What you need to know

• Nothing announced the final software update for the Nothing Phone 1, the original device that debuted in 2022.
• It carries bug fixes and the July 2026 security patch, while also celebrating the phone's achievements thus far.
• A major highlight for the Phone 1 during its teasers was its Glyph Lighting system, which has seen a few iterations since then.

It's the end of an era. Nothing announces before the U.S. holiday that its original phone has obtained its final update.

In a community post, Nothing officially drew the curtain over its first phone as its final supported software update has been pushed to users. The final patch is pretty light. Nothing states users can expect "general improvements" and bug fixes (pretty standard stuff). It's also rolling out "overall system stability" updates and the July 2026 security patch, wrapping up four years of security fixes.

If you have a Phone 1, you're one of a kind. Nothing walks through the device's achievements, noting that it first debuted with Android 12 and that its final OS update brought it to Android 15. Not only did the Phone 1 begin our journey with Nothing, introducing us to "ideas around a cleaner, more intentional smartphone experience, from the Glyph Interface and dot matrix design language to a more focused take on Android."

Nothing credits its design philosophy to the Phone 1, as the lessons learned from it continue to shape its software and phones. To celebrate, the post adds that its Software Marketing team member, Rohit, is going back to the Phone 1 for a month to share their experience with it in 2026 and see how it holds up.

It all started in 2022

If we're talking about four years of updates, that takes us back to 2022. Teasers said Nothing's first phone was "Coming Soon" in the summer of 2022, and there was some serious hype around it. For the sake of this post, I'm talking about our readers. You could say that ~80% of our readers were either "definitely interested" or curious about the Nothing Phone 1. Around 19% said the device didn't interest them, but not everything is for everyone.

Nothing had truly inserted itself into a market heavily dominated by Apple and Samsung. It wasn't easy, yet here we are. The device's Glyph Lighting system was the star in teasers showing the phone in full shadow. What's more, Nothing's head of design, Tom Howard, said the clear chassis, which let us see its internals, was because they "really wanted to bring the inside out, and that meant working with the engineers to start from first principles."

Bringing things to 2026, we've been seeing people on TikTok drop their iPhones for the Nothing Phone, or at least think about doing it. Perhaps this timing is significant. Nothing's O.G. device is no more (for updates), while it teases a new era: the Nothing Phone 4b.

Android Central's Take

Nothing was interesting four years ago, and it's still interesting now. I'm a gamer, and you could say that whenever a gamer sees glowing lights, you've got their attention. To that, I'd say you're damn right (for me, anyway). My dumb jokes aside, Nothing's phones have always held a different aesthetic compared to the rest of the industry. There are risks. It's what sets them apart. Even its OS is something different that helps its phones stand on their own.

There are plenty of reasons to grab a new pair of earbuds. Whether yours are just getting old or you accidentally dropped one down a sewer drain (ask me how I know), Prime Day is one of the best ways to grab a new pair for cheap, and there's no better deal than this $19.99 CMF Buds 2a deal!

If you haven't tried Nothing's CMF buds before, get ready to be impressed with how good earbuds can be for this price. We've been praising this brand's buds since 2024, and Nothing goes above and beyond delivering a simply "good" experience, despite the price.

The Buds 2 series has several entries, so I've narrowed it down to three options for you to choose today: the entry-level Buds 2a, the mid-range Buds 2, and the more premium-style Buds 2 Pro.

• Prime Day 2026 is LIVE June 23-26: see the full list of deals

✅Recommended if: You're looking for a quality pair of active noise-cancelling (ANC) earbuds for a ridiculously low price.

❌Skip this deal if: You're an audiophile who needs high-res audio quality. These are great, but they're no $500 Bose headphones. Also, keep in mind that ll three of these are water-resistant (IP54 or IP55), which means they're just fine for rain and sweat, but not for getting submerged.

The cheaper Buds 2a and Buds 2 offer identical case designs with a rotating "fidget wheel" that includes spots to attach a lanyard to. This case will charge your buds fast. I'm talking 5-10 minutes of charge for hours of use. It's pretty wild!

Upgrading to the Buds 2 Pro will turn that wheel into a bona fide volume adjustment wheel, so you can easily adjust music volume in your pocket by using the wheel. It's one of those little charming traits you'll delight in using every time. Plus, it doubles as a customizable button that you can assign several functions to in the CMF app.

As you might expect, the Buds 2 Pro will deliver the best audio quality of the three on sale today, so choose wisely depending on how much you care about top-quality audio. But don't wait too long, because this sale ends when the clock strikes midnight on Friday, June 26!

More Prime Day 2026 - quick links

• Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
• Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
• Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon Fire tablets from $50
• Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo
• Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
• Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
• Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99

What you need to know

• Nothing revealed what its Phone 4b will look like ahead of its July 7 launch, and it will rock a "unibody" design with a clear camera bump.
• The phone features two vertical camera lenses and the Phone 4a's Glyph Bar LED system.
• Nothing's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, recently discussed the Phone 4b, stating it will feature its own distinct voice, while potentially sitting below the a-series.

Throw away your sketchbooks. Nothing revealed the design of its upcoming Phone 4b in full before launch, and it's taking a new approach.

Nothing appears to be pushing the envelope with its next device, the Phone 4b. On X, the company fully revealed the phone's design ahead of its July 7 launch. The video shows an illustrator "designing" the phone, placing its camera lenses, volume buttons, power button, and SIM tray. The back of the Phone 4b is turning heads, as a community post states it features a "unibody design."

What would be the "clear camera bump" is pretty flush to the phone's back panel. The camera lenses rise off the bump a tad, but Nothing has kept those specifications under wraps. An LED flash and another sensor are set beside that (horizontally) in a pill-shaped container. Nothing also draws attention to the Glyph Bar, which we've seen debut on the Phone 4a. The company says this design approach was done to facilitate "a minimal rear design that feels distinctly Nothing and smooth in your hands."

The video on X gives us a good look at the phone's screen, too. The UI is distinctly Nothing OS, of course, but its bezels are a talking point. They seem rather thick. A user on X noticed this, too, but points out another aspect: a rather large chin (via Gizmodo). There could be more to this, and we'd have to look at what the company's co-founder said a few days ago.

Phone 4b in progress...

Earlier this week, Nothing posted an image straight out of a blueprint or a sketchbook. The company said it "accidentally" designed a new phone, and that seems to ring true after this reveal. Nothing clearly tried to merge certain aspects of its Phone 4a and 4a Pro to make a phone that still keeps its own identity. However,, the company's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, discussed the true intentions of the Phone 4b.

According to Evangelidis, the Phone 4b is a "continuation of our naming system." The phone is intended to stand on its own, while using lessons learned from the a-series. What's more, it looks like this phone could sit below (price-wise) the Phone 4a and other a-series devices. Evangelidis says the a-series is a "premium line" beneath the main flagship Nothing phones. This could be why the Phone 4b's bezels seem thick. How that sways public opinion is up to the public.

The phone is set to debut on July 7, where we'll undoubtedly learn everything we need to.

Android Central's Take

The Phone 4b has a simpler design compared to the Phone 4a and 4a Pro—especially the 4a Pro. It seems like Nothing is trying to nail a lower price point with this phone. Maybe that's why it's made the choices it has with its design. I think the simple design looks clean. Again, it's different than other devices and what Nothing's done before. What I will say is I don't think this phone's going to be a beast for games. If we're talking lower priced, something under the a-series... well.

What you need to know

• Nothing drops a Phone 4b sketch teaser, stating the phone will be revealed on July 7.
• The device features a new take on its camera bar design with a vertical camera array and what looks like Nothing's Glyph Bar.
• The company's co-founder says the Phone 4b is a "continuation of our naming system" with its own distinct voice.

Nothing's walking us through the alphabet this week with a major phone teaser that has us entering a new series.

Early this morning (June 23), Nothing continued its streak of teasers for a new product, and this one is the most substantial we've gotten yet. The company officially teased the Phone 4b, set to debut July 7. True to Nothing's brand and sense of humor, the post states, "Kept sketching the Phone (4a) series and accidentally made a new phone." The post on X features a cropped schematic with various sketches of the Phone 4a series that we know.

The top left features the Phone 4a, while the bottom, sliding into view, is the Phone 4a Pro. However, the center of the sketchboard offers a glimpse at a phone's camera bar we've yet to see. From what's been shown, it looks like the Nothing Phone 4b features a vertical camera system, which could hold two lenses. Beside it appears to be its LED flash.

The bottom of the camera bar seems to host the phone's Glyph Bar, which is the company's new take on the Glyph Matrix or Lighting system. Giving us more to think about is Nothing's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis. In a recent post, Evangelidis says, "What does (b) stand for? Nothing." He says this isn't some major departure from what consumers are accustomed to, but rather a "continuation of our naming system." This new Phone 4b will build upon what we've received through Nothing's a-series, but with its own clear voice.

Evangelidis adds that the A series will continue to be Nothing's "most premium line" below its flagship segment. It's not clear how the Phone 4b will line up price-wise, but if the A-series is premium below the flagships, then perhaps this next device sits under both.

4b or not 4...

Nothing's been teasing this new product on its account for India for a few days now. Things started with a couple of Pokémon images, which is textbook Nothing, as it often teases new devices with the powerful monsters. Nothing used images of Jumpluff and Blastoise. That wasn't the kicker. Nothing also announced the Community Review Program, aimed at bringing in consumers passionate about its brand and devices to get devices early for feedback.

In that post, Nothing featured a photo of Jumpluff, the same Pokémon it used to begin its new streak of teasers. We now know that Nothing's been teasing the Phone 4b; however, on its India account, what got the teasers started was Blastoise. There's a chance that Jumpluff is code for another device entirely. July 7 is when we'll see the Phone 4b revealed and have all of our answers.

Android Central's Take

Nothing really wants to have a hand across every price point for consumers, don't they? If you consider the Phone 3 as its flagship, then the Phone 4a series is its "premium line" under that, which settles somewhere around mid-range. What will the Phone 4b satisfy? I'm curious. I'm always pretty curious about what Nothing does. Its designs are always different, and it generally makes pretty interesting phones to begin with. July 7; remember it.

Everyone is looking to save money this year, which means $1000-plus phones aren't the way to go. That's why companies like Nothing specialize in creating phones that not only look cool and run well, but also come in at a great price. Best Buy's TechFest sale is slicing $80 off the 128GB model, making it $419.99 out the door.

TikTokers have been swapping their iPhones out for Nothing Phones for a lot of reasons these days, and while price is certainly a factor, the reality is that Nothing Phones are a lot of fun to use. Not only do they look unique and offer fun toys like the Glyph Matrix display on the back, but Nothing has been at the cutting edge with AI features that actually matter.

✅Recommended if: You're tired of boring phones and want something new and interesting, want a phone with a solid camera and lots of great updates, or you just don't want to spend a ton of money on a new phone.

❌Skip this deal if: You play a ton of graphics-intensive games or you need the absolute best cameras on the market.

Nothing recently debuted the Essential Voice feature, which utilizes the Essential Key and Nothing AI to create the best text-to-voice you'll ever use. It's monumentally better than what Apple offers on iPhones, and it's even better than Google's voice-to-text service on Android.

Nothing also has Essential Apps, a unique feature that puts tiny apps on your home screen that are designed to meet very specific needs. You can grab them from Nothing's huge community of talented minds, or even build them yourself with a few words and Nothing AI's impressive app-building capabilities. I'm not a coder, but I "built" a handful of cool apps using this feature for things like tracking my reps at the gym, logging food, and more.

And those are just a handful of clever ideas from Nothing and one of the many reasons Nothing Phones are so fun to use. The company also delivers regular updates and exciting new features, and, given the growth they've experienced over the past year or so, I fully expect to see that trend continue.

What you need to know

• Nothing launched its Community Review Program for consumers passionate about its devices, and are willing to review them early and offer feedback.
• The company has also started teasing a new product on X, posting a simple "(b)" and two Pokémon, Jumpluff and Blastoise.
• Nothing also features Jumpluff on its Community Review Program post, potentially signaling this mysterious device will be there.

Nothing has had a busy week. The company has now unveiled a new early access program for consumers who are passionate about its devices.

On its community forum, Nothing announced that its Community Review Program is now accepting applicants. This program is for consumers passionate about Nothing and helping it cultivate products that mean something. Nothing says, "This is your chance to get your hands on and review our latest products before everyone else!" Not only should applicants be interested in tech and design, but expertise in cameras, software, and product reviews is encouraged, too.

To sweeten the deal, Nothing says that the review device that it sends you (for which it will cover the shipping cost) can be kept by you, the reviewer. Anyone interested can submit their application.

However, this announcement could be more significant than we think. Late this week, Nothing posted a couple of teasers on X, which might hint at a new device and series. If you're new to Nothing's brand of "teasers," the company often uses Pokémon for this. This time, the company has posted Jumpluff and the classic water boy himself, Blastoise. Following that, Nothing posted a simple teaser: (b). Usually, we've seen the company use "a" for its devices (think Nothing Phone 4a, 4a Pro).

What makes this even more interesting is that Nothing used one of these Pokémon, Jumpluff, in its Community Review Program post. We're not trying to get ahead of ourselves, but perhaps what Nothing is teasing will be in this program.

What's cooking?

We're in an interesting time for Nothing right now. On Thursday, the company's CEO, Carl Pei, posted a video on TikTok that's textbook for the type of person he is. Pei directly called out Apple, stating he was going to steal away all of its "bored iPhone users." Pei continues to position Nothing as a true Apple competitor, stating its iPhones have become "repetitive and uninspired." That's not all. Recently, the company's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, had some sad news about the CMF Phone 3 Pro.

As RAM continues to skyrocket, CMF will not produce a Phone 2 Pro successor to avoid placing higher costs on consumers. However, Evangelidis says CMF still has new things planned this year and that consumers should look forward to "more to come" from the flagship Nothing line. It feels like the company is cooking something up, and its recent public statements continue that narrative.

Android Central's Take

Nothing is cooking something up, and I'm here for it. The brand's past few launches have been pretty interesting. The Phone 4a and 4a Pro were pretty incredible, even if I don't agree with the choices for SoC (I know, they're more budget-focused). Still, even that's a plus. Despite focusing on the affordability line, the 4a and 4a Pro were good devices that didn't feel like a budget choice.

What you need to know

• Nothing's co-founder, Akis Evangelidis, said on X that CMF will not produce a Phone 3 Pro this year as RAM prices skyrocket.
• The company says it cannot build a true successor that feels "like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense" for the CMF title.
• Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, has made similar statements in the past about how higher RAM (thanks to AI) can hamper smartphones and back consumers into a corner, and he's done so again alongside Evangelidis.

Early this morning (June 19), Nothing's co-founder wanted to get transparent about CMF's phone line, as consumers question a Pro successor.

Co-founder Akis Evangelidis on X led off with CMF Phone 2 Pro praise. CMF is the company's budget line, and the device was reportedly well received. However, consumers have been wondering about a successor, a would-be CMF Phone 3 Pro, and Evangelidis says that's not happening in 2026. He says, "We were working on a successor, but with memory prices where they are right now, we can't build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF."

Evangelidis adds, "As a result, we've decided not to launch a new CMF phone this year."

Staying true to CMF's branding is key for Nothing. Their post stresses that they wouldn't want to produce something they're "not proud of," rather than making something to make something. CMF focuses on budget, but it can't stick to those ideals if RAM prices force it to raise its cost for consumers. It looks like Nothing's co-founder is placing the blame squarely on the toll the RAM shortage is taking on the smartphone industry, and Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, built on that narrative.

Pei leads off strong, stating, "Memory is now the most expensive component in a smartphone." According to his data, RAM accounts for 50% of the phone's hardware bill. He states RAM prices doubled when the Phone 4a launched in March, and now they've "doubled again since." Pei adds that the rate at which RAM prices have shot up is exceeding his previous expectations, and that next year could see even higher phone prices as a result.

A conscious decision

The timing of Nothing's transparency is a little unfortunate, considering we were just going over (alleged) CMF Phone 3 Pro leaks late last month. Those rumors said the next Pro edition was "delayed," but was still on the way, as details supposedly emerged. What surfaced was a budget phone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, not MediaTek's Dimensity line. Additionally, rumors said Nothing could boost the phone with a 5,400 or 5,500mAh battery and a 50MP camera.

However, it looks like we'll have to officially put these rumors to rest since Nothing's co-founder has come forward with a statement.

Interestingly, Evangelidis says while CMF is still working on "several new products" this year (just probably not a phone), the main Nothing line has "more to come," too. So far, we've seen rumors about a Nothing Ear 3a in the works, but it sounds like there's more in the pipeline, as Carl Pei said he was going to steal Apple's customers, "one bored iPhone user at a time."

Android Central's Take

CMF by Nothing, or rather CMF these days, positioned itself as a budget line that doesn't feel like a drastic compromise for consumers. It's a brand that's been well received by consumers, and Nothing isn't keen on breaking that. If you've been accustomed to a device that's affordable (whatever that means to you), and then prices soar by 50% or more, all of a sudden, you're not biting. It probably sucks not to deliver another with so many people expecting it, but this is a decision based on the market's climate.

What you need to know

• Carl Pei publicly challenged Apple, saying Nothing plans to win over "bored" iPhone users one switch at a time.
• Nothing continues to position itself as the anti-Apple brand, arguing that modern smartphones have become repetitive and uninspired.
• Nothing's planned expansion through Best Buy could give the brand a stronger foothold in the US and expose more consumers to its products.

