Nothing has made a name for itself as a brand that offers good, no-frills phones at well under premium pricing. But even if you're picking up what Nothing's putting down in 2026, you still need to decide between the Nothing Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro. Both handsets follow the company's philosophy of bang-for-buck value, so it'll largely be down to what you find important.
To throw a quick spanner into the mix, the cheaper Nothing Phone 4a not only comes with two different storage options, but also two different choices of RAM. The most expensive Phone 4a option (with 12GB of RAM) sits between the more basic 8GB RAM models of the Phone 4a and the Phone 4a Pro, both in performance and pricing. So keep that in mind as we get deeper into the comparison.
| Nothing Phone 4a | Nothing Phone 4a Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.78-inch AMOLED | 6.83-inch AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1224 x 2720 (440 PPI) | 1260 x 2800 (450 PPI) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 4,500 nits | 5,000 nits |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP + 50MP + 8MP | 50MP + 50MP + 8MP |
| Front Camera | 32MP | 32MP |
| Processor | Snapdragon 7s Gen4 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 |
| Storage | 128GB or 256GB | 256GB |
| RAM | 8GB or 12GB | 12GB |
| Water-Resistance | IP64 | IP65 |
| 5G | Sub 6 | Sub 6 |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i | Corning Gorilla Glass 7i |
| Price | From $649 | From $949 |
Price
Winner: Phone 4a
Given Nothing's no-frills ethos, neither of these contenders has a premium price tag. But as you might expect, the non-"Pro" option is a fair bit cheaper than its counterpart – that is, as long as you opt for a version with 8GB of RAM.
If you opt for a Phone 4a with 12GB of RAM, with which the only storage option is 256GB, you're only paying $100 less than the 4a Pro. And at this point the difference in value is entirely subjective.
Whatever your choice, both phones offer great value for the cost. But, starting at $649, we can't go past the most basic Phone 4a in terms of bang-for-buck.
| Phone | RRP | Check price on |
|---|---|---|
| Phone 4a (128GB + 8GB RAM) | $649 | Amazon |
| Phone 4a (256GB + 8GB RAM) | $749 | Amazon |
| Phone 4a (256B + 12GB RAM) | $849 | Amazon |
| Phone 4a Pro (256GB + 12GB RAM) | $949 | Amazon |
Unfortunately, neither phone is available on phone repayment plans from telcos. But you usually save more by buying a phone outright and saving up to a SIM-only or prepaid plan from a cheaper provider, anyway.
Here's a quick look at popular SIM-only and prepaid plans in our database with monthly billing or recharge and at least 15GB of data:
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
$23 Mobile Plan
$12.00/mth
Min. cost $12
|
|
Boost Mobile
$39 Prepaid
$39.00
Per 28 Day Renewal
|
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
Medium Mobile Plan
$30.00/mth
Min. cost $15
|
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
30GB Small Plan
$15.00
Per 1 Month Renewal
Link not supplied
|
|
Yomojo
Starter 29GB Plan
$24.90
Per 30 Day Renewal
Link not supplied
|
Camera
Winner: Phone 4a Pro (barely)
The Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro have similar cameras. On the rear, both have a 50MP main camera, a 50MP periscope camera (for fancy zooming), and a middling 8MP ultrawide camera. On the front, both have a 32MP selfie cam.
So, what gives the Nothing Phone 4a Pro the edge? It comes down to two things: a slightly bigger sensor for its main rear camera and some extra zoom depth you'll likely never use.
Yet, while the Phone 4a's main camera sensor is smaller, it has the same lens, which helps close the gap created by that teensy sensor difference. Effectively, photos on the Phone 4a Pro come out a bit better than the Phone 4a, but you might need to hold them side-by-side to spot much of a difference.
As for that zoom depth, the Nothing Phone 4a's periscope camera allows up to 70x zoom, while the Phone 4a Pro goes all the way up to 140x. This is despite the hardware for this particular lens being identical between the two phones. They'll perform identically at the otpical zoom of 3.5x and "lossless" zoom of 7x, however.
Take a look below for some camera samples we took with each phone when reviewing them separately.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro camera samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Nothing Phone 4a camera samples
Check out these camera samples taken on the Nothing 4a. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version.
Connectivity
Winner: Phone 4a Pro (provisionally)
The only notable difference between connectivity support for the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro is eSIM: The Phone 4a Pro has it, the Phone 4a doesn't. Of course, this only matters if eSIM is important to you.
