Nothing Phone 4b in Digit Test Labs: The most interesting phone under Rs 35000?

Nothing has been on the roll lately, and the Phone ‘a’ series is proof of that. The company’s formula of combining a unique design with a clean software experience has worked, specifically for the young buyers looking for something different from the sea of conventional smartphones. But the market has changed. Rising memory prices, increasing component prices, and other supply chain pressures are forcing brands to make difficult decisions. In Nothing’s case, that reportedly meant shelving plans for a new CMF smartphone and instead focusing on plan B, the Nothing Phone 4b.

This is the brand’s new mass market offering, but honestly, it does not feel like it. The Nothing Phone 4b starts at Rs 34,999 and carries many things that have become synonymous with the brand: the transparent design language, Glyph lighting, a clean AMOLED display, dual cameras and obviously, the Nothing OS.

I have spent the last two days with the device in Leh, Ladakh, using it extensively for photography, navigation, social media and daily stuff. Here are my initial thoughts.

Design and Glyph Bar: Peak Nothing

If there’s one thing Nothing consistently gets right, it’s design. The moment you look at the device, the Phone 4b stands apart from almost everything else in the segment. The transparent design elements, visible engineering details, squarish camera island, signature Glyph Bar, recording indicator light and industrial aesthetic all combine to create a phone that feels unique without trying too hard.

The Nothing Phone 4b’s back panel uses a smooth unibody built with a polycarbonate frame. On paper, that may not sound particularly exciting, but in hand, the phone feels good to hold. The matte finish keeps fingerprints under control, while the textured elements add enough grip to make the device feel secure.

Nothing says the new design of the Phone 4b is 20 per cent more bend-resistant than its predecessor and comes with IP64 protection against dust and water. It has also been tested to survive extreme temperatures and accidental splashes, which is reassuring at least for me.

Then there’s the Glyph Bar.

The Nothing Phone 4b uses a grid of 45 mini LEDs spread across five separate sections. You can track timers, deliveries, charging progress, incoming calls, app notifications and more without even turning the phone over. The red recording light is another thoughtful addition. Borrowed from Nothing’s higher-end devices, it acts as a visual indicator whenever you’re recording video.

My only complaint so far is the front. The bezels are still visible and not particularly slim by 2026 standards. They are not that distracting, but they do remind you that this is not a flagship.

Display: Bright, vibrant and easy to like

The Nothing Phone 4b features a 6.77-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, up to 2,000 nits peak brightness, and a touch sampling rate of up to 1,000Hz. Specifications aside, the display simply looks good. Colours look vibrant, blacks are deep as expected from an AMOLED panel and scrolling through the interface feels smooth.

Outdoor visibility has also been impressive so far. Ladakh’s harsh sunlight is not particularly forgiving, yet the display remained easily readable throughout my usage. I have not yet completed my detailed display testing, including colour calibration and brightness measurements, so I’ll reserve final judgement for the full review.

Performance: The price hike effect is real

Let’s address the elephant in the room. At Rs 34,999, many enthusiasts expected something more powerful than the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. And honestly, I understand that reaction. However, I also think context matters. The smartphone industry has been dealing with rising memory prices and increasing component costs for quite some time now. Across the market, brands are making compromises, whether it is using older processors, LCD displays, slower storage or cutting camera features.

Nothing seems to have taken a different approach. Of course, the hardware this phone comes with won’t be crushing in the benchmarks, but from the looks of it, this is quite a balanced package.

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 is paired with up to 8GB RAM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, and a substantial cooling system featuring a large vapour chamber. So far, the apps launch quickly, multitasking is smooth, and the overall user experience is responsive.

But the question is: would I have liked a more powerful chipset? Absolutely. Do I think the current processor ruins the package? Not at all. We will talk more about this in the full review.

Cameras: Surprisingly capable, with one caveat

This has been my favourite part of the experience so far. Leh is arguably one of the best places to test a smartphone camera. Over the past two days, I have captured landscapes, mountain roads, monasteries, markets, local culture, moving vehicles, and countless random moments on the Nothing Phone 4b.

My verdict?

The Phone 4b’s cameras are good. The 50MP main camera consistently delivers pleasing colours, solid detail, and reliable dynamic range. The close-up shots are also impressive. It offers attractive depth and good subject separation. In case of portraits, you can expect good results with accurate edge detection and natural-looking background blur.

Low-light photography has also impressed me in the last two days. The images retain the details, colours are accurate, and the camera manages artificial lighting well.

However, there is one clear weakness. The ultra-wide camera and digital zoom do not give you the desired results. The details from the image drop noticeably, distant subjects look soft, and distortion becomes more visible. If you frequently rely on ultrawide photography or aggressive zooming, you may find yourself wanting more.

Once again, more in-depth details about the camera performance dropping soon. Keep watching this space.

Battery, software and closing thoughts

The Nothing Phone 4b packs a 6,000mAh battery alongside 33W wired charging.

On paper, the charging speed doesn’t stand out. Several competitors offer faster solutions today. But the battery life has been excellent during my initial usage. Of course, if you haven’t noticed by now, this is the biggest battery ever on any Nothing Phone, yet.

Even after two days of moderate use involving photography, navigation, video recording, social media and messaging, I still had around 20 per cent battery remaining while writing this article.

Along with the battery, the AI tools also make a strong positive case for Phone 4b. The new Essential AI tools are genuinely useful rather than gimmicky. Essential Voice converts speech into properly formatted text, Essential Search allows quick system-wide searches with contextual results, while Essential Space acts as a personal memory hub for screenshots, notes, reminders, and recordings.

Another good thing? It gets three years of Android updates and six years of security updates.

So, after reading this, if you’re wondering whether you should buy the Nothing Phone 4b for yourself, stay tuned to Digit for a detailed review.