Nothing founder Carl Pei just looked straight into an Instagram camera and declared war on Cupertino. In his latest, highly dramatic social media stunt, Pei said: “This is a message to Apple. My name is Carl. I make phones in London. I'm gonna steal your customers. One bored iPhone user at a time.”

This is peak Pei, but the heart of his message taps into a very real feeling. Pei has been aggressive from the start, positioning Nothing as the ultimate anti-Apple brand. He thinks the smartphone business has flatlined, arguing that Apple lost its creative spark years ago and that modern glass slabs have become far too repetitive.

Instead, this company builds the safe, predictable phones your parents use and mixes eye-catching transparent hardware designs with heavily customized, deeply stylized software to breathe some life back into the market. This is a classic David vs. Goliath playbook.

That strategy may already be showing early signs of traction, with some younger consumers and even TikTok creators reportedly ditching their iPhones for Nothing devices in search of something that feels more distinctive and less predictable.

That said, Nothing is still a relatively minor blip on the global radar compared to the massive volumes Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and OPPO move on a daily basis. It’s always easier to double your market share when you’re starting from zero.

If Pei actually wants to steal those bored iPhone owners, he needs to meet them where they shop. That's precisely what is happening next. Nothing recently announced plans to significantly expand its US retail presence through Best Buy. And the threat of American consumers getting their hands on physical hardware is a much more tangible threat to Apple and Samsung’s dominance than any Instagram video could ever be.

Android Central's Take

We desperately need wildcards in the smartphone space to keep the titans from getting lazy, and more weird, transparent hardware on store shelves is an undeniable win for buyers tired of identical glass rectangles. But flashing LED lights and a fancy dot-matrix font are not going to magically shatter the iron grip of iMessage, AirDrop, and the Apple Watch ecosystem. Pei can grandstand to his fanboys all he wants, but until Nothing builds a services ecosystem that actually locks users in like Apple’s walled garden, this “war” is just a shiny marketing gimmick.

The biggest Amazon sale of the year is just days away, but if you're in the market for a new Android phone, why wait? Early Prime Day deals have landed, including this offer that carves a straight 24% off the Nothing Phone (3) with 512GB of storage. That knocks the price of the eye-catching smartphone down to its lowest price ever recorded, no strings attached. 

• Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of early deals

Straight out of the box, the first thing you'll notice about the Nothing Phone (3) is its unique design. Staying true to Nothing's distinctive design ethos, the Phone (3) sports an LED dot matrix grid on the back that you can use for notifications and other tools, while the overall styling feels almost cyberpunk in aesthetic without sacrificing IP68 durability. 

The Nothing Phone (3) also features a vibrant 6.67-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,600 nits of max brightness, while under the hood you get a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor and 16GB of RAM. The device is also driven by Nothing OS 3.5, which is one of the cleanest and most intuitive software interfaces we've ever used. The OS delivers a ton of customization options with widgets, color stylings, and features like Essential Space. 

So what's the catch?

Unfortunately, performance on the Nothing Phone (3) falls behind competitors like the OnePlus 15 and Samsung Galaxy S26 by utilizing the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The phone also doesn't launch with Android 16, and the cameras, while decent, don't measure up against the device's main rivals. 

So is the Nothing Phone (3) right for you? Well, if you want an eye-catching smartphone with great battery life and clean software, it's a great choice, and this record low price makes right now the perfect time to buy. On the other hand, if you care less about looks and are searching for something with powerful hardware and versatile camera tech, there are plenty of other Android phones to consider this Prime Day.

What you need to know

• Nothing announced a product expansion to Best Buy across the U.S., bringing its phones and audio devices to even more people.
• The company states its Phone 4a Pro, Phone 3, Headphones a, and Ear 3 are now available with its full portfolio on the website.
• Nothing states it recorded a 120% increase in sales in 2025 in the U.S., and it seems it's looking to keep that streak going.

Nothing believes that there's no better way to say "Happy Friday" than to announce an expansion of its products in the U.S.

Marking another milestone for Nothing, the company shared a press release today (June 12), detailing its product expansion to Best Buy in the U.S. It states that its phone and audio portfolio "will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide." Nothing says it's bringing its products to the store in the U.S. off the back of its success at Best Buy Canada. For phones, Nothing states consumers across the country can find the Phone 4a Pro and the Phone 3 in stores.

However, when it comes to its audio lineup, Nothing's Headphone a and Ear 3 are listed for availability. The post adds that its "complete portfolio will also be available at bestbuy.com."

Nothing's latest move can be seen as strategic, with a storied history in the U.S. The company states it recorded a 120% increase in sales in the States in 2025, facilitating a 175% increase in revenue. More than 500 Best Buy stores across the country are reportedly receiving Nothing Phones and audio devices.

Nothing is going places

The lineup Nothing is offering at Best Buy can stand on its own pretty well. Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich was smitten with the brand's Headphones a when he first put them on. To him, over-ear-headphones might as well be back on the menu. What Nick talked about was the "loud and proud" aspect of these headphones. Other than their sound quality, the Headphones a rock Nothing's classic design, one that clearly separates it from the rest of the industry.

These headphones are comfortable, while also sporting easy-to-reach buttons. Then you have the Nothing Phone 4a and 4a Pro, which made quite the statement earlier this year.

Along the lines of Nothing's availability announcement today, the company expanded the reach of its Phone 3 in 2025. Best Buy Canada received the device, while Nothing brought it to more places like Amazon in the U.S., too. Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, said the U.S. market is dominated by two players, which is likely a reference to Samsung and Apple. Pei said consumers are looking for change. It's safe to say that those sentiments haven't gone anywhere as we see more of Nothing's products become easily available in the U.S.

Android Central's Take

Nothing's phones have continued to catch my attention. I've been impressed with their changes and upgrades thus far, and the Phone 4a series, though it's more budget oriented, is pretty attractive. Nothing's moved into the AI space, but more focused on productivity. Users can quickly snapshot details and save notes, which is a boon to the busy bees of the world.

I'm admittedly not much of a TikToker, but I've got lots of coworkers and friends who spend every waking hour perusing the platform's bevy of short-form videos. So when one of them notices a trend happening, I tend to drop what I'm doing and start digging. What I found was something I never expected: People are ditching their iPhones for Nothing Phones.

After sifting through thousands of comments in videos like this one, I've been genuinely surprised by some of the responses, especially the top comments. "I'm getting a Nothing Phone when my iPhone dies," notes the top comment, followed by "Charlie XCX is a model for Nothing Phone soooo."

Just a few threads down from that reads "I’m so tempted by the nothing phone," "I have a nothing phone and it's so good," and plenty of people noting that they're still on iPhone 11s and 12s and don't want to upgrade (or update iOS).

So I knew I had to do a little digging to get to the bottom of this. Was Nothing paying people to plant comments on social media to get the word out about the brand? Do artists like Charlie XCX really influence public opinion on products this much? Will anyone reading these comments actually know what a Nothing Phone is, anyway? The answers I found were surprising, but in the very best ways.

Social media guerrilla warfare

When you're a small startup brand in a world where Samsung and Apple rule the roost, the only way to see real success is by employing a form of guerrilla warfare tactics. That means more than just launching an expensive marketing campaign or getting big-name influencers to represent your brand (and then go back to using iPhones in their free time). It means building a community of evangelists who will go to the corners of the Earth for you.

Vogue Business published an article on Nothing's strategy in December 2025, detailing the ways the company has been playing to TikTok regulars as its core audience. In the physical world, the brand has been opening pop-up locations and sponsoring concept stores, having fashion models carry its products on the runway in London and New York, and even hooking its headphones "around bagstraps at fashion parties," Vogue notes.

Nothing has brought in people like Charlie Smith to lead clever new marketing campaigns that play to the company's "irreverent, slightly punk attitude," to use Smith's own words. When the Nothing Phone 4a Pro launched, the company graffitied its own billboards and used this as a way to speak to users on social media in a way other brands are ignoring.

So it's little surprise to me that TikTok is seeing an uptick in recommendations for the Nothing brand. And while I only have a vague idea who Charlie XCX is (sorry, editors), the company's late-May ad campaign featuring her as an investor and brand ambassador is certainly making more people aware of the brand's existence.

But it's not just social influence and subtle messaging driving the Nothing brand; it's also the cost of its phones. Comments like "Sick of phones costing 1000 plus dollars" are driving another clear trend among these posts. Nothing's most recent models cost half that and offer compelling designs and specs, plus better battery life and faster charging than an iPhone.

Nothing's first phone, which launched to middling reviews in 2022 and carried a sub-£400 price. The Nothing Phone 2 came the following year with slight refinements but, ultimately, wasn't a very exciting release. It wasn't until the Nothing Phone 2a came along in 2024 with an even more budget-friendly price that people started paying attention. "Why would you buy anything else?" posited Android Central's Harish Jonnalagadda in his review, and that sentiment seems to be holding strong today.

Beyond that, there's something uniquely appealing about Nothing's transparent, neon-glowing retro style. The company initially became known for its Glyph Interface, which lit up a caricature of the Apple logo on the back of the Nothing Phone (1). Now, its latest phones have ditched LED strips for a dot-matrix "display," which debuted with the Nothing Phone 3.

True to the brand's approach, the Glyph Matrix display on the back of that phone was bare-bones as heck when it launched, but is now filled with everything from virtual pets to music visualizers, and even a whole flippin' Pokedex.

The company has also been at the forefront of AI-based gadgets like Essential Space, Essential Apps, and Essential Voice, all of which have debuted interesting new ideas before the big guys get around to doing it. Essential Apps, in particular, has been a huge hit with the community, and is yet another way Nothing is playing to the group that's going to drive the brand for years to come.

Will a Nothing Phone solve every iPhone user's irritations with their phones? Probably not, but it does appear to be mending some pain points in everyday life. I've seen some posts about people dumping their 2-year-old flagships for a Nothing Phone, which seems crazy at first until you realize how much better the battery life is compared to Samsung or Apple flagships.

And there are other avenues you may not consider, as well. Two years ago, a friend of mine suffered from random, chronic migraines and couldn't figure out what was causing them. I suggested it could be the PWM dimming on her iPhone causing it and sent her a Nothing Phone 2a to try since the company employs more eye-friendly dimming methods. After two years of being migraine-free, she has only used Nothing Phones since then.

Whether the company's latest marketing direction continues to stick is anyone's best guess, but the brand has made real headway into India, the UK, and the U.S. lately, so it's clearly appealing to people who want something different from the usual suspects. Have you tried a Nothing Phone? Let us know what you think in the comments.

What you need to know

• Early rumors discuss what CMF could have cooking for the budget Phone 3 Pro, and it sounds like a shift to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is in the cards.
• Other rumors claim there might be a slight boost to its battery (a jump to 5,400 or 5,500mAh) with 45W charging and a 50MP main camera.
• The Phone 2 Pro was hailed as the budget king last year in our review, as it got the critical points down to a T.

Rumors are kicking up dust about how CMF by Nothing's next budget phone could shape up later this year.

Earlier this week, X tipster Debayan Roy talked about what CMF could be working on for its "Phone 3 Pro" budget device (via GSMArena). The leak couldn't pin down the phone's potential screen size; however, the tipster states it could support a 120Hz refresh rate for the OLED panel. The display is rumored to sit inside a metal frame with a triple camera setup: 50MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto (120x digital zoom).

Internally, rumors suggest CMF is looking to integrate Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 SoC. This chip has been upgraded to facilitate better efficiency in mid-range phones, but Qualcomm focused on gaming, too. What's more, this rumored Phone 3 Pro could feature a battery anywhere from 5,400mAh to 5,500mAh with 45W wired charging capabilities.

While all of this might seem fine for a CMF mid-range, the tipster says consumers shouldn't get too excited (not yet, anyway). Supposedly, CMF is taking its time with the Phone 3 Pro, and has allegedly pushed it back until late Q2 or Q3 2026. This pits the device debuting in either August or September.

Later than the Phone 2 Pro

There's one thing for certain: we're well beyond when CMF revealed the Phone 2 Pro last year. Late April was when the device first showed up, alongside a trio of budget earbuds for consumers. If we're to compare, the Phone 2 Pro opted for MediaTek's Dimensity 7300 Pro chip. The phone came equipped with a 6.77-inch AMOLED screen and a 5,000mAh battery. While it's hard to speculate on what the Phone 3 Pro's screen could look like, rumors suggest a 400 to 500mAh cell increase.

In our review, the Phone 2 Pro was pretty much the budget king last year. It completely smashed the original and felt like CMF was setting the tone for future releases. What's more, the Phone 2 Pro followed closely behind the flagship Phone 3a series in terms of its display being softer on the eyes. We'll have to see where the rumors go from here, if we're to expect this phone later in the year.

Android Central's Take

Mid-range phones have changed over the years. I remember having a mid-ranged device, and trying to play a game that I wanted to was like pulling teeth. It would struggle, even on lower-end graphics. I can appreciate what CMF strived to do with the Phone 2 Pro last year. That brand is all about settling for the budget market, while trying not to compromise too much. It's nice to think about, considering how not everyone can afford to slap down $1,000 or more on a phone.

If you like bold design in your devices, Nothing has you covered. The problem is that a few of the manufacturer's best phones can cost a pretty penny, and deals from the brand have historically been few and far between. Until now. 

The Nothing Phone (3), which is arguably the best Android phone that the brand has released to date, is currently chilling with a $160 discount at Best Buy. No trade-in required and no strings attached, just eye-catching design and powerful specs at an enticingly low price. 

Again, deals on Nothing phones are exceedingly rare, so if you've been waiting for the right time to grab the Phone (3), you'd better jump on this Best Buy deal or prepare to wait until Prime Day hits this June. 

Although the design is the main selling point of the Nothing Phone (3), the device is more than just a pretty face. The (3) boasts plenty of specs you'd want in a modern flagship, such as a 120Hz OLED display, Snapdragon chipset, and up to 16GB of RAM. 

You also get an all-day battery, triple 50MP camera system, and a IP68 water-and-dust resistance rating, while the onboard software and AI tools are simply a joy to use straight out of the box. 

Of course, the Nothing Phone (3) is not without its problems. The device doesn't ship with Android 16, for example, and the overall performance lags behind similarly-priced devices like the Google Pixel 10. We also experienced some overheating issues with certain mobile games, and the camera tech, while decent, isn't as good as the competition.

In the end, the overall package feels like a great midrange phone that's priced like a flagship, and indeed, I wouldn't recommend buying the Nothing Phone (3) at its usual $799.99 retail price. This discount simply knocks the Nothing Phone (3) down to where it should've been in the first place. It's not for everyone, but if you enjoy unique design or fun-to-use software interfaces in your devices, the Nothing Phone (3) is a great way to stand out from the crowd and save some cash in the process. 

Nothing phones are known for their stylish looks and smooth performance, and while some people may think Nothing OS is "barebones" or "stock Android," there are a ton of amazing features waiting for you to find.

I've been using the Nothing Phone 4a Pro for the past few weeks and have unearthed tons of features that you're absolutely going to want to check out. Whether you're new to Nothing Phones or have been using them for years, Nothing has been doing a ton of new stuff lately and has debuted several unique features on the Phone 4a Pro that you definitely haven't used before.

The top few features are all brand new things that Nothing introduced in 2026, including many AI-powered features using the Essential name. Here's how you can use them to get the most out of your Nothing Phone 4a Pro!

Make some Essential Space

Essential Space debuted last year with the Nothing Phone 3a series, including the Essential Key on the side of the phone. This year, the Essential Key has been moved to the left side, which is a better overall design, as I often confused the Essential Key and the power button on Nothing's 2025 phones.

When the keyboard is not on screen, pressing and holding the Essential Key will take a screenshot and allow you to make a note about what's on screen. If your keyboard is on screen, pressing and holding the Essential Key will involve Essential Voice, which you can read about below. Once you've captured a screenshot with the Essential Key, tapping the yellow arrow will then send the screenshot (and any notes you made) to Essential Space for organization.

Double-clicking the Essential Key opens Essential Space, a catch-all for your memories and notes throughout the day. Essential Space will automatically analyze the contents of anything sent to it, and you can search for anything via the hourglass icon in the bottom right. It's a great way to keep track of everyday thoughts and moments, complete with a clever event section that automatically parses any events captured in a screenshot.

Essential Voice to the rescue

Whenever the keyboard is on your phone's screen, pressing and holding the Essential Key on the left side of the phone will begin an Essential Voice recording. Essential Voice is designed to be a natural language voice dictation suite, meaning you can press and hold the key, then speak your mind for as long as you want without worrying about it turning all your "ums" and "uhs" into text.

I went hands-on with Essential Voice ahead of the feature's official launch and was impressed with how well it worked. It needs internet connectivity to function, so you can't use it offline, but Nothing's AI-powered voice-to-text feature works better than any other one I've tried, including Google's own version that's built into Android.

To use Essential Voice, you need to have the keyboard on screen. Just tap anywhere you want to type, then press and hold the Essential Key on the side of the phone. As you're holding it, a yellow icon will appear on screen (pictured above) showing that your voice is being recorded. Keep the button held for as long as you want to talk, and let go when you're done.

