger size, it does have lower resolution. But there's a major trade-off: We don't have a physical button on the back. To manage its use, we are limited to configuring the "Glyph Toy" through the software. We can only configure its automatic appearance in AOD mode. However, it will still activate intelligently when charging the battery, on timers, when receiving a call or notification, when an event in Google Calendar is approaching, etc.

The menu of Essential Notifications Now it's much clearer. We have descriptive phrases that clarify the established rules with phrases like: “When Mother send me a message from WhatsApp mentioning anything, so Glyph will light“. Its brightness helps me notice any alert even if the phone is not in my direct field of vision.

Unfortunately, I, being a heavy user of its mode «Flip to Glyph«"I've still noticed a few specific flaws in the rules, which, after reporting them, Nothing is already working to fix. To be honest, I'd like to have many more options; I'm sure the Glyph Matrix could really shine. I hope Nothing takes note and gets serious about this.".

Audio and vibration

The dual stereo speaker system offers remarkable volume and is fully functional, but the switch to aluminum has made the sound somewhat more... canned and that the bass suffers even more than usual. Furthermore, there's a curious phenomenon: when playing audio at high volume, if you slide your finger across the screen, you notice a residual vibration The vibration transmitted through the metal body might feel strange at first, but you won't even notice it after a few hours. As for the haptic feedback, it's accurate and does its job when typing. The motor feels a bit more... «"noisy"» And while less refined than in the high-end models, I still find it pleasant.

A very practical lens module

The arrangement of the lenses in a rectangular module is a resounding success for a practical reason: The mobile phone doesn't limp. by placing it on the table. Technically, the main sensor is a Sony LYT-700C 50 MP with OIS which works wonderfully.

In fact, after comparing it with the Phone (3), I would venture to say that the (4a) Pro focuses and processes colors more naturally. The shutter response is quick, although you have to be careful with moving subjects; my dog Lluna came out blurry a couple of times if the light wasn't perfect.

He 3.5x telephoto lens It's been my favorite companion on my trip to Madrid. The results up to 7x (sensor zoom) are fantastic. The marketing tells us of a 140x AI zoom, But honestly, beyond a certain magnification, the image becomes riddled with artifacts and erratic markings. It might save you in a pinch, but I think it's best to use it up to 20x, or at most 30x, where the result isn't so heavily processed and is still quite impressive. It's spectacular to see what the AI can do, but it's not a real photograph you'd want to keep.

Portrait mode is very well implemented, although post-processing tends to over-brighten shadows in dark scenes, something I had to manually correct in the Nothing Gallery app. Finally, the 8MP wide-angle lens performs adequately in good light, but struggles significantly in low light.

Do we have before us the new roadmap for Nothing?

He Nothing Phone (4a) Pro It's the answer to those who wanted a more sophisticated and robust device. It sacrifices some of the visual extravagance of transparent panels for a superb aluminum chassis, cooling that can withstand intense use, and a camera module that surprises with its versatility. Despite some minor audio issues and the absence of a rear Glyph button, it's a phone that feels incredibly solid.

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This confirms that Nothing has moved beyond experimentation to become a serious competitor, capable of attracting both its most loyal users and those who, until now, weren't fond of the extravagant designs of previous products. The Phone (4a) Pro, with its new look, opens the floodgates for the rest of the market.