Both have dual nano SIM slots, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, and WiFi 6 (802.11ax) support. If you want to get truly nerdy, Nothing lists a handful of additional 4G and 5G frequency bands for the Phone 4a Pro. But this isn't likely to make a noticeable impact on day-to-day use.
So, if you need eSIM or if a few extra frequency bands matter to you, the Phone 4a Pro is a better choice. Otherwise, they're pretty much the same.
Design
Winner: Phone 4a Pro (subjectively)
Most smartphones looks pretty similar. Even the ones that stand out to our contemporary sensibilities might have looked like more of the same to the pre-smartphone public. If you're happy to fade into the crowd, the Phone 4a has a pretty basic look and feel to it, only attracting mild attention if you decide to go caseless.
The Phone 4a Pro wears its differences on its sleeve – or, rather, its camera plateau. There's a distinct retro sci-fi vibe you might love or hate, but at least you can say there's enough of an identity there to be divisive.
The other main design split is with water protection. The Phone 4a is IP64 water and dust resistant, whereas the Phone 4a Pro is IP65. The first numeral "6" indicates dust ingress it it's about as good as you'll see on a phone.
The second numerals, the IP(x)4 and the IP(x)5, indicate water resistance and the difference between them is only mildly important. But, hey, these phones are pretty similar and we need something to talk about.
An IP(x)4 rating, like that of the Phone Nothing 4a, means a device has been tested against water splashing. It should hold up to rain or a spilled drink, but spraying it with a hose or washing it under a tap is beyond its official limits. The Phone 4a Pro's IP(x)5 rating means it can stand up to a higher pressure jet of water – but think a kitchen tap, rather than a garden hose.
If you want safety in the face of full water submersion, that's IP(x)7 or above, which neither device qualifies for.
Display
Winner: Phone 4a Pro (technically)
Display is where the Phone 4a Pro has a clear, identifiable edge. And yet, while definitive, it's once again a close thing. The larger Phone 4a Pro's 6.83-inch screen has a 1260 x 2800 resolution, giving it 450 pixels per inch (PPI). It also has a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, meaning it should be a bit more visible in brighter conditions. And its adaptive refresh rate reaches as high as 144Hz (frames per second), vs. the 120Hz that's more standard in the industry.
The smaller 6.78-inch display of the Phone 4a has a 1224 x 2720 resolution, translating to 440 PPI. Its peak brightness is 4500 nits and max refresh rate is 120Hz. Pretty similar, all told.
In person, you'd be hard pressed noticing a difference unless you held each phone side-by-side, but the Phone 4a Pro is technically ahead enough that we'll give it the W for this round.
Performance
Winner: Phone 4a Pro
When it comes to performance, we're really comparing three phones. But two of them have the same name:
- Nothing Phone 4a (with 8GB of RAM)
- Nothing Phone 4a (with 12GB of RAM)
- Nothing Phone 4a Pro (which has 12GB of RAM)
Both versions of the Nothing Phone 4a use the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset, whereas the Phone 4a Pro has the more-powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. Long-winded hardware names aside, the Phone 4a Pro has a bit more grunt under the hood, but not by a considerable margin. The average person is unlikely to notice a big difference for day to day tasks.
The RAM might end up playing more of a factor than the chipsets. But given the 12GB RAM version of the Phone 4a is only $100 less than the Phone 4a Pro, you might as well go all in if you're planning on running high demand apps and games.
Battery
Winner: Tie (actually)
Both phones have the same 5,080mAh battery, up to 50W fast charging and 7.5W wireless charging. In our reviews, we comfortably got seven hours of screen time on both phones.
This is great battery life, no matter which you choose.
Should you get the Nothing Phone 4a or Phone 4a Pro?
Winner: Nothing Phone 4a
With five wins vs. one, you might expect the Phone 4a Pro to be the obvious victor, but that's not the case. In the areas where the Pro came out on top – Camera, Display, Connectivity, Performance and Design – it was barely ahead.
Given the overall similarities, the $649 starting price of the Nothing Phone 4a can't be overlooked. The $300 difference is enough to secure our recommendation for the cheaper Phone 4a over its more-expensive sibling. And even if you need more storage, the 256GB Phone 4a with 8GB of RAM is still $200 cheaper than the Pro.
The Phone 4a Pro is still worthy of consideration if you're after a slightly bigger screen, a bit more water resistance, eSIM support or a phone that might turn a head or two. But if not, make the more economical choice and pick up the Phone 4a.
As for the odd inclusion of a Phone 4a with 12GB of RAM, it's probably worth ignoring. It's only $100 cheaper than the Phone 4a Pro so, if you're that concerned about performance, it's probably worth grabbing the Pro instead.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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