At that point, the yellow icon will change, showing that the message is being transcribed, and your text will appear the moment it's done. Alternatively, you can tap the Essential Voice button on the bottom left of the keyboard, speak what you want, then tap it again to stop recording.

Welcome to the Playground

Nothing Playground is one of the most unique features I've seen a smartphone company do in a while. In essence, Nothing is attempting to redefine the homescreen by replacing traditional widgets with ones you (and the community) build to serve a bespoke purpose. This new generation of widgets is called Essential Apps.

Nothing Playground (access it here) is the place where Essential Apps live. I can certainly relate to being annoyed by the widgets offered by certain apps, and now it's easy to build your own widget with zero coding knowledge.

To get started, head to the Essential Apps builder. Tap the plus button to start a new app, then write your app idea in the box provided. Nothing AI will take the reins from there, creating a tiny app that aims to do exactly what you need and nothing more. After it makes a version of the app, you can tell it to modify the app any way you want, or just start over from scratch. It's easy to make small changes and even revert them if you don't like them.

Once you've built an app and are happy with it, adding it to your homescreen is simple. Just publish the app using the publish button in the Essential Apps builder, then head to your phone's homescreen and follow these instructions:

1. Long-press on any blank area of the home screen, then tap Widgets on the pop-up menu.

2. Swipe over to the leftmost tab, which contains Essential Apps.

3. Tap the Essential App you want to add to your homescreen.

4. Tap Explore more to see all the apps the community has built.

Get hip with the Glyph

The Glyph Interface has been one of the key defining features of Nothing's phone designs over the years, but the shape and function have changed with each generation. This year's Glyph Interface is an evolved version of the Glyph Matrix "display" that debuted with the Nothing Phone 3, and it's substantially more powerful than the simple LED lights on the back of older Nothing Phones.

The Glyph Matrix is designed to give you glanceable information when your phone is turned over. Lots of people like to put their phones face down on a table when they sit, and the Matrix is a great way to still see things like notifications, phone calls, or other information without having to pick up your phone or turn the full screen on.

To get started, open system settings by finding settings in the app drawer, then tap Glyph Interface in the settings menu. Right at the top, you can control the brightness of the Glyph Matrix or even turn it off completely. Scrolling down gives you a bevy of options to choose from. I recommend focusing on these first:

Volume Indicator: The Glyph Matrix will give you a visual circular indicator of the volume level when pressing the volume buttons.

Glyph Timer: The Glyph Matrix turns into an hourglass that fills up as your timer counts down to zero.

Glyph Progress: The Glyph Matrix will display a progress bar that fills up as an event makes progress. My favorite use for this is calendar entries, as it'll give you a quick visual indicator for how long a scheduled event has left.

These are all great little utilities, but the start of the show this time around is Glyph Toys. In the Glyph Interface menu, tap Flip to Glyph, then select Always-on Glyph Toy from the list. Turn the feature on by selecting the toggle at the top of the screen, then select one of the nifty toys from the list.

Nothing provides just four toys by default, but the Nothing brand is all about community, and that means folks have made tons of additional toys that you can easily add to your phone. Just tap that little hourglass icon in the top right, and you'll be taken to the Glyph Toys section of Nothing Playground.

Glyph Toys are automatically sorted by the model phone you're using, and sorting by things like popularity helps surface the more exciting or useful options. The Glyph Leveler might just be my favorite one, but you can find lots of other fun toys in Playground. Just tap the one you want, then hit install. These additional toys can usually be found in the phone's quick toggles and are activated by placing the phone screen down to activate the Glyph Interface.

Nothing regularly updates and improves its phones, adds new features, and generally seems to be on the cutting edge of cool new AI toys for its phones. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks, and enjoy your Nothing Phone 4a Pro!

I've long had a love/hate relationship with using voice typing on my phone. On the bright side, I use Android, and I know from experience that Google's voice typing is substantially better than what Apple has historically had. But while I don't generally have a problem with my phone understanding my words, the way I talk to it is anything but natural or normal.

If you use voice typing, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I usually pause a moment to think about what I want to say, then tap and button and blurt out the whole thing in one fell swoop. Any pauses or hesitations in the form of "um," "uh," or something similar is often translated into text, requiring me to edit what I send before I can send it.

What if your phone was finally smart enough to understand that these parts of speech are just filler? Pauses are natural, and our brains generally filter out that stuff when we're speaking to someone. Nothing's new Essential Voice is the closest I've seen to authentic human speech understanding, and it's totally transforming the way I talk to my Nothing Phone 4a Pro.

The return of the physical key

Last year was the clear return of physical keys on the side of phones, and Nothing was a clear leader in this space. Essential Space and the Essential Key were a glimpse into a smarter future where AI understands what you want, all while still requiring a physical press of a key to invoke the action.

This type of physical interaction is the most useful in situations where you can't use both hands to get something done. Voice typing is a great example of this, as people often use voice typing while they're physically multitasking. Whether that's doing the dishes or driving a car, having hands-free control of what's happening on your phone can be very important.

Essential Voice can be invoked by pulling up the keyboard, then either tapping the Essential Voice key in the bottom left or pressing and holding the physical Essential Key on the side of the phone. I prefer the latter, as voice transcription stops the moment you let go of the key, but it's nice to have a toggle alternative for when you can't dedicate a hand to holding down the physical button.

Instead of using the on-screen keyboard to type, Essential Voice used a combination of local and cloud AI to quickly understand what you're saying, which then appears in text wherever you're trying to type on the screen. It's no different from what Google's voice typing does, but Nothing's does the job better.

I've spent plenty of time over the past few days using Essential Voice to dictate things I'd usually type. This article, for instance, was mostly written using Essential Voice, then lightly edited afterward for a few punctuation changes, mostly in places where I wanted paragraphs to shift differently. I've even tested it by reading an article out loud and seeing if it can write things the same way I read them. In every case, Essential Voice worked flawlessly.

Now, as you might expect, there is a downside to Essential Voice. The biggest issue, by far, is that it requires network connectivity to function. There's no offline support just yet, but my hope is that Nothing will be able to take it offline in the future, even if offline transcribing takes a little longer.

Your transcription time will also vary depending on how long you talk. Short messages, surprisingly, take a bit longer to transcribe into text than long ones, but that's because the system works as you speak. This one isn't a deal-breaker, but the fact that it requires a network connection could be a big problem if you find yourself offline.

Even with these caveats, I've been so impressed with Essential Voice's performance that I'm willing to look past them for the moment as Nothing improves the feature. It works so well and works everywhere, unlike some AI-powered transcription features on most phones that only work in certain apps. The freedom and quality you get with Essential Voice are unparalleled, and, for that, Nothing deserves praise.

What you need to know

• Nothing announces Essential Voice, a new voice-to-text transcription feature for the Phone 3 and Phone 4a that will arrive in early May.
• With this, Essential Voice can cut out "filler words" for a more concise transcription full of what you need, alongside support for 100 languages, and shortcuts, such as emails and places.
• Nothing detailed a huge Essential Space update in March, which focused on the most important information that you need to see.

Nothing highlights a new addition to its suite of smart features on its phones, which has audio transcriptions at its core.

Essential Voice is preparing to roll out for Nothing Phone 3 and Phone 4a users this May. Nothing states it realized something about how we use our phones: while we primarily type, voice is "more natural" and "four times faster." It says that while people often choose a voice note (or memo), transcriptions can be messy once it's done. Essential Voice is stated to be Nothing's answer to smarter voice-to-text capabilities in real-time on its phones.

One major highlight for Essential Voice is its ability to remove filler words. Nothing foresees this as being particularly useful for users sending messages or emails. Additionally, making notes gets a lot easier as Essential Voice supports shortcuts. The post states users should think of this as a "library you build over time." Essential Voice will recognize when you say, "send this to my email." It will correct it to fill in your email address and send the relevant info over.

Moreover, your favorite places to eat and more are supported, as Essential Voice can fill in the location for such locations. This feature is also arriving on the Phone 3 and 4a with support for over 100 languages. Nothing stresses that this is an opt-in feature, and you don't have to use it if you don't want to. What's more, Essential Voice "does not listen in the background."

If you choose to, your recording is reportedly "encrypted and processed on our server," then returned to your phone.

Making it all essential

Nothing's been working behind the scenes for a while now, as a previous update (regarding Essential Space) rolled out in March. This update was focused on bringing information that matters to users to the forefront. Nothing said users would find "actionable information," such as important dates. It also added an "event" marker that "intelligently extracts" data from your captures to inform you when it's important.

Last week, Nothing revealed Warp: a way for Android users to send files to Mac, Windows, and Linux devices. It was an exciting reveal, but the company removed the app from the Play Store quickly after. The company states it did so to "fine-tune" the product. There's no indication of it returning just yet, so we're all left waiting.

What you need to know

• The Nothing Phone 4a Pro holds up well in brutal durability tests, especially the bend test, thanks to its aluminum unibody.
• While the metal frame is tough, the camera plateau is made of plastic.
• A poorly placed microphone hole is the biggest flaw, making it easy to accidentally damage the water-resistant mesh with a SIM tool.

Nothing’s new mid-range Phone 4a Pro just faced some tough tests.

The JerryRigEverything YouTube channel put this $499 phone through scratches, flames, and bend tests. While it mostly impressed fans of sturdy build quality, one design choice could put its water resistance at risk.

The 4a Pro has a CNC-milled aluminum unibody, which brings back memories of the classic HTC One or original Pixel.

You won’t get wireless charging because of the metal back, but in return, the phone is very sturdy. During the bend test conducted by JRE host Zack Nelson, it stayed solid.

However, the teardown revealed a subtle design flaw that could catch owners off guard. Normally, if you poke your SIM tool into the microphone hole by mistake, there’s a bend or mesh to protect the inside. On the 4a Pro, the waterproof mesh sits right behind the hole.

Nelson’s teardown shows that one wrong poke with a SIM tool can break through the first layer of water protection. Nothing did add a second moisture barrier deeper inside, but the first layer is easier to damage than usual.

Hardware hits and misses

Aside from the metal body, the durability results were mixed. The 6.8-inch AMOLED screen uses Gorilla Glass 7i, which scratches at level 6 on the Mohs scale and gets deeper marks at level 7. That’s pretty standard, but the 5,000-nit peak brightness is impressive for a $500 phone.

The main camera lenses are glass, but the clear area around them is plastic. This has pros and cons: it won’t break if you drop the phone, but it will get scuffed and scratched more easily than the rest of the device.

Inside, Nothing uses a large vapor chamber to help with cooling. The Indian version of the phone comes with a 5,400mAh battery, while the US model has a slightly smaller 5,080mAh battery.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro is a great option for people who are tired of fragile glass phones. It’s tough, unique, and probably the best-built budget phone in its price range. However, the plastic camera housing and weak microphone mesh mean it’s not completely worry-free.

What you need to know

• Nothing Warp lets Android users share files, text, and links easily with Mac, Windows, and Linux devices.
• The app uses a Chrome extension and Google Drive as a bridge, keeping files private and under your control.
• Warp integrates into Android's share sheet and offers quick transfers without needing cables or third-party hacks.

Every now and then, an Android app comes along that tries to make file sharing with the Apple ecosystem easier, and this time Nothing has taken a crack at it — and it does something most other apps haven't quite managed.

Nothing has launched a new app called Warp that aims to make file sharing between Android and macOS, Windows, and Linux devices easier (mostly macOS). Nothing employees' say the tool originally started as an internal solution for Nothing employees, but it's now available for all Android phones, not just Nothing devices.

Warp works through a Chrome-based extension setup. You install the app on your Android phone and add the official Nothing Warp extension from the Chrome Web Store on your desktop, then sign in with the same account. After that, both the app and the extension connect to your Google Drive, which acts as a temporary bridge for transferring files.

This app makes file transfers easier for all Android devices

Since it relies on your Google Drive, the files remain under your control. Nothing says it doesn't store your data, and there's no way for the company to access your files.

On your Android phone, the app integrates directly into the share sheet, making it easy to send files. On the desktop side, the Chrome extension lets you move files back to your phone. What stands out, though, is that Warp also supports sharing text and links, not just files. This is something that most of the similar solutions don't offer.

You can download the Nothing Warp app from the Play Store and grab the extension from the Chrome Web Store to start using it right away.

Warp arrives at a time when Android brands are pushing better cross-platform sharing. Samsung has already added AirDrop support to the Galaxy S26 series, and Google has brought the functionality to Pixel 9 and later.

Nothing's approach is different, though, and the fact that it works across all Android phones makes it more accessible.

Android Central's Take

In my experience, the app has worked really well for sharing files with my Mac. Since I'm already using Chrome most of the time, it fits right into my workflow. Windows users already have Quick Share support, but it's good to see a simple option for Mac and Linux users as well.

Flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL offer some of the best Android experiences you can get. However, not everyone wants to spend that much on a phone, and that's where the best mid-range Android options come in.

While Nothing's CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that no flagship phones are coming this year, the company has refreshed its mid-range lineup with the Phone 4a and the Phone 4a Pro. Out of the two, the Phone 4a Pro is the one making its way to the U.S.

Google has also recently launched the Pixel 10a, keeping a very familiar design from last year's Pixel 9a and pricing it similarly to the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. With both phones sitting in the same bracket, which one actually makes more sense to buy? Let's take a closer look and see how they compare.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Pricing, colors, and availability

Nothing debuted the Phone 4a Pro on March 5, 2026, with a starting price of $499 for the base model with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM. There's also a $599 variant that bumps things up to 256GB storage and 12GB RAM. As for colors, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is available in Black, Silver, and Pink.

The Google Pixel 10a was made official on February 18, 2026. Despite rising component costs, Google has kept pricing the same as last year at $499 for the 128GB base model. There's also a 256GB variant priced at $599.

The Pixel 10a comes in four colors: Obsidian (black), Fog (pale green), Berry (red-pink), and Lavender (blue-purple).

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Design and display

Starting with the design, this is probably where the Nothing Phone 4a Pro and the Pixel 10a differ the most. While Google has kept a very similar design to the Pixel 9a, with a clean back, rounded corners, and flat edges, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro brings a more industrial and unique look.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro moves away from the company's transparent back in favor of an aluminum unibody design with a large camera island at the top, which does feel a bit inspired by the iPhone 17 Pro's camera plateau. The module houses the cameras, flash, and, for the first time on the a-series, a Glyph Matrix.

While Nothing has used Glyph LEDs before, this is the first time it's bringing the newer Glyph Matrix, first seen on the Nothing Phone 3, to this lineup. It includes 137 mini-LEDs that act like a secondary display, showing notifications and other information on the back.

You can use it for things like tracking live activities such as food delivery or rides, assigning icons to contacts and apps, and even trying small interactive tools like a coin flip.

In terms of build, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro feels more premium with its aluminum frame and back. The Pixel 10a also uses an aluminum frame but sticks with a plastic back.

That said, while the Nothing phone looks more striking, it comes with slightly lower water resistance. The Pixel 10a is rated IP68, while the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is IP65. The Nothing device is also heavier and larger compared to the Pixel 10a.

On the front, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro offers a larger 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness in high brightness mode.

The Pixel 10a, on the other hand, features a more compact 6.3-inch p-OLED panel with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, but it does go brighter, reaching up to 2,000 nits. Both phones use Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Hardware, specs, and software

Nothing continues to use mid-range Qualcomm chips for its A-series phones, and it's the same case here. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, which is a step up from last year's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.

It's built on a 4nm process and includes one Cortex-720 core clocked at 2.8GHz, four Cortex-720 cores at 2.4GHz, and three Cortex-520 cores at 1.8GHz.

Apart from that, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage by default. You can upgrade to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, but that's the maximum configuration, and there's no support for storage expansion.

While we've come to expect Pixel A-series phones to offer flagship chipsets at a lower price, the Pixel 10a breaks that trend. It ships with the same Tensor G4 chip as last year's Pixel 9a and doesn't get upgraded to the Tensor G5 like the rest of the Pixel 10 lineup.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you were expecting a newer chip here, that's not the case. That said, the Pixel 10a still brings some of the newer AI features from the Pixel 10 series, which we'll get into below.

In terms of storage, it also comes in 128GB and 256GB variants, but both models stick with 8GB of RAM. There's no support for expandable storage here either.

Battery life is another area where mid-range phones tend to do well, and that's the case here too. Both the Pixel 10a and the Nothing Phone 4a Pro pack around 5,100mAh batteries.

However, Nothing takes the lead in charging speeds, with the Phone 4a Pro able to go from 0 to 100% in about an hour. The Pixel 10a supports up to 30W wired charging, which is faster than the Pixel 9a but still slower than Nothing's offering.

If wireless charging matters to you, the Pixel 10a is the only one here that supports it. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro doesn't offer wireless charging at all.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Software

Both the Nothing Phone 4a Pro and the Google Pixel 10a run Android 16 out of the box. Both offer a clean Android experience, although Nothing adds its own tweaks here and there. It still feels very close to a Pixel-like experience compared to most other Android skins.

However, if you care about fast updates and long-term support, the Pixel 10a is hard to beat. Google promises up to seven years of OS updates, while the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is limited to three major Android upgrades. So if you're looking forward to Android 17 and beyond, the Pixel 10a is the safer bet.

The Pixel 10a also brings down some features from the Pixel 10 series, including tools like Magic Cue and support for the Pixel Screenshot app. It also includes emergency satellite SOS, which is missing on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro.

