Nothing Phone 4a Pro in Digit Test Labs: They flipped the script

I’ve been living with the Nothing Phone 4a Pro for a week now, and honestly, they’ve really flipped the script with this one. Just when we thought Nothing had finally run out of ways to play with phone design, they went and flipped the script with the 4a Pro. Now, Siddharth has already reviewed the standard Phone 4a, but the testing for this Pro model is still very much underway in the labs. That said, after seven days of using it, I’ve got a lot to say. Some of it has really impressed me, and some bits… well, not so much. Let’s dive in.

Also read: Nothing Phone 4a review: Flair and finesse, now with more focus

Nothing Phone 4a Pro: That metal build is a MOOD

What I like most about the Phone 4a Pro, and you probably guessed this, is the design. Nothing really prides itself on being a design-first company, and it’s not just the hardware; it’s the software too. I’ll get to the OS in a second, but this phone is truly unique. The company is only about four years old, yet none of its phones looks exactly the same. We’re so used to the iPhones and Samsungs of the world making tiny, evolutionary tweaks every year, but Nothing keeps refreshing the look while still making it instantly recognisable.

The 3a Pro last year was the first ‘Pro’ attempt, and I found its design a bit quirky. With the 4a Pro, they’ve gone for something different again, but I think this one will actually resonate with most people. As I mentioned above, just when you thought they’d run out of ways to play with transparency and LEDs, they came out with this: a metal unibody.

I remember over a decade ago when phones with metal bodies were everywhere. These days, they’ve vanished. OnePlus tried to bring back the trend with the Nord 4, but then they went right back to plastic and glass for the Nord 5. So, the 4a Pro is basically the only phone with a complete metallic build on the market right now. It feels great, though the signature transparent bits are still there on the glass camera island.

I’ve got the Phone 4a Pro in Black, and while I love how it looks, it’s a total fingerprint magnet. I’m constantly wiping it down, which is a bit of a pain. I’ve seen photos of the Pink and I’m curious to see that in person, but Silver is probably the safe bet if you don’t want to see every smudge. And yes, Nothing does provide you a case in the box, but personally, I am not a case person and would rather use the phone naked and flaunt its design.

Living with the Matrix

Then there’s the Glyph Matrix. It’s that circular display we saw on the pricier Phone 3, but slightly larger here on the Phone 4a Pro. Of course, it’s not just for show either; you can use it to track timers and progress on Swiggy and Zomato. You can even set ‘Essential Notifications’ where specific graphics pop up for certain apps or callers.

Also, it’s hard to talk about the design without drifting into the software, because on a Nothing phone, they’re basically the same thing. Everything feels purposeful.

So, the Phone 4a Pro runs Nothing OS 4.1 on top of Android 16, and it’s fast. Really fluid. Partly the reason for this fluidity is also the 144Hz refresh rate. Trust me, the experience is buttery smooth to say the least. Also, the OS is close to stock Android but with those signature Nothing tweaks.

Under the hood is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. Now, compared to other phones in the Rs 40-50K bracket, this isn’t going to be a ‘performance king.’ Nothing isn’t even chasing that. This is rather a lifestyle-focused, mass-market device meant to look good and cover the essentials. It’s not the best for heavy gaming, but for daily use, it gets the fundamentals right. One thing I’m not a big fan of? The ‘Essential Space’ button. I feel like that could have been used way better. I also wish the power button had been slightly larger, because many times I’ve accidentally pushed volume down whenever I’ve tried to lock and unlock the phone.

The long road to the full review

I’ll be diving deeper into the cameras for the full review, but here’s the gist: you get a 50MP primary, a 50MP periscope, and an 8MP ultra-wide. Initial tests show it does well in good light with solid dynamic range, but tricky lighting is still a bit of a struggle. I need to put it through more paces before I can give a final verdict.

Ergonomically, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is a big phone with a 6.83-inch screen, but it’s manageable. It doesn’t feel heavy, and the weight distribution is spot on, even if it’s a tiny bit top-heavy. The front profile is also pretty clean, with slim and symmetrical bezels. Also, despite having a slightly smaller display and almost having the same width as an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the 4a Pro still seems taller to me for some reason.

I’m testing the top-end 12 GB + 256 GB variant, which sits at Rs 45,999. At that price, the expectations are high. And naturally, the question arises: why would you pick this over the other hard-hitters in this price range? That’s what I’m going to find out as I finish testing it here in the Digit Test Labs.

Stay tuned on Digit for the full review of the Nothing Phone 4a Pro.

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