On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes with the company's Essential AI suite, which serves as an AI-powered journal to help you store and recall information more easily. It also lets you build simple apps using text prompts, which is a nice addition.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Cameras

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro takes a clear lead on paper with a triple-camera setup. It includes a 50MP primary sensor with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS, paired with an 8MP ultra-wide and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom.

This is clearly more versatile than what the Pixel 10a offers, which includes a 48MP primary camera with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS, along with a 13MP ultra-wide sensor with a 120-degree field of view. There's no telephoto lens here, so the Pixel 10a maxes out at 2x optical-quality zoom and8x digital zoom. If zoom matters to you, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is the better choice.

That said, the Pixel 10a still has the edge when it comes to consistency across different lighting conditions. We haven't fully tested the Nothing Phone 4a Pro yet, so it's hard to say how it compares in real-world use, but Pixels have generally been more reliable in this area.

If video recording matters to you, the Pixel 10a also pulls ahead. It supports up to 4K at 30fps, while the Nothing Phone 4a Pro tops out at 1080p at 30fps. Another small advantage for the Pixel is its flush camera design, while the Nothing Phone 4a Pro has a noticeable camera bump, which might make a case more necessary.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro vs. Google Pixel 10a: Which should you buy?

Both the Nothing Phone 4a Pro and the Google Pixel 10a are among the best Android phones you can get around the $500 mark. It really comes down to your personal preferences and what you value more in a phone.

If you want better performance, a dedicated zoom sensor, faster wired charging, and a design that stands out, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is the clear pick. You also get that Glyph Matrix on the back for notifications, along with a more premium build overall.

However, if you prefer a more compact phone that's lighter to carry, want faster Android updates, and a cleaner UI, the Pixel 10a is still a great choice. It has a more subtle design that doesn't wobble on a desk and includes useful features like emergency satellite SOS, which is missing on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro.

If you asked me to build the perfect phone given today's harrowing technology market, I'd start with the price. $499 is an ideal price for good-enough specs without breaking the bank. Flagship phones need not apply this year, as the prices of RAM and everything else are simply too high to be within reach for most people.

Next, I'd focus on specs. An OLED display, a processor that's capable of running the latest games, and a camera system that won't let you down. Plus enough storage to last at least a few years and a battery that'll also charge quickly but won't run out by the end of a single day. This all seems like a unicorn when paired together, but it seems unicorns might finally exist in 2026.

That's because this unicorn is the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. It's not just $499 and matches every spec I just listed, but it's also made of metal, ships with a protective case, and it's even available in countries like the U.S., where choice is almost down to... ahem... nothing at all. This is the right phone at the right price for the right time, and I couldn't have asked for more.

If I googled "the most essential smartphone features in 2026," the Nothing Phone 4a Pro checks nearly every box. In summary, here's that list:

• Battery efficiency: Nothing has this covered with a mid-range processor and a sizable battery, including 2-day battery life in most cases. It could charge faster and have a higher capacity, but it's competitive.
• Practical on-device AI: This is an area where Nothing has led the pack for quite some time. Essential Space and Nothing Playground have leapfrogged every other company's similar designs despite being the first of their kind.
• Display quality over brightness: Here's one area where Nothing has historically led. It's brighter than other phones in this price range and even offers eye-friendly settings like DC dimming and high-frequency PWM dimming, but it lacks an anti-reflective coating, and while it flickers a bit more than I'd like, it's better than the best Pixel or Samsung phones.
• Software longevity: While Nothing falls behind Samsung and Google by a single year, it still offers six years of software updates on the 4a Pro, which is almost certainly longer than anyone will continue using the phone anyway.
• Durable build materials: Nothing is more durable than a metal phone, and Nothing brought back the aluminum unibody chassis for this device, bringing us back to the days when niceties like wireless charging were foregone in order to make better phones.

If I look at the closest competitor, the $499 Google Pixel 10a, it's clear that Nothing makes a better phone in nearly every way. It's got a better display, better battery life, better sustained performance, better build quality, more unique features, and a design that looks better and more unique.

Take the Glyph Matrix on the back as a great example of one of Nothing's most unique features. On its own, it's not very useful, but Nothing has integrated its community with the feature, allowing users to submit their own Glyph concepts for other users to download. It turns a somewhat useless (albeit unique) feature into something that feels more essential.

The Glyph Matrix is infinitely more useful than Nothing's previous LED strip Glyph Interface, mainly because of the community-driven aspect, and it's something that continues to shine in the phone's other unique areas, like Nothing Playground and Essential Apps.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro falls behind the Pixel 10a in peak performance, but the real story here is that Nothing's choice of Qualcomm's platform ensures the phone exceeds the Pixel 10a's sustained performance with the Tensor G4.

What does this mean? As you use your phone, particularly when gaming or watching high-quality videos, it heats up and often slows down. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset runs cooler for longer than Google's Tensor G4, and Nothing's aluminum chassis helps draw out heat and dissipate it more effectively than the plastic back on the Pixel 10a.

That means while you might see significant slowdown in games or frame drops in videos during long sessions on a Pixel 10a, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro will keep on going with better performance throughout the entire time you use it. That makes a big difference in how you perceive your phone, and it also means you're likely to keep using it for more years.

Google's Phone app, which Nothing Phones use, features excellent built-in spam filtering and protection, negating what might otherwise be an advantage for the Pixel 10a. Google's latest Pixels can all use satellite SOS calling in an emergency to send a message via satellites, but I posit that Nothing's other unique features are more useful than this because you'll almost certainly use them every day, not just when you're stuck hiking on the side of a mountain and can't figure out how to get back home.

One press of the Essential Key on the left side of the Nothing Phone 4a Pro — a much better location than the Phone 3a series, which had it below the power button — will capture a screenshot, then extract the data on it and store it in the Essential Space app. The phone will then deliver actionable information based on what it saw, giving you quick, context-sensitive actions you can take for anything you do on your phone.

I recently attended a marriage conference with my wife and was blown away at how well Essential Space works. One screenshot of the day's event captured all the breakout sessions and keynote speeches, automatically generated alerts and calendar entries for each, and added them to my phone's calendar.

The entire time I was there, I didn't have to wonder what was next. My phone told me everything, and it truly felt like I had an intelligent AI assistant alongside me the whole time instead of a simple screenshots collection or aggregation app, and that's just one of the many Essential features on the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, too!

While Nothing's camera software has evolved into something special and community-driven, the company needs to focus more on overall quality and consistency now that it has this excellent base to work from. While I found the phone's three cameras more than adequate for everyday use, they often lacked the pizzazz and punchiness that come with Pixel cameras.

But it's got a telephoto camera, which several phones in this price range lack. That means you can get some real zoom detail with this camera, while others will be left lacking. Most of the time, though, you'll end up taking pictures that look fine but seldom have a "wow" factor.

Even with this advantage, there's no forgetting the lack of wireless charging, a direct result of using an aluminum unibody instead of a hybrid design like Apple and Google use. Using a small plastic pad on the back could have fixed this problem and even delivered magnetic accessory support. On the bright side, cases will likely include magnets, so this solves one of the missing features.

Still, at $499, there's no other phone I'd pick today than the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. It offers a better display, a more versatile camera system, better battery life, a faster processor, more software features, a higher quality build, and Nothing's unique take on apps. Google offers a more consistent camera experience and one additional year of software updates, but these two advantages pale in comparison to what Nothing offers.

In a year when price increases are becoming the norm across technology, it's impressive to see Nothing push boundaries without raising the price. Google's phone is nearly identical to last year's model, and that's a hard pill to swallow when spending $500. It's not perfect, but the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is the right phone for the right price at the right time, and that tells me everything I need to know when making a decision this year.

What you need to know

• A rumor claims that Nothing's CEO Carl Pei has started moving the company into developing AI smart glasses, alongside the usual devices.
• Supposedly, these glasses will lean on a connected phone to process the AI's data, while also featuring a camera, speaker, and microphone.
• Nothing would be entering a market where Meta has already established itself, which recently debuted prescription lenses for its smart glasses.

A surprising report has surfaced, claiming Nothing wants to step into the world of AI-powered smart glasses.

This rumor was alleged by Bloomberg, whose unnamed source states Nothing's CEO Carl Pei, who was previously averse to the idea, has had a change of heart (via 9to5Google). There's little information about these AI smart glasses, such as concrete features and capabilities. However, the publication claims that these glasses won't have the ability to handle everything on their own. As such, Nothing might require users to pair the glasses with their phone.

The post says the glasses may lean on phones for "the cloud to handle AI processing." Data obtained would travel from the glasses to the user's phone, the back. This begs the question of hardware, to which the report purports some features. According to Bloomberg, these Nothing smart glasses could offer cameras, speakers, and a microphone.

A post by TechCrunch highlights previous comments from Carl Pei, which state that Nothing must "innovate on the hardware and software front, and use AI, to stand out in the market."

These aspects scream AI-based smart glasses, likely pointing to strong voice-based assistance. The AI may be able to return results to the user after asking, but things that require visuals will likely push you to grab your phone. The rumors allege Nothing is looking at a release in 2027, alongside phones and other devices.

Nothing Glasses... 1?

When Carl Pei dashed our hopes of a proper flagship this year, there was no mention of smart glasses in Nothing's outlook or even a hint of what's happening elsewhere. If this report is to be believed, Nothing would be stepping into an interesting market, one that Meta has established itself in, and one that Samsung is moving into. Samsung's vice president of mobile business, Jay Kim, offered some insight into what consumers can expect from its first pair.

According to Kim, Samsung's smart glasses will offer an eye-level camera that leans heavily on its AI software to "understand" what the user sees. This is kind of where we'd expect Nothing's AI glasses to go. It'll use its cameras to perceive what the user is talking about, but it'll toss the heavy lifting to their phone and potentially deliver more in-depth info through its speakers.

On the other hand, you have Meta's Ray-Ban glasses that recently debuted prescription lenses out of the box.

Android Central's Take

Purely referencing the rumors here, I think this isn't something that's mindblowing. We've seen this type of idea before, where its purely camera-based or audio-based. It leverages a phone's capabilities for the processing. Sure. What gets me thinking is what these glasses could look like. Nothing likes to break the mold, do a design that's a little different than what you'd expect. However, its Nothing OS AI has moved into a utility mindset, offering users more information, better notifications, and more. I wonder if Nothing will make this like an add-on to what its phones can already do.

The Nothing Phone 3 is priced like a flagship, but the hardware and user experience doesn't always justify the cost. That said, the Nothing Phone 3 is arguably the most unique Android phone on the market. It has a rear LED display called the Glyph Matrix — it's small but adds character to the smartphone. Plus, we think Nothing OS 4 is one of the best Android skins you can find.

Consider the price problem solved thanks to Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Both the 256GB and 512GB variants of the Nothing Phone 3 are now $200 off. You can buy a Phone 3 for as low as $599 now. Put another way, the Nothing Phone 3 is priced like it should've been in the first place. You'll need to act fast, because the Big Spring Sale is quickly coming to an end.

• See the full list of deals during Amazon's Big Spring Sale - ends March 31st

✅ Recommended if: you want an Android phone that stands out in a crowd; you like Nothing features like the Glyph Matrix and Essential Space; design and software are more important to you than raw specs.

❌ Skip this deal if: you need a phone with more power; you don't like Nothing's design and style.

The specs finally fit the price point now that the Nothing Phone 3 is $200 off. The 256GB storage configuration comes with 12GB of memory, while the larger 512GB model gets 16GB of memory. Both variants are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, and both are seeing major $200 discounts for a limited time.

That processor certainly isn't the fastest, but that's okay with the Nothing Phone 3's new midrange cost. At this price, the Phone 3 punches above its weight class in a few ways. Notably, all four cameras on the Nothing Phone 3 use 50MP sensors. On the back, you get a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Even the front-facing camera is a 50MP selfie lens that can shoot 4K video.

Rounding out the experience is IP68 durability protection and a 5,150mAh battery with fast charging. The screen is a 6.67-inch OLED that can hit 120Hz refresh rates.

The design isn't for everyone — I'm not even sure it's for me — but it certainly stands out. At under $600, it's worth a look if you're in need of an Android phone on a budget.

What you need to know

• Apps may be on their way out, with Carl Pei betting on AI agents as the next smartphone paradigm.
• Pei says the current app-heavy experience is cluttered, fragmented, and overdue for a rethink.
• He sees a future where AI agents would handle tasks like booking rides, shopping, and messaging end-to-end.

Smartphone apps have shaped the last decade, but according to Carl Pei, their time is almost up. The CEO of Nothing isn’t just predicting a shift; he’s putting his company’s future on the line.

At SXSW 2026 in Austin, Pei outlined a big change (via TechCrunch). He said the app-based smartphone experience is fading, soon to be replaced by AI agents that handle tasks for you. Instead of tapping icons or switching between apps, you just say what you want and the system figures out the rest.

Pei starts with something many people already feel: apps are getting overwhelming. Modern smartphones rely on dozens or even hundreds of apps, each with its own interface, login, and system. If you want to book a trip, that’s one app. Ordering food is another. Even messaging someone means picking a platform.

This system works, but it’s fragmented. Pei notes that smartphones haven’t really changed how we use software in years. Touchscreens and app grids are still the main way we interact, even though AI is quietly getting more advanced behind the scenes.

Enter AI agents

Instead of opening apps, Pei imagines a future where you just tell your phone what you want, and an AI agent takes care of it.

Here’s an example: instead of opening a ride-hailing app, comparing prices, and booking yourself, you’d just say, “Get me a ride home.” The AI would check the options, choose the best one, and confirm it for you. The same idea applies to shopping, scheduling, messaging, and more.

Pei describes this shift as moving from app-centric to intent-centric computing, where the interface fades into the background and outcomes take center stage.

This idea isn’t just theoretical. The timing matches the direction AI is taking. We already see early versions of this with AI assistants that can summarize emails, book reservations, or automate tasks. But for now, these assistants still work on top of apps; they don’t replace them yet.

Pei’s vision takes things a step further. He wants AI to control the whole experience, not just help out.

This would require reimagining the entire smartphone interface. There would be no more home screens full of icons and no more app stores as we know them. Instead, one intelligent system would connect services and handle tasks smoothly.

What Nothing plans to do

Pei didn’t share a full product roadmap, but he made it clear that Nothing is actively moving in this direction.

The company is looking for ways to build AI more deeply into its devices, not just as a feature but as the main experience. This could lead to new types of interfaces, smarter automation, and stronger system-level AI control.

It’s important to remember that this kind of change won’t happen quickly. Apps are deeply rooted, and developers still depend on them to reach users. But if AI agents become reliable enough, people will have more reason to skip apps entirely.

Android Central's Take

I can see why this idea is appealing. Letting my phone handle tasks for me, instead of switching between several apps, sounds convenient. It could save time, cut down on clutter, and make smartphones feel smart again. Still, there are downsides. Giving so much control to AI means trusting it with decisions, data, and context, and I’m not sure it will always get things right. If apps go away, we lose more than just icons — we also lose some control and transparency. I wonder if 'no apps' just means one big app we can’t see or question.

What you need to know

• Nothing announced an OS update that will first arrive on the Phone 4a this week.
• The patch brings real-time alerts to the AOD, lock screen, and home screen for the Phone 4a, alongside what's already possible with the Glyph Bar.
• Other updates include a Relaxation Hub, a trio of relaxing widgets for users, an AI Eraser, and more.

Nothing's Phone 4a series is set to receive an OS update this week that boosts usability, as well as a patch for the Glyph Bar.

In a lengthy X thread, Nothing kicked off its updates with what's changing for Live Updates for the Glyph Bar. Now, Nothing is making it so your real-time updates remain visible "across the Always-on Display, Status Bar, Lock Screen, and Notifications." The design of the notification may change slightly when moving from the AOD to the lock screen, but the information is constant.

Moreover, Nothing adds that the phone's Glyph Bar continues to offer quick, glanceable information via its LEDs. Speaking of the lock screen, the Phone 3a's Community Edition clock is arriving for the Phone 4a series. In collaboration with Jad Zock (community member), this clock face uses a typeface style and a unique wake-up animation.

Joining this is support for users to use Depth Effect (Beta) with "adjustable clock sizes and alignment options." A Relaxation Hub is headed for the Phone 4a series with "Breathing Break" widgets available in the widget library. Users will find three variations: Calm, Focus, and Relax. When used, your phone's haptics will kick in, as they steer you toward calmer breathing.

An Essential Apps section, which will recommend apps to users, will be found in the widget drawer through this Nothing OS update. The long-requested AI Eraser is making its debut on the Phone 4a series, too. Users can quickly remove artifacts and even people who might've ruined your shot with this.

Nothing OS looks a little better

Nothing adds that this OS update for users will hit the Phone 4a series before the others. Older devices are reportedly set to receive these updates "in the coming weeks."

Nothing already had a pretty important update for its Essential Space earlier this month. The goal for this was to bring crucial information to users in a meaningful way. To do that, Nothing said users would see "actionable information" highlighted more prominently in Essential Space with a new "Event" marker for upcoming occurrences. This "Event" tag is new to Essential Space, which features info "intelligently extracted from your captures."

What you need to know

• Nothing highlighted an update for Essential Space that focuses on bringing the user's most important information forward for ease of use.
• Now, users will see "actionable information" highlighted more prominently in Essential Space, alongside a new "Event" marker.
• Previous updates for Essential Space expanded the shareability of certain files and added Google Calendar support.

Nothing is rolling out a major update for its Essential Space for devices release in 2025, including the Phone 4a series in 2026.

The update detailed this week covers three areas of Essential Space: app layout, events, and search. In a Community Update, Nothing states it's reworking how to navigate and experience the information that matters. In Essential Space, users will notice "actionable information" extracted and highlighted more prominently. The goal here is to ensure that what you need to see is brought to the surface quicker, so you can do what's required.

As an example, Nothing states that any events or tasks you have for any given day will be expressed more noticeably in Essential Space.

"Events" are something that Nothing is bringing to the forefront in this update. The company is introducing this new category, which delivers info that's "intelligently extracted from your captures." If there's an event that you nearly forgot about, Essential Space will bring it up. More importantly, tapping on that event will take you right into your Maps app, so you can begin planning your route for the day.

Lastly, Search in Essential Space is getting a tune-up. Nothing states "semantic search" helps to produce results to the user's query "faster and more intuitively."

It's essential

These updates, as previously stated, are rolling out on Nothing phones released from 2025 to 2026.

Nothing was upgrading Essential Space last year, with notable improvements, such as its sync capabilities with Google Calendar. This update made it possible for users to bring their to-do lists into Calendar for a little more efficient productivity. Additionally, that update brought "Editable Memory." This made it possible for the AI to learn the user's preferences for better reviews and summaries.

The Essential Recorder also got an upgrade, which came in the form of editable AI summaries after capturing voices. Soon after, in August, Essential Space expanded the shareability for recordings and Memories. Such items could be shared through Discord, Drive, and more.

There's no question that Nothing is now an established presence in the handset industry, and while the brand clearly likes doing things its own way, it's evident that it can make great products. While we won't get a flagship this year — the Phone 3 will be the default choice in this area — Nothing is building on the foundation of the excellent Phone 3a, and rolling out the Phone 4a.

After using the Phone 3a , I called it the best budget phone you can buy, and I still stand by that. The phone had a unique design, great software with unique extras, good cameras, and a terrific all-round value. With the global RAM situation and a few upgrades under the hood, the Phone 4a misses out on that value; the phone starts at ₹31,999 for the standard 8GB/128GB version in India. There's also an 8GB/256GB model that costs ₹34,999, and the 12GB/256GB edition is ₹37,999.

Even then, the Phone 4a is positioned to take advantage of weaker rivals, and Nothing is confident the phone will do well in India. I used all Nothing phones in the last three years, and tested the Phone 4a for just under two weeks; here's why I think it's the best budget phone you can buy in 2026.

Nothing but the best software

I use a lot of budget and mid-range phones, and the software on these devices tends to be underwhelming to say the least. That's why it's great to see Nothing focus so much in this area; the Phone 4a has the best software in this category, and only the Pixel 10a comes close.

The software on the Phone 4a is distinctive; Nothing's design aesthetic extends to the UI as well, and whether it's the custom widgets or the playful interface, the phone just feels great to use. The interface itself is fluid, and at no point did I get the feeling that I was using a mid-range phone.

Nothing is also doing a decent job with AI features; the Essential Key is great to save information easily, and Essential Space collates all of that information and makes it actionable. The mode now has cloud access as well, so you can use it on any Nothing phone. There's a slate of other AI-assisted tools, and I like that Nothing didn't go overboard in this area, instead focusing on utilities that you'll actually end up using.

The Phone 4a comes with Android 16 out of the box, and Nothing says it will provide three years of software updates.

A design like nothing else

Nothing's products always stood out because of their design, and the Phone 4a is no different. The rear of the device has a unique aesthetic that's different to the Phone 3a, with the Glyph Bar now located on the right. The camera island looks cleaner this year, and I like the evolution of the design quite a bit.

What's also good to see is that the Phone 4a is available in four color options; the blue and pink models are distinctive in their own right, but I still want to see a yellow Nothing phone — is that too much to ask? The in-hand feel is pretty good, and the matte sides make a difference.

The phone doesn't look like a mid-ranger, and the vibrant color choices this year allow it to stand out a little bit from its predecessors.

Cameras that have nothing to hide

The Phone 4a has a 50MP Samsung GN9 main camera, and it's joined by a 50MP Samsung JN5 tele lens, a rarity in this category. What's also great is that the phone gets 3.5x optical zoom this year, and it has a W-style prism lens, something that you just don't see on a mid-range phone. There's also an 8MP wide-angle lens, and a 32MP camera at the front.

Basically, this is one of the best camera systems in this category, and Nothing outdid itself this year. A new addition I like is presets that let you alter the tone of the images quite significantly. You can make your own presets, use the preloaded choices, or download additional ones — the extensibility lets you tweak the camera to a greater extent.

Image quality itself is pretty great, and I have no issues with the resultant photos taken by the phone.

Internals that are nothing but delightful

The Phone 4a is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, and it does a good enough job even with demanding games. It may not measure up to high-end phones, but honestly, that isn't a huge limitation, and the phone handles most day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat.

The 6.78-inch OLED gets brighter this year, and the 1.5K resolution is plenty — I didn't see any issues with the panel, and there's a decent level of customizability. I'm using the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and I didn't see any slowdowns. Nothing switched to UFS 3.1 storage this year, and while the base model still gets 128GB, I like that there's a 512GB variant.

Another point to highlight is that the Indian model gets a bigger 5,400mAh battery, and it manages to last a day with relative ease. Nothing uses the standard USB PD charging protocol, and although you don't get a charger in the box, it is easy to charge the phone with just about any PD charger.

Nothing like a good phone

Overall, the Phone 4a has proven to be a good upgrade to the Phone 3a. It costs a lot more, but you also get enough new features and upgrades that it justifies the price tag.

If design is an important feature on a smartphone to you, chances are that London-based Nothing has come to your attention. Set up by former OnePlus Co-founder Carl Pei, the company has focused heavily on design to stand out from the crowd, and its latest, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, continues in this vein.

Announced today in London, the Phone 4a Pro is the most mature Nothing smartphone released to date, both in hardware and design. It features some of the best specifications yet on a Nothing phone, but it also shows the company’s willingness to evolve its design while listening to customers.

The result is a phone that has a standout design, albeit with one key caveat. I went hands-on with the Nothing Phone 4a Pro just now in London, and here’s what I found.

The Phone 4a Pro has a standout design

Make no mistake: the Phone 4a Pro has the best Nothing Phone design yet. Unlike the Phone 4a — more on that below — which (re)introduces the Glyph bar, the Phone 4a Pro brings back the same Glyph Matrix display from last year's Phone 3, but fixes all the key complaints with that implementation.

The two key challenges with the Phone 3, which was the first to replace the Glyphs with a dot-matrix display, were that you had to press a button to activate or use the display, and that the display was so small it was easy to miss. The Phone 4a Pro fixes both problems with a larger Glyph Matrix display that’s easy to see, making it inherently more useful.

I love how the Glyph Matrix display now feels like a unified part of the camera design, unlike the Phone 3, where it felt like an afterthought. This also highlights the cameras, which are another area where Nothing has stepped up its A-series phones with this latest launch.

The Phone 4a Pro has a great camera on paper

Priced at $499 or £499, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro is priced to compete directly with the Google Pixel 10a. Alongside the standout design, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro camera could put the Pixel 10a on notice.

Google’s new entry-level Pixel features a single 48MP camera, and while Google is able to work magic through excellent software processing, it’s hard to see how it can compete with Nothing, as the Phone 4a Pro features a 50MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens that offers 3.5x optical zoom, and up to 140x zoom.

Yes, it’s about more than just hardware, and I will need to test this camera heavily, but this setup could set a new standard for the affordable smartphone segment. The upgraded 32MP front-facing camera could do the same, yet, although much of this will come down to Nothing’s overall camera processing.

The rest of the specs sheet is also respectable

Then there’s the rest of the specs, and the Nothing Phone 4a Pro also delivers a solid experience here. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, which isn’t the absolute best but should be more than good enough, and paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage.

The Phone 4a Pro should also be quite interesting for its battery life, with the international model featuring a 5,080 mAh battery, while the Indian version gets a 5,400 mAh battery. This is paired with 50W wired charging that Nothing promises will charge the phone to 50% in 22 minutes, but given the metal unibody design – and the fact it’s an A-series device – there’s no wireless charging.

The Phone 4a has one thing the Phone 4a Pro doesn’t

There’s just one area I wish Nothing would have been bolder in its choices: the colors. While the Phone 4a Pro has an excellent design, its non-Pro sibling has a better range of colors.

The Phone 4a Pro comes in Pink, Black, and Silver, while the Phone 4a comes in Pink, Black, White, and Blue. Yet that doesn’t explain the full picture: the Phone 4a features a plastic body, allowing its colors to be far more vibrant than the Phone 4a Pro's, which also means the Phone 4a Pro lacks the same vibrancy and appeal as its non-Pro sibling.

While this is similar to other phone manufacturers, who often reserve their most vibrant colors for the less-expensive devices, it’s worth commending Nothing for at least offering a Pink colorway. The metal unibody does change color in light – so it’s pink in some conditions and closer to silver in others – but it’s nonetheless a nice option.

I like the Phone 4a Pro more than I expected to

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro stands out for several reasons, but two more not mentioned are the overall build and thickness.

The Phone 4a Pro features a full-metal unibody design unlike anything else in this price segment. Even more impressive is that it manages to pack all of these features into a body that’s just 7.9mm thin, making it Nothing’s thinnest phone yet, and resulting in a unique in-hand feel.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro is available to pre-order on March 13 with general availability on March 27. Based on my first impressions and the starting $499/£499 price tag, this could be one of the best budget phones you can buy in 2026, though I’ll reserve my full judgment for the full review.

What you need to know

• Nothing has launched the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro with a refreshed design, new Glyph Bar, and improved mid-range specs.
• The Phone 4a Pro adds a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom, a first for Nothing's mid-range lineup.
• Both phones feature AMOLED displays with 1.5K resolution, while the Pro model bumps refresh rate up to 144Hz.
• Nothing Phone 4a starts at £349 while the Phone 4a Pro starts at £499, with global sales beginning in mid-March.

After weeks of speculation and buildup, Nothing has finally taken the wraps off the Nothing Phone 4a and, for the first time, the Phone 4a Pro at its launch event in London.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei had confirmed earlier this year that the company would not launch a flagship phone in 2026. That does not mean the brand is sitting out of the market, though. Nothing has now introduced its latest mid-range phones.

The company already teased the design of the Phone 4a at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, but it has now fully launched both the Phone 4a and its pricier sibling, the Phone 4a Pro.

Last year's Nothing Phone 3a Pro took a very different design approach, with cameras arranged asymmetrically and Glyph LEDs around the circular camera module. This time, Nothing appears to have refined the look significantly. The company has brought the Glyph Matrix from its previous flagship, the Nothing Phone 3, to the mid-range lineup with the Phone 4a Pro.

It's also the company's first phone to adopt a metal unibody design similar to many flagship Android phones, while still maintaining the signature industrial design that Nothing devices are known for. The phone features a clean rear panel with a raised camera plateau at the top that houses the camera system along with the Glyph Matrix.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro design feels familiar, but not boring

Durability has also been improved this time, with the Phone 4a Pro moving up from an IP64 rating to IP65. The phone is fairly slim as well, measuring just 7.95mm thick.

The standard Nothing Phone 4a, which we already saw earlier, drops the Glyph LEDs around the camera module that were present on the previous generation. Instead, Nothing has introduced a new Glyph Bar to the right side of the camera module. This Glyph Bar is a new addition with the Phone 4a and features seven LED zones that can light up to provide different types of information.

For example, the Glyph Bar can light up while the phone is charging to show the battery percentage. Nothing also says there are progress based indicators for calls, messages, charging, timers, and more. The company even claims the Glyph Bar can help illuminate scenes when taking photos or recording videos.

Nothing says the Glyph Bar includes 63 mini LED zones that are up to 40 percent brighter than before, reaching up to 3,500 nits. The company also claims there is no light leakage, no yellow edges, and smoother light diffusion. The Phone 4a retains the same IP64 rating as the previous Phone 3a.

Looking at the rest of the specs, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The standard Phone 4a has a slightly smaller 6.78-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate but keeps the same 1.5K resolution. Both phones use Corning Gorilla Glass 7i for display protection.

On the back, both devices feature a triple-camera setup. The big upgrade this time is that the Phone 4a Pro includes a 50MP telephoto periscope lens with support for 3.5x optical zoom.

The Phone 4a also includes a 50MP 3.5x optical zoom camera, paired with a 50MP main sensor with OIS and an ultra-wide camera. Nothing has yet provided full details about the ultra-wide sensor.

Snapdragon 7 series chips power both Phone 4a models

Under the hood, the Phone 4a Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, while the standard Phone 4a runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. Performance gains for the base model are modest, with Nothing claiming around 7% faster CPU performance and about 10% better efficiency compared to the previous generation.

The Phone 4a Pro, however, gets a more noticeable boost with a 27% faster CPU, 30% better graphics performance, and improved AI capabilities.

Speaking of AI features, both phones run Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16 out of the box. The latest version brings several improvements, including resizable Quick Settings, a customizable lock screen, upgraded Live Notifications, and faster app launches.

Nothing says both the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro will receive three major Android updates, along with up to six years of security updates.

For battery, both devices pack a 5080mAh cell with support for 50W fast charging. Nothing also claims its new battery management system helps maintain up to 90% battery capacity even after 1,200 charge cycles, while most brands typically claim around 80% retention over the same period.

The Nothing Phone 4a will be available in black, white, blue, and pink, with the base 8GB/128GB variant starting at £349 / ₹31,999 / €349. The Phone 4a Pro starts at £499 / ₹39,999 / $499 / €479 for the base 8GB/128GB model and will be available in black, silver, and pink.

Both phones are available for pre-order starting today. The Phone 4a will be available first from March 13, while the Phone 4a Pro will go on sale globally starting March 27.

What you need to know

• Nothing posted a very brief, thought-provoking teaser for its Phone 4a Pro on social media.
• The teaser shows a silhouette of the device with what looks like a Dot Matrix, similar to what we got with the Phone 3 flagship.
• Nothing previously teased that the Phone 4a will receive a pink colorway, and it was at MWC 2026 to show off its colors in person.

We've been so wrapped up with the Phone 4a that we've been clamoring to see anything about the 4a Pro, but that's changing.

This morning (Mar 4), Nothing went on X (formerly Twitter) with a short teaser about its upcoming Phone 4a series. The company's only tagline is "Hello?" However, an image accompanies this that has everyone on social media thinking that it's the Phone 4a Pro. The image is a silhouette of a phone from behind, as you can see the volume and power buttons on the left side.

The main takeaway here is the squared, LED dots at the top right of the phone's rear panel. This appears to look very Dot Matrix-y, akin to what Nothing debuted on the Phone 3 last year. This device was Nothing's flagship, and it looks like its mid-range Phone 4a Pro is going sit a little closer to that flagship experience (at least for its Glyph aspect).

There's still more to uncover about this device, such as how its camera array will look, considering the placement of the Glyph Matrix, if that's what it'll be called. It seems to encroach on where the Phone 4a's cameras are placed. We're close to knowing for sure, as Nothing teases once more that its Phone 4a series will debut on March 5.

All about Nothing

For a while in February, and a little into March, Nothing has been teasing its Phone 4a series, but only its entry model. The company's most recent and largest teaser was all about showing off the Phone 4a in its pink colorway. Nothing says consumers will be able to find this option when the phone launches on March 5. This hype about the pink colorway included a London takeover. Nothing was busy spraying graffiti all over the city that referenced fashion and pop, like Paris Hilton, Girl Music, and more.

It didn't stop there, as Nothing was at MWC 2026—again, with the base model. Its purpose there was to show off its upcoming colors, like blue, black, pink, and white.

Android Central's Take

I've been wondering about the Nothing Phone 4a Pro since the company's teaser started. Now, what I get is a silhouette of the phone, showing off what looks like a circular Dot Matrix, like the Phone 3. I'd say I want to see more, which is exactly what Nothing wants, you know? I'm intriguing, and even more curious now about the Phone 4a Pro's design and capabilities. We know very little about this model, but I don't have much longer to wait.

Nothing is gearing up to launch the Phone 4a in London at a "Built Different" event set for March 5, but it gave us a sneak peek at the model's four colorways at MWC 2026. We already knew the Phone 4a would be coming in a striking pink shade and a classic white hue thanks to prior Nothing teasers. However, this is the first time we're seeing the official blue and black options for the Nothing Phone 4a, and it tells us a bit about the upcoming midrange smartphones.

There's a color for everyone in the Nothing Phone 4a series, and you can check out the phone in black, blue, pink, and white colorways below. The black and white models are slightly more subtle, while the blue and pink versions are made to stand out. Seeing the Phone 4a color options in person, it's clear that the blue is a deep, vibrant shade while the pink is a lighter, pastel hue.

Aside from the main colors, we also saw how Nothing puts its own spin on the Phone 4a design. The phone has a transparent window that showcases a curated design underneath, with a pill-shaped camera bump in the top middle of the device.

The flash sensor is positioned off-center above the camera bump, and a ring of coils surround the entire system. This coil ring is color matched to each Phone 4a model.

We can't forget the Glyph Bar — the latest iteration of Nothing's Glyph Interface made for the Phone 4a series. It's a bar with six square lights and an extra red recording light. The squares each have nine mini-LED lights for further customization. Nothing says it's 40% lighter than the Glyph Interface in the Nothing Phone 3a series, and it's also designed to be less distracting.

What we learned about the Nothing Phone 4a

Looking at the Phone 4a in person, it's clear that the six Glyph Bar squares blend in with the colorway you choose when inactive. The red recording light, however, is visible when it's turned off. Nothing phones have typically sported a red square as part of their see-through design, so this doesn't feel out of place. This time, it's a functional part of the Glyph Bar system.

We also noticed that the white, blue, and pink versions of the Phone 4a have silver rear camera housing, regardless of the colorway. The black model, on the other hand, has a color-matched black rear camera housing. The black Phone 4a variant is also the only one of the group to feature black side buttons. On every other Phone 4a model, the side buttons are silver. Even on the black Phone 4a, the Essential Key is a shiny silver color to make it easily recognizable.

For now, that's all we know about the Nothing Phone 4a. We've got four fresh colorways, including two with a bit of personality. Nothing is set to officially launch the Phone 4a in a London event March 5. The new budget phones will debut alongside the upcoming Nothing Headphone a.

What you need to know

• Nothing announces that it's bringing a pink variant of its Phone 4a series to consumers when it launches.
• The company's been spraying pink graffiti all over London to hype up this color addition, making pop culture references wherever it can.
• The Phone 4a series will debut on March 5.

Nothing's been rolling with its Phone 4a series teasers, and it's doing so even more with its next reveal: a fun color reveal that's taking over London.

Nothing shared the details about its newest colorway headed for the Phone 4a in a press release. Consumers are pretty used to Nothing's standard white and black colors; however, the company has unveiled that pink is headed for the Phone 4a. According to its statement, Nothing says, "pink is not just another colourway. It is a nod to tech that’s expressive and optimistic, rather than neutral. It’s a recognition of the role that art, music, fashion, and pop culture play in inspiring our design language."

Even Lucy Birley, Nothing's lead for Color Material Finish, chimed in, stating that merging the pink hue with the brand's transparency adds "an incredible sense of depth." Birley says it's this increased depth that makes their product "look really lively."

That's not all; Nothing's pink colorway for the Phone 4a is such a significant addition that it's taken over London.

Nothing's been busy taking over the city with "disruptive graffiti" on its product posters, nodding to cultural references, Paris Hilton girl music, Vice City, and more. This is nothing but fuel to Nothing's hype fire, as the brand prepares to reveal the Phone 4a series next week on March 5.

Oh my gosh... you're so pink

We've been cruising along with Nothing Phone 4a rumors for the past few days now, as the latest was all about the Glyph Bar. We've seen the series morph its Glyph Lighting system from massive LEDs to smaller strips on the Phone 3a. Now, the Phone 4a will deploy a Glyph Bar, a set of vertical, mini, controllable LEDs beside its camera array. It seems like Nothing is honing in on the usefulness of its LEDs for notifications, delivery progress, and the like.

It remains to be seen how this bar will work in reality, but we don't have much longer to wait. More than that, the Phone 4a bears a strong resemblance to the Phone 3a; however, that might've been something to expect. Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, teased that the Phone 4a series would undergo a significant "overhaul" and that it would apply to its cameras, display, and performance.

Android Central's Take

Nothing never ceases to catch my attention. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I always find myself paying attention to what's coming next from them. Whether I get the product or not is an entirely different discussion. The addition of pink is a nice touch—personally, speaking. It's a little different, and when you mix in Nothing's transparent design, it's a pretty decent pair. We are seeing the phone through renders and the real deal may look better or worse than what we think. Nevertheless, I dig it.

What you need to know

• Nothing teased its Phone 4a officially on social media, giving users their clearest look at its refined design.
• The device remains close to what was given with the Phone 3a; however, we also see the Glyph Bar nestled to the right of the lenses.
• The Nothing Phone 4a series will launch on March 5.

Everybody loves a good product teaser, and Nothing's not slowing down when it comes to its Phone 4a series.

Early this morning (Feb 23), Nothing posted a short but sweet teaser for its base Phone 4a model a week before launch. We usually expect a couple of colorways from Nothing, and its latest teaser shows the device in white. While the brand keeps its aesthetic, the Phone 4a features a horizontal camera array inside a pill-shaped housing.

This design is pretty familiar, especially if you remember what the Phone 3a looked like (peep the hero image at the top of this article). Rounded corners for its main body design remain pretty much the same; however, the biggest change comes with its Glyph Lighting.

The previous series features three LED strips scattered around its camera array. What Nothing teases now is a Glyph Bar vertically to the right of its lenses. The teaser shows the LEDs in a gradient, flowing from gray to white and into a singular red square at the bottom. Nothing pretty much changed how its Glyph lights worked in the past, pushing them even more toward a notification focus. There's a strong chance that's what these LEDs will do, too; it's just how they do it that's still up in the air.

Once again, Nothing teases that the Phone 4a series will launch on March 5.

The "overhauls" are elsewhere

"Controllable mini LEDs," is how Nothing described the Phone 4a's new take on its Glyph lighting last week: the Glyph Bar. Unfortunately for those of us wanting to know the details, nothing else was said, other than that the bar will include nine LEDs. Its post also teased that the lights are 40% brighter than what consumers were given previously with older a-series phones.

This brings us to the Phone 4a's design, which looks pretty close to the Phone 3a. Others in the comments on X have pointed this out, too. Last month, Nothing's CEO Carl Pei stated that the Phone 4a series would undergo an "overhaul," but it seems that wasn't intended for its design (at least, not the base model). Pei stated that the series was receiving upgrades to its camera, display, and performance. Hopefully, we see more noteworthy changes under-the-hood since the design might stay in the same ballpark.

Android Central's Take

It's hard to say I'm surprised by what the Phone 4a looks like. This feels like Nothing. It feels like what it's done in the past, and I didn't really mind the way the previous iteration looked. The main changes here, for its back panel, its around its camera. The larger, circular design for its horizontal camera array is changed, as it shifts into a Glyph Bar. It's a little cleaner and a little more refined. The bar on the side for the LEDs might be a neat way of displaying notifications and order progress, too. I'd imagine these LEDs would light up like a runway for notifications and potentially one at a time, before hitting the red, for orders.

What you need to know

• Nothing walked through its Glyph lighting history on X before teasing what's coming for the Phone 4a series.
• Instead of a Glyph Matrix, the Phone 4a will feature a Glyph Bar, though Nothing was light on more specific details, other than flashing its supposed design.
• Nothing teased that its major reveals will take place on March 5.

We're roughly two weeks away from Nothing's grand reveals, and the company's stoking the flames with some Phone 4a teasers.

This afternoon (Feb 20), Nothing kicked off a long thread on X talking about its Glyph interface (via 9to5Google). The company highlighted the Phone 3a series, which offered a variation of the Glyph Lighting array. Those models offered three LED strips for order progress, notifications, and the like. However, when it came to the Phone 3, that got even smaller, as Nothing condensed it into a smaller circle with symbols.

For the Phone 4a series, Nothing teases that the Glyph Matrix will become the Glyph Bar. The X post teases that this bar will consist of "9 individually controllable mini-LEDs."

Nothing adds that while these LEDs are mini, they're roughly 40% brighter than the Glyph lighting systems provided on past a-series models. Additionally, it states that it's using "Patented tech for a more natural, neutral, bleed-free glow." We're still left mostly in the dark about this; however, Nothing's GIF suggests a Star Wars-like vibe from these mini-LEDs, as users keenly pointed out.

It's unclear where these LEDs will sit, as the 3a series had its lights around its circular camera system, while the flagship Phone 3 had them in the top right corner. Nothing makes sure users know that its major reveals are set for March 5.

The next wave

The leaks continue to pile up for the Nothing Phone 4a series, as an overseas report claims the 4a Pro could feature a slightly larger 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED 144Hz display. The base Phone 4a could stick with a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED screen. Rumors add that the Phone 4a might also sport a triple camera array, as Nothing looks to make good on its "overhaul" promises for the next series.

What grabbed our attention even more was Nothing's official teasers for its upcoming March 5 event. The chipset for this series is rumored to be the new Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. Elsewhere, it seems that consumers might be in for a small price hike with the Phone 4a and 4 Pro. The devices might jump anywhere from $50 to $100 more than what we saw previously for the 4a and 4a Pro, respectively.

Android Central's Take

I love a good Star Wars reference. I could honestly end my take there—but I won't. From a "progress" standpoint, for things such as food orders, deliveries, and things like that, I can see how a Glyph Bar could work. Maybe even for notifications this could be really cool. Perhaps a rolling tide of LED lights for messages or a pulsing light for emails. Nothing's done a good job of hiding the most interesting part, giving us just enough to keep the brain wheels turning about how it truly works. Maybe we'll get more before March 5 rolls around.

Fake tech products are nothing new, but they are getting harder and harder to spot. Certain product categories, like earbuds, are easier to fake than others. Scammers have figured out how to replicate the packaging, unboxing experience, and pairing process of authentic products on fake ones — even seasoned tech enthusiasts can be fooled. There's real risks that come with using counterfeit tech, as it is not regulated for quality and safety in the same ways authentic products are, and there's no warranty of any kind.

Few companies come out in the open and address the problem of fake products, but that's exactly what Nothing just did. In a YouTube video, Nothing and CMF co-founder Akis Evangelidis spoke about major counterfeiting issues specifically affecting the market in India. The video revealed Nothing and CMF have been working with the authorities in the country to curb the spread and sale of knockoffs, and recently seized more than 1,100 offending products.

The video description sums up the severity of the issue, and how seriously Nothing and its sub-brand CMF are taking the rise of counterfeit products:

In the video, Evangelidis shows off fake Nothing and CMF products firsthand. Some are clever and convincing, closely resembling the packaging and design of official Nothing and CMF phones, accessories, or headphones. However, others simply slap the Nothing or CMF brand on completely unrelated products that have no official comparison. Due to the growing brand recognition that comes with Nothing gear, people are still buying these fake products under the impression they're the real thing.

Evangelidis and Arpit, the head of Nothing's smart product business in India, discussed some of the warning signs to look out for. Product listings with random brand names but official Nothing images can trick buyers into thinking they are buying from Nothing or CMF. As such, always check the exact brand name to make sure it's from Nothing, CMF, or an official retail channel.

Additionally, watch out for phrasing like "compatible with" Nothing or CMF products. This language is used to skirt directly misusing the Nothing or CMF name while still appearing in search results for relevant official products. The duo also recommend looking at reviews and ratings for a product listings, specifically the number of ratings. If a listing only has tens or hundreds of ratings, it's probably counterfeit.

Evangelidis adds that the price can be an excellent indicator, too — "sometimes, if it's too good to be true, it's because it's not true."

Nothing says customers can report listings they think might be a fake or counterfeit product, and the brand will "take immediate action."

What can we do to stay safe from tech product scams?

Nothing and CMF take a more public approach than larger tech brands, like Apple, Google, or Samsung. The company's executives regularly take to social media to speak directly to consumers in social media posts and YouTube videos. This one, in particular, was an excellent move by Nothing. It raises awareness about the growing problem of counterfeit tech, which affects all brands.

The bigger the brand recognition of a company or device, the more likely someone will try to make a knockoff of it. There are fake AirPods, Samsung Galaxy phones, and all sorts of other devices floating around on the internet. They're in the real world, too — if you live near a major U.S. city, there is probably someone close to you selling fake tech on Facebook Marketplace or on street corners. The days of street vendors on New York City sidewalks selling fake designer bags have evolved to feature counterfeit tech products at low prices.

The best way to protect yourself and your friends or family against these scams is to talk about them. If you're reading Android Central, chances are, you probably have a good idea of what's real and what's fake. You know what things cost and how they should be sold, so the red flags are immediately apparent. But the causal tech user in your life or elderly relative might not have the same knowledge, and it's easier for them to be convinced by a counterfeit product as a result.

It's worth reinforcing that old ways of checking product authenticity, like verifying serial numbers or buying shrinkwrapped devices, are no longer reliable. Scammers have evolved, and they've learned to spoof serial numbers and seal fake products in a manner that looks official. As such, the only way to be sure you're buying an authentic product is to purchase directly via official channels with the security of a return policy or warranty.

While I'm sure Apple, Samsung, and Google are taking steps behind the scenes to fight counterfeiting too, the best way to solve the problem is by educating consumers. That's what Nothing is doing here, and more companies should follow suit.

What you need to know

• Latest Nothing rumors paint a new picture when it comes to its mid-range Phone 4a series.
• The Phone 4a Pro could upgrade to a 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED 144Hz display, leaving the base model with a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display.
• The Phone 4a might also receive a triple camera array upgrade.
• Nothing teased that it plans to reveal its new mid-ranges on March 5.

Amidst the hype for Nothing's next wave of mid-range phones, a massive leak from an overseas source alleges its most crucial specs.

The French publication Dealabs shared details about what consumers can expect from Nothing's Phone 4a and 4a Pro later this year. The Phone 3a duo last year shared the same 6.7-inch AMOLED LTPS display; however, these rumors suggest Nothing is breaking that up a little. The Phone 4a Pro may receive an upgraded 6.8-inch 1.5K AMOLED 144Hz display. The rear panel could gain a display, as the publication alleges users could see the Glyph Matrix on the Phone 4a Pro.

The flagship Phone 3 had this, while the mid-range did not. It was a small circle in the top-right corner of its rear panel, primarily for utility purposes. Rumors did not state what this could look like for the Phone 4a Pro.

Elsewhere, rumors add that the Phone 4a Pro could feature a 50MP main lens, credited to Sony, with OIS (optical image stabilization) and "140x zoom." The entry Phone 4a is allegedly sticking with a 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate. More importantly, the report claims that's not what we should focus on, as the device could upgrade to a triple camera array.

A 50MP main lens could carry its photography potential, alongside a wide range of zooms from 0.6x to 70x. The device might also see a "Glyph Bar," not a Glyph Matrix display.

Following the trail

Previous rumors haven't touched on the series' price, but that's seemingly changing, as speculation foresees a price hike. The publication alleges that Phone 4a could jump by €50 (~58), and €90 (~$106) for the Phone 4a Pro. This could bring prices to ~€409 (~$482) and ~€499 (~$588), respectively. These prices are well above what consumers were treated to last year, but Nothing's CEO Carl Pei said this might happen.

Either way, we've been cruising with scraps for leaks for a while now, as a recent report claimed the Phone 4a Pro could rock a 5,080mAh battery with the same 50W charging capabilities. Another rumor spotted the Phone 4a in a database listing with Qualcomm's recent Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip. There might also be 12GB of RAM (at the most), as well as 128GB and 256GB options.

Nothing has teased that the Phone 4a series is eyeing a March 5 launch.

Android Central's Take

Nothing's CEO Carl Pei said in a 2026 outlook video that the company was going to completely "overhaul" the Phone 4a series. If I'm going by these leaks, things are looking a little different, for sure. The display changes, for one, will need that personal touch to know for certain, but they sound nice on paper. Additionally, Pei teased camera upgrades, and I've now seen rumors about a triple array for the base model. That's giving that entry model a bit of a "Pro" flair, which is always a good thing for people looking to not splurge on a higher-tiered mid-range model.

Original story follows:

What you need to know

• Carl Pei hinted at a March 5 launch for Nothing Phone 4a using a playful edited Apple event image on X.
• The teaser suggests Nothing will unveil the Phone 4a and possibly a Pro model instead of a new flagship.
• Leaks point to a redesigned camera module and updated Glyph lighting but limited chipset upgrades.

Nothing is rumored to launch the Phone 4a series soon, and the company's CEO Carl Pei may have just hinted at the launch date in a cheeky way.

While attention is currently on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 series, things are heating up elsewhere, too. Apple has announced an event for March 4, where it is expected to unveil a new mid-range iPhone 17e and a lower-cost MacBook model. However, Nothing is also preparing to launch its new mid-range Phone 4a series, and Carl Pei may have just confirmed the timing.

Pei shared an image on X that playfully edited an Apple invite. The post featured the Apple logo crossed out and replaced with 'Nothing,' along with a handwritten-style note reading 'March 5' over the original event date, hinting that Nothing will host its own launch event on March 5.

As for what to expect, earlier leaks suggest Nothing could unveil both the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro on March 5, 2026. The company has already confirmed it'll not launch a new flagship this year, so these could be the only smartphones we see from Nothing in 2026.

Leaks indicate the Phone 4a may bring an updated camera setup and a redesigned camera module. The Glyph LEDs on the back are also expected to see some changes, though chipset upgrades may be limited. Thankfully, we may not have to wait long, as Nothing now appears close to officially revealing the Phone 4a lineup.

Android Central's Take

I'm not entirely sold on this teaser. The post is undeniably cheeky, but it feels slightly childish coming from a brand CEO. I'd have preferred a teaser that revealed something meaningful about the phone itself, but Nothing seems to have taken a more playful route. Either way, we will likely hear more official details in the coming days.

When I was in middle school, I was enamored with the idea of making my own video game. Through the rudimentary nature of the AOL-era internet, I learned Visual Basic and proceeded to make very basic games. That was enough of a spark to get me to try my hand at harder coding languages, but I quickly realized I was in over my head. Years later, I'd try my hand at it again in college, only to realize that programming just wasn't my thing.

Fast forward 20 years, and companies like Nothing are helping people like me realize my dreams in a way I'm not sure I ever expected: by having the computer write the code for me. This week, Nothing launched Essential Apps, something the company pens as a fresh concept for a new smartphone era, one that's not run entirely by siloed apps in a walled garden.

Instead, apps made in Playground (access it here) — the builder tool for Essential Apps — live on your home screen just like a classic widget. While we could debate the idea that this is or isn't actually a new concept, I'd rather focus on how well Nothing Playground and the Essential Apps it makes work, and the first 20 minutes I spent with it have given me a very clear understanding of that.

From can't code to no code

I haven't written a line of code since the last website I designed in the mid-2000s. At least, not that I can remember, anyway. But Essential Apps has made me feel like that doesn't matter at all. All I needed was a vision for a micro app and a few lines of text. Surely a writer can do that, right?

It only took me five revisions to make the widget I wanted, and I love that. In a nutshell, I wanted a small widget that could count my reps and weight at the gym, including the name of the exercise, and then export that to another program. I'm basically a neanderthal when it comes to recording my PRs at the gym and storing everything in Google Keep.

While there certainly are better programs for this, I just wanted something dead simple, and that's what I made with Essential Apps.

The builder UI couldn't be simpler, but I've never used a "vibe coding" platform before, so I can't directly compare it with building in ChatGPT or Claude, but I'm certainly of the mind that I want to try those platforms out after this.

Several times throughout the process of building the Essential App widget, Playground asked me to clarify a few steps. Things like "Should weight be recorded per set, or just once per exercise session?" were things I didn't initially consider asking the program to do.

It not only felt unbelievably smart — this thing clearly understands nuance and context — but it also saved me from having to ask it to make that change in a further revision of the app.

It was also impressively easy to move forward and backward between versions if I didn't like where things were headed or I just wanted it to branch off an idea from a previous version. While I didn't create any graphics for this widget, it also included an option to upload any imagery you want and add that to the widget, and you can also decide if you want a large or small widget.

Once you're done, deploying the app to your phone's home screen is a single click. Essential Apps are found in a dedicated section of the app drawer so that they don't get lost with traditional widgets. Once you've tested it and want further feedback from the community, you can publish it to the Essential Apps gallery so other Nothing Phone 3 users can try it out.

Will this replace normal apps?

In a LinkedIn post, Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, declared that Essential Apps would be "free from walled gardens" of current app stores, separating Nothing's new move from apps "built by a handful of companies, for billions of people at once."

"Software should be tailored to your specific needs and context," Pei noted. "From a simple prompt, you create personalized apps. No ads. No dark patterns. No one-size-fits-all." It certainly sounds ideal, but as the top reply on the post notes, this angle isn't the first time we've seen this kind of language.

"I’ve seen this pattern every time 'personalization' gets declared the next frontier," Shivam Chand Srivastava said in a reply to Pei's post. "Open ecosystems start idealistic. What’s uncomfortable is that defaults return because most people prefer convenience over control. Choice feels empowering until maintenance becomes work."

The "danger" of Essential Apps is that users might be attracted to the idea at first, but eventually stop making or using them in favor of more centralized or popular apps. My workout app is a perfect example of this: it might solve a problem I have right now, but I can see myself eventually tiring of manually exporting the data after logging it in the app.

A service like Strava can be connected to one of the many popular apps from companies like Nike on the Play Store, and then we're right back to square one in the walled garden, as Pei defines it.

Even if this doesn't redefine apps as we know them, Nothing's implementation of the concept is solid, and I can see the company growing it substantially from here. That, alone, is a victory in and of itself, especially since Nothing can shift it to a must-have feature on every Nothing Phone in the near future.

What you need to know

• Early Nothing Phone 4a rumors claim the device has passed through Geekbench with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip.
• The device was also paired with the Adreno 810 GPU and 12GB RAM, and other rumors add that the series could keep 128GB and 256GB storage options.
• Nothing's CEO Carl Pei says the Phone 4a series is coming this year, and that it's been completely overhauled.

Nothing's progress on its 2026 mid-range series continues, as new rumors reveal a listing with early specifications.

A Geekbench database listing was alleged by Abhishek Yadav on X this week, which seemingly showcases SoC, GPU, and more (via GSMArena). The tipster claims that the base Nothing Phone 4a model has appeared in this alleged listing with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. While Android 16 is expected to run right out of the box, the tipster adds that the phone was spotted with the Adreno 810 GPU.

Elsewhere, 12GB of RAM was seen in the Geekbench listing. This final point leads us to another rumor spotted by GSMArena, which was posted on X by Sudhanshu. The rumor claims that Nothing is preparing to launch the 4a series "soon" globally. The tipster also purports what the storage sizes for the series could offer consumers.

The tipster suggests the Phone 4a Pro could deliver a 256GB storage option with 12GB of RAM; however, its 128GB version could dip toward 8GB RAM. The same configurations were rumored for the base Phone 4a, as well.

Ready for Nothing

It's worth getting out of the way that these rumored RAM/storage configurations are pretty similar to what Nothing gave consumers last year. This is the company's mid-range lineup, so perhaps we're right in the ballpark of what to expect. We might have to look elsewhere for improvements, and after Nothing's CEO Carl Pei's teaser, that might happen.

Pei teased that while the company isn't making a new flagship (the Phone 3 is its flagship for 2026), the Phone 4a series is on the way. No date was given; however, Pei teased that the Phone 4a series will "take things close to a flagship experience." The series has reportedly been completely overhauled from its display to its camera and more. Also, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset truly steps up the gaming performance for mid-range phones.

A mid-range that can handle itself for more intensive games would be a welcome change, but there's likely more behind the scenes that consumers might need to see.

Android Central's Take

Some of what these rumors from social media are talking about, namely the SoC, was rumored previously. It's good to see Nothing stepping up a chip that's a little more current, though I've seen users online already expressing their distaste for what it might offer. We're still picking up pieces of what Nothing's truly trying to deliver. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, as I wait to see what's actually coming. Pei teased a complete overhaul. Let's see.

What you need to know

• Nothing's new Playground tool lets users build simple Android apps using AI, without needing any coding knowledge.
• Playground creates mini apps based on text prompts, turning ideas into working apps in just a few minutes.
• The feature is currently in beta and exclusive to the Nothing Phone 3, with a wider rollout planned later.

If you've ever opened the Google Play Store hoping to find the exact app you need, only to be disappointed that it doesn't exist or is buried under thousands of ads, you can now build your own app without knowing how to code, thanks to Nothing's new Playground tool.

Nothing has announced a new "vibe coding" tool called Playground that lets regular users like you and me build mini apps for specific needs without any knowledge of Android app development. The tool allows you to simply describe what you want the app to do, and it builds the entire app for you using AI.

Think of it like explaining an image prompt to Gemini, but instead of generating an image, Playground creates a functional app.

In one example shared on X, Nothing showed a user asking Playground to build an app that looks at their calendar, weather, and training plan, then suggests the best time to work out. The tool generated a fully working app tailored to that request in just a few minutes.

Nothing says you can build, update, and add features to apps, or even roll back to previous versions using Playground. For now, the tool is available in beta and is exclusive to the Nothing Phone 3. The company says Playground will eventually expand to Essential Apps and roll out to other Nothing and CMF devices running Nothing OS 4.0 or newer.

Since Playground is still in its early stages, Essential Apps can currently request only three permissions: location, calendar, and contacts. Nothing says a later February OS update will add support for activity recognition, sensor data, and a dedicated Weather API.

Support for custom app icons, audio, and fonts is also planned. Nothing also says that Essential Apps will move to a public release later this year once stability improves.

You can already try building your own apps by visiting Nothing's Playground website and signing in. There are also plenty of apps created by other users that you can download and experiment with right now.

Android Central's Take

Building my own app is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but I have never learned how to code. Nothing is not promising full-scale app development using AI alone, and you would still need tools like Codex or Cursor for that. But for niche, purpose-built mini apps, the idea behind Playground sounds genuinely exciting.

Nothing says not every app needs to solve a problem for everyone, and the goal of Essential Apps is to let users build exactly what they need for themselves. That idea feels genuinely useful, and in my opinion, it is far more practical than many of the AI tools we have seen so far.

Nothing's flagship phones are neat, but the company seems laser-focused on the budget and midrange markets at the moment. It currently sells three affordable smartphone models, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite, Phone 3a, and Phone 3a Pro, and that doesn't include its CMF sub-brand. On the earbuds front, there's the Nothing Ear, Ear a, Ear open, and Ear 3, all of which are priced on the low end of the market. Throw in the CMF Buds 2, Buds 2a, and Buds 2 Pro, and Nothing sells a lot of budget products.

The brand apparently thinks there's room in the lineup for one more pair of over-ear headphones. Leaks and rumors point to Nothing unveiling a cheaper "Headphone (a)" model next month to join the Nothing Headphone 1 and CMF Headphone Pro, both of which were released last year. Based on current expectations, the Nothing Headphone (a) would cost around $200, splitting the middle between CMF and Nothing's existing over-ear offerings.

I'm not sold on the idea of a Nothing Headphone (a) finding success, and that's mostly because the CMF Headphone Pro and Nothing Headphone 1 already offer a compelling value proposition. This is what I want to see (and don't want to see) from the rumored Headphone (a).

What I want to see from Nothing's Headphone (a)

Last month, Nothing CEO Carl Pei said that the company will "double down" on the over-ear headphone market in 2026. That's not a direct confirmation that the Nothing Headphone (a) will indeed release, but it's as good a sign as any. Shortly after, reliable leaker Billbil-kun revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Nothing's upcoming Headphone (a) are expected to come in at an attractive price point. The headphones would undercut Nothing's Headphone 1, which retail for $299.

A prior leak suggested that the Nothing Headphone (a) would simply be a repackaged version of Headphone 1, ditching the complex half-metal design for a cheaper plastic build. The benefit of that scenario would be that the important parts, like the audio drivers, could remain the same. However, this new leak from Billbil-kun suggests that there could be bigger differences between the two models to justify the price comparison.

The leak projects the Nothing Headphone (a) could be announced on March 5 with a release date of March 12. If that turns out to be the case, it's not too far away. Pricing for the Headphone (a) in Europe and the United Kingdom is allegedly set for €159 and £149, respectively. Direct conversions would put U.S. pricing for the Headphone (a) at around $200, but it's worth noting that the U.K. and U.S. prices of the Headphone 1 are identical.

The best way to explain what I want to see from the Nothing Headphone (a) is to describe what I don't want to see. Nothing has a habit of blending the CMF and Nothing lines together, releasing similar products via both brands. For instance, the Nothing Phone 3a Lite and CMF Phone 2 Pro look different, but the underlying specs are nearly identical. Even the price point is similar. If Nothing is adding a new pair of over-ear headphones to its lineup, I want it to be clearly different from the CMF Headphone Pro and the Nothing Headphone 1.

That includes designing the headphones to be more premium than the Headphone Pro while being simpler than the Headphone 1. The former feel as cheap as they're priced, but Headphone (a) will need to feature a better build quality to command a price point around $200. Meanwhile, the Headphone 1 design is polarizing, with a squircle metal chassis sandwiched between an oval ear cushion and an oval plastic window that protrudes from the platform.

Based on the rumored white, black, pink, and yellow colorways for the Nothing Headphone (a), I'm inclined to think the headphones will be almost entirely plastic. To be fair, plastic can feel premium, but Nothing should avoid the glossy plastic used on the CMF Headphone Pro.

The CMF Headphone Pro and Nothing Headphone 1 are already solid

CMF Headphone Pro and Nothing Headphone 1 both sound great for their respective price points, which puts quite a bit of pressure on the rumored Headphone (a). It needs to sound better than the Headphone Pro and the 40mm drivers within them, while also giving room for the Headphone 1 to exist at a higher price point. It's a tall ask, because the CMF Headphone Pro met my essential needs without issue during my testing.

The sound quality is superb for the price with LDAC support at up to 990 kbps over Bluetooth. Battery life is good, too, reaching 50 hours on a single charge with ANC enabled. Really, the one area where CMF and Nothing clearly have room for improvement is active noise cancellation. The headphones could be better at blocking out ambient noise, and crucially, I'd like to see transparency mode improved. Voices could be clearer with transparency mode active on the CMF Headphone Pro, so there's an obvious place for Headphone (a) to grow.

In a dream scenario, I'd love it if Nothing tamed its aggressive sound signature tuning out of the box. To date, Nothing headphones and earbuds typically come with bold and bass-heavy sound that can overpower the mids and highs in certain scenarios. This is great for some listeners and can be easily fixed with the built-in EQ, but it would be stellar if the Nothing Headphone (a) was more neutral out of the box. I'd rather need to manually give my headphones more bass than balance.

Is the Nothing headphone lineup becoming too crowded?

Nothing seems to be making the right move by attacking the budget and midrange sectors of the tech industry. It's much easier to expand into those areas of the market that typically offer weaker offerings. In the audio category specifically, many of the options at the $100 and $200 price points leave a lot to be desired. That's the case for the Nothing Headphone (a) to be a hit.

I do wonder, though, if the overwhelming amount of options within the Nothing and CMF lineups puts too much pressure on prospective buyers. Right now, there are a lot of phones, earbuds, and headphones available from Nothing and CMF for users to choose from. In some cases, it's tricky to figure out the differences between each model and why you should pay more for the upgraded versions.

That's why it's crucial for Nothing to depict a clear value proposition for the Headphone (a). Otherwise, it might further complicate a crowded lineup.

What you need to know

• Nothing's CEO Carl Pei delivered some statements and teasers about the company's 2026 outlook in a YouTube video.
• Pei reveals that 2026 with not have a new flagship phone, but it will build on Nothing OS 4 for the Phone 3 with an exclusive feature that will have a beta soon.
• Pei then teased that the Phone 4a series is coming this year with its sights set on completely overhauling and upgrading its display, camera, and performance.

Nothing is discussing what consumers can look forward to this year, and if you're eager for its next flagship, maybe dial it back.

In a YouTube video, Rob, from Nothing's Content Team, sat down with the company's CEO, Carl Pei, to discuss the brand's 2026 outlook. Through the lighthearted moments, Pei silenced the room of two when he revealed that Nothing will not have a new flagship for 2026. Pei states, "We're not just going to churn out a phone—a flagship phone—every year just for the sake of it."

He adds, "We want every upgrade to feel significant." Pei elaborates in the video, stating that he wants to stick to the foundation Nothing was built on, which is not doing things like everyone else.

Pei teases that, with the Phone 3 launch, they also upgraded to Nothing OS 4.0, but with that comes a new feature (still in development). In Essential Apps, Pei teases that Nothing is developing a way for people to tell their phone's system what kind of app or widget they want, and let it take over to create it for them. This is headed for the flagship Phone 3 first. A beta is reportedly coming up.

The A-series is taking center stage, with Pei saying that the Phone 4a series is going to "take things close to a flagship experience." Nothing says that's working to completely overhaul the 4a series, improving its display, camera, and performance, and much more.

2026 is here, so is Nothing

It really seems like we might be approaching a Phone 4a series debut, considering rumors have been popping up, and now Nothing's CEO is talking. To not get ahead of ourselves, reports have spotted the Phone 4a and the Phone 4a Pro receiving certification ahead of what seems like an early 2026 launch. There are very few details about these devices (which is what we're eager for), but it seems like the phones could sport a newer Snapdragon 7s series chip.

This could likely be the newer Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. As far as design goes, Carl Pei teased that the Phone 4a series is looking at a mix-up again, but we're still clueless about what it is.

Android Central's Take

Nothing has become a brand that's continuously caught my eye. I'm not sure if it's the dream and ambitions to be different, and to chase that, or because what it brings to the table is genuinely interesting. The Phone 3a and 3a Pro completely rattled the mid-range market when they launched—and for good reason. Considering Pei's words about the 4a series, I'm really interested in the strength of the phones. While yes, these mid-ranges deliver some intriguing software/utilities, what about power? Specifically, are we ramping up anything for mobile gaming, which is where the previous duo dropped the ball?

What you need to know

• Another Nothing rumor highlights the Phone 4a Pro, as the model supposedly passed through the EU energy certification.
• The device seemingly rocks a 5,080mAh battery with the same 50W charging, alongside an IP65 rating.
• A previous leak located the base Phone 4a passing through a UAE database, which could mean we're growing closer to an eventual launch.

Leaks about Nothing's next phone duo continue to surface, but what's been spotted suggests a minimalistic future.

Another tipster on social media posted some alleged information regarding the Nothing Phone 4a Pro after it appeared in a certification database (via GSMArena). The post states that the Phone 4a Pro, marked as A069P, was spotted moving through the EU's EPREL listings for energy approval. This concerns its battery, which is where the tipster states we might only see minimal change.

According to the listing, the Phone 4a Pro may only feature a 5,080mAh battery. Looking back, the Phone 3a Pro, like the base 3a, offers a 5,000mAh battery. Consumers might only be in for a subtle 80mAh difference between the two generations.

The certification details continue, stating the Phone 4a Pro could also provide 50W wired charging and an IP65 rating. As GSMArena points out, those energy certification details have given the device a "C" in fall testing and a "C" in repairability. The tipster added to their thread today, stating that the Phone 4a Pro has supposedly passed through India's BIS certification, too.

Looking forward

It looks like we're just getting started with Nothing's mid-range leaks, as yesterday, reports surfaced about the base Phone 4a. Another overseas certification listing was discovered, placing the device at the forefront of our minds. While the listing didn't express any key details, it's at least (probably) indicative that a launch is on the way. Nothing debuted its 3a series around March last year, and it looks like sentiments for this year remain the same.

Each model in the series sports a 5,000mAh battery with 50W charging. So, while we're seemingly not in for much change here, the 3a series does sport an IP64 rating. In that, it looks like Nothing is trying to up its resistances by a touch.

The price of this next series is still up in the air; however, Nothing has confirmed that its products might rise in that regard. The company attributes this to the rise in DRAM and NAND costs.

Android Central's Take

I'm more interested in what else Nothing can bring to its mid-range series. Such devices are a little more consumer-friendly due to their slightly lower price point. At the same time, the Phone 3a Pro was a stellar device, as pointed out by Android Central's Harish Jonnalagadda. The device's hardware was what stood out the most, and I don't think I'm worried that Nothing can deliver on that front. It's just, when you look at others, like Motorola with the Edge 2025 and its 5,200mAh battery (68W) charging, you want some more urgency.

What you need to know

• Rumors claim that the Nothing Phone 4a has arrived for certification in an overseas database.
• While the listing didn't hold any key details, previous rumors allege the device could sport a newer Snapdragon 7s series chip.
• Nothing recently confirmed that prices for its phones could rise in 2026 due to higher DRAM and NAND prices.

Nothing's Phone 3a series launched within the first few months of 2025, and now there are rumors about its successor.

A post early this morning (Jan 26) by Anvin, a tipster on X, claims that the Nothing Phone 4a has surfaced in an important database (via GSMArena). The tipster's report is light; however, that's likely on purpose (if true) because the Phone 4a has allegedly been certified overseas. Their post states the device appeared in the UAE's TDRA database. In it, the listing mentions the model by its codename: A069.

The folks at GSMArena highlight a previous discovery that claimed the Pro version of this device was marked as A069P.

While this database listing didn't divulge much information (they rarely do), 9to5Google once highlighted a tipster from Telegram. That post alleged a Phone 4a and 4a Pro were on the way and that Nothing could stick with Qualcomm's more mid-range/affordable Snapdragon 7s series chips. Prices could range from $475 to $540 for the 4a and 4a Pro, respectively. The rumors add that the Pro version could be the only model to offer eSIM.

That tipster posted again, claiming that the pair could debut in March 2026, which would line up with Nothing's last series.

The 4a series in en route

The Nothing Phone 3a sort of redefined that mid-range segment for consumers last year. At the time, the company was hyping up its switch from MediaTek chips to Qualcomm, providing its devices with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. It was a budget chip that had been optimized to support stronger AI capabilities and even better performance. However, there were tests that placed the 3a lower than the 2a in gaming and graphical scenarios.

It remains to be seen what the Phone 4a and 4a Pro bring to the table, considering it could feature the newer Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. That chip really went all in on flagship-quality gaming features and support, so maybe the device can strive higher this year. Pricing is a concern, as Nothing confirmed that phones will go up in 2026 due to rising DRAM and NAND costs.

Android Central's Take

It's going to be hard to keep me quiet about this one. Mid-range phones are an anomaly sometimes. Either they're really good and can perform well, or they leave much to be desired. Seeing as the Phone 3a, in benchmark tests, was placed lower than the 2a that came before it, hopefully, Nothing is looking to do better. I certainly hope so, considering consumers opting for mid-range don't necessarily have to settle with "lesser." More than that, not less than what came a year before.

What you need to know

• Carl Pei says smartphone prices will rise in 2026 as memory costs surge and brands struggle to absorb the impact.
• DRAM and NAND prices have spiked sharply due to competition between smartphones and AI data centers.
• Memory has become one of the most expensive smartphone components, pushing up the bill of materials for brands.

Carl Pei, founder and CEO of Nothing, has explained why smartphone prices are likely to rise in 2026 and warned that brands operating in the budget and mid-range segments could struggle as a result.

If you've been following industry news lately, prices for both DRAM, such as LPDDR5, and NAND flash memory have been climbing sharply over the past month. These components are critical to smartphones, with DRAM used for RAM and NAND used for storage.

According to CyberPowerPC, global memory prices have surged by as much as 500%, while SSD prices are up nearly 100%, with no immediate signs of cooling down. If these increases were temporary, brands could have absorbed the costs and waited for prices to normalize.

However, that does not appear to be the case, meaning the higher costs are now likely to be passed on to consumers.

Pei took to X to say that smartphone prices, including Nothing's own devices, will increase in 2026. He noted that the industry has long operated under the assumption that smartphone components would inevitably become cheaper over time, but that assumption no longer holds true.

Why smartphone prices will increase in 2026

Much of the increase is driven by competition for the same memory components used in AI data centers. As smartphones and AI infrastructure now compete directly for DRAM and NAND supply, prices have risen sharply as a result.

Pei added that memory costs have already increased by up to three times and are quickly becoming one of the most expensive components in a smartphone. This has significantly raised the bill of materials for manufacturers, with some estimates suggesting memory modules that cost under $20 a year ago could exceed $100 by the end of the year for top-tier devices.

As a result, your next smartphone is likely to be more expensive than it otherwise would have been. Pei also confirmed that prices across Nothing's smartphone portfolio will "inevitably" increase, partly because some devices launching in Q1 2026 will move to faster UFS 3.1 storage.

While this may not be entirely surprising coming from Pei, Nothing is one of the first major Android brands to publicly confirm that smartphone prices will rise in 2026.

In other news, Samsung has reportedly been considering price increases for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, although there is no official confirmation yet. The Galaxy S26 series is expected to launch on February 25, 2026.

What you need to know

• Nothing detailed an update today (Jan 9), stating that it's removing Lock Glimpse from Phone a Series phones, except the Lite, after user feedback.
• The company also states that it's giving users a true way to remove bloatware, such as Meta service apps, by disabling them, and then restarting.
• Nothing's bloatware was an aspect users didn't take too kindly too late last year, voicing their displeasure across its channels.

Nothing's here with an update to end the week, and it's all about delivering fixes for the grievances users have had with its software.

In an updated community thread, Nothing's January 9 update talks about bloatware, app recommendations, and Lock Glimpse. There are two huge talking points here, so things kick off with Lock Glimpse, as Nothing is removing the feature entirely. The post states that the feature will disappear from the Nothing Phone a Series, except for the Lite.

Nothing says it has made the decision "based on feedback" and that it will only return Lock Glimpse to devices "once it’s meaningfully improved to feel less intrusive and more considered."

The other major side of this Friday update is bloatware. Nothing states users can now "fully remove" the Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager, and Meta Service from the Phone 3a lite. Entering the setting's page for the app and tapping "Disable" is how you get the ball rolling. After disabling, Nothing says your device will prompt you to restart. It adds that once this reboot concludes, "all Meta services are removed from the system partition."

The post notes that if you factory reset your device, these Meta services will return.

Lastly, Nothing is adding "app recommendations." This feature is stated to be a part of your device's setup experience; however, it may also appear "after certain updates." The post says that users can easily dismiss these notifications by swiping them away. A more permanent fix would be to disable it completely: Settings > Apps > All apps > Top-right icon > Show system > App Services > Disable.

These recommendations are headed for Nothing Phone a Series and CMF phones. The company states it's also looking to bring support for uninstalling App Services, like Meta's services, in a future OTA for more phones.

Solving problems, one at a time

Users raised their voices about a problem late last year: the heavy bloatware needs to go. Nothing faced backlash over its OS 4.0 software after users discovered instances of bloatware, such as Meta App Installer, Meta App Manager, and Meta Services. The company highlighted that it previously only let users disable such apps, but offering a true removal option is exactly what users were chasing.

This was something Nothing alluded to during the Open Beta, stating that it would pre-install "partner apps and services" to help its BOM costs (Bill of Materials). While this is common in the industry, users quickly used Nothing's own words against it, resurfacing an old tweet: "Nothing OS takes out the bloatware."

What you need to know

• Nothing revealed its Phone 3a Community Edition phone, showcasing its retro, throwback design that its winners have created together.
• The device features a "Made Together" campaign, which highlights its new accessory, Dice, as well as a lock screen/wallpaper that seamlessly merges its light blue, retro rear panel with Nothing's tech.
• The Phone 3a Community Edition can be expected to fully release on December 12, though there only 1,000 units being made, which consumers can register for at nothing.tech.

This is the week that, if you've been eagerly awaiting what the Nothing community has cooked up for a phone, you're going to be excited, as there's only 1,000 to get.

This morning (Dec 9), Nothing officially announced the Phone 3a Community Edition that it has relentlessly toiled away at with four campaign creators over nine months. Kicking off the phone's reveal is the "Made Together" campaign, which Nothing states, "celebrates the design process and collaboration within the Nothing community." The design language of this campaign represents "making tech fun to inspire human creativity." It credits campaign winner, Sushruta Sarkar, for taking charge here.

According to Nothing, the winning design for the Phone 3a goes to one of its campaign creators, Emre Kayganacl. This was "stage one" in the development process, as Kayganacl spearheaded the Phone 3a's new aesthetic with a "late 90s and early 2000s technology" theme. The Phone 3a's Community Edition takes on this light blue color, which Nothing says reminds it of old game toys (think Game Boy).

Joining the Phone 3a is an accessory: dice. Nothing states that while dice typically represent chance in gaming and more, it paired this Phone 3a'a accessory with dice that feature its Ndot 55 font. Ambrogio Tacconi and Louis Aymond took charge of this particular development aspect.

The final aspect of the Phone 3a, bringing it all home, is its lock screen and wallpaper design. Nothing states the device's new design, led by Jad Zock, "reduces visual clutter and guides the eye intuitively to the key components." The company also states that consumers interested in the phone will find that the design still ensures users get all the information they need quickly without forgetting.

Nothing credits Jad Zock's design as one that seamlessly merges the rear design with its digital aesthetic. Users will find four versions of this wallpaper available (two blue, two purple) as well as a few easter eggs.

The Community Edition is here

As stated previously, Nothing is only creating 1,000 Phone 3a Community Editions for consumers in a 12/256GB variant. The general public can register for a chance to grab one from December 9 to December 11. A limited sales window will open on December 12 at nothing.tech (users can register from there, too), so keep your phone or PC close.

Nothing also states that "select retailers" will have sales beginning on December 12 for the Community Edition for £379/€379 /₹28,999 /¥59,800. However, if you're within the London area, Nothing's Store Soho will have the device in stock on December 13 (this Saturday), beginning at 11:00 GMT.

What you need to know

• Nothing appears to have paused the rollout for the Nothing OS 4 update, which is based on Android 16.
• A Reddit post shared what is claimed to be an email from Nothing support confirming the Nothing OS 4 update has been paused.
• Nothing is apparently working on a patched version of the update that will roll out once it passes internal testing.

Nothing took its time readying its Android 16-based update for release, with Nothing OS 4 only hitting the stable channel on Nov. 21. The update initially debuted for the Nothing Phone 3, and later made its way to older Nothing Phone models by Nov. 28. However, Nothing Phone users have reported bugs with Nothing OS 4, and the launch has been rocky. In fact, it looks like Nothing has paused the Nothing OS 4 rollout entirely as it works to fix some of the update's issues.

The first sign that Nothing OS 4's rollout may have been halted came on Dec. 1, when a report from Techiboy noted that the update appeared to disappear from user devices. Now, a post from u/nikhkin on Reddit claims that the Nothing OS 4 release was indeed paused. The post cites a screenshotted email from Nothing's support team responding to the customer's inquiry into why their Nothing Phone 3 hadn't received the Android 16 update yet.

"We have received feedback from the relevant team and we ... regret to inform you we have temporarily halted and removed the current 4.0 rollout and are working on an urgent fix," the screenshotted email, claimed to be from a Nothing support representative, explained. "Thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to deliver a stable update as soon as possible."

Nothing OS 4.0 rollout has been paused from r/NothingTech

The support email contains a few grammatical errors, but appears to be authentic and from Nothing support. Android Central reached out to Nothing to confirm the Nothing OS 4 rollout has been paused, but the company did not respond in time for publication. We will update this article when we hear back.

The email does not mention the specific bug or issue affecting the stable Nothing OS 4 build, but says the company is working on "an urgent fix." Once the patched version passes Nothing's internal testing, it will roll out to users, according to the email. Users who already have Nothing OS 4 are set to receive a patched version of the update, and the Android 16 rollout will open for users who didn't get a chance to update.

It's unclear when the patched Nothing OS 4 build will resume rolling out, but we've asked Nothing for clarification.

What you need to know

• Nothing announced that its Phone 3a Community Edition, the company's second ever, will launch on December 9 at 1 PM GMT (8 AM EST).
• The device was crafted with the top four winners from its previous submission period, which involved an expanded nine-month development process that touched on more aspects of its phone than before.
• Nothing launched 1,000 units of its first project, the Phone 2a Plus Community Edition, in 2024.

Nothing's co-creation campaign is heating the biting winter, as the company announces when to expect its second Community Edition phone.

As Nothing did with its first edition, it brought in four winners to London to collaborate on what would become the Phone 3a Community Edition earlier in 2025. While the newest edition isn't launching until December 9 at 1 PM GMT (8 AM EST), the company's press release states the phone is the culmination of several aspects. Together with Nothing, these four people worked on its hardware and accessory design, as well as its lock screen clock and wallpaper.

What's more, everyone had a hand in the phone's marketing campaign, which we're now seeing come to light.

Nothing is highlighting its lessons learned from its first collaborative Community Edition by stating it's revamped its development timeline by "extending the co-creation window." This year, everyone reportedly worked together for nine months. Even the aspects of the phone's design were expanded, so everyone could get more involved with the Community Edition from top to bottom.

The winning creators were gifted a £1,000 cash prize, as well, for their involvement during the submission process and beyond. Nothing states that this year's Community Edition embodies its "ambitious and bold" mindset for product design.

Made with the community

Nothing mentioned its lessons learned from its first Community Edition, which was the Phone 2a Plus that launched in 2024. Similar to what we're getting soon, Nothing created that device with "input from the fans." The device also featured similar internals to what consumers received during the Phone 2a Plus' original launch that same year.

What resulted after the long creation process was a 2a Plus that glowed in the dark. It's important to note that, during its first Community Edition, Nothing only made 1,000 units. It was a limited-time run that surely gripped those involved and others who enjoyed that glowing aesthetic. It remains to be seen if Nothing will do something similar with its Phone 3a Community Edition.

In other news, Nothing's been rolling out its OS 4.0 update to its recent phones. The company's flagship Phone 3 received the patch first, late in November. It came with some exclusive features, too, like Glyph Toys, Glyph Mirror Selfie, Flip to Glyph controls, and more. Most recently, and in good timing, the Phone 3a started receiving its major Android 16 upgrade.

The Phone 3a sits on the budget side of the line, but Nothing's not treating it as such. The company is quickly rolling out its promised Nothing OS 4 update after its flagship received it officially. System animations, battery optimization, and much more are involved in this update, making the Phone 3a much better in all areas.

What you need to know

• Nothing’s Phone 3a lineup is finally getting the stable Android 16 + Nothing OS 4.0 update, bringing a major performance and stability jump.
• The update speeds up system animations, tightens background task management, and delivers smarter battery optimization.
• A new AI Usage Dashboard in Essential Space explicitly tracks LLM activity, showing you exactly when AI features are running.

If you own a budget smartphone, you’re probably used to waiting. While flagship owners flaunt the latest software, the mid-range crowd often sits in the waiting room for months. Nothing broke that cycle with the Phone 2a Plus, and it continues it with its latest budget models.

Just days after upgrading its flagship Phone 3, the company is pushing the stable Android 16-based Nothing OS 4.0 update to the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro.

For those tracking the version numbers, this is build B4.0-251118-1551. It jumps these devices straight to Android 16, layering Nothing’s signature monochrome aesthetic on top of Google's latest OS improvements.

The first thing you’ll notice is the new look. There are redesigned app icons and two new lock-screen clock faces inspired by old dot-matrix displays. The standout feature, though, is the new Extra Dark Mode. If your phone has ever felt too bright at night, this mode makes the screen even darker and could help your OLED panel last a bit longer.

Customization is also improved. The Quick Settings panel now lets you add more 2x2 tiles, and the Weather, Pedometer, and Screen Time widgets are available in more sizes.

Privacy you can see

Nothing is focusing more on transparency with a new AI Usage Dashboard in Essential Space. Rather than making general claims about privacy, this tool clearly tracks large language model (LLM) activity. It shows you which AI features are running and when, offering a level of detail that most smartphones don’t provide.

The camera update combines technical improvements with creative features. It launches faster and has a new interface, but the highlight is the new "Stretch" filter. Made with fashion photographer Jordan Hemingway, this preset gives your photos a unique, cinematic look.

For video, Motion Photos now let you record longer clips with audio. The new "Flip to Record" feature also lets you take photos without stopping your video.

Multitasking is easier now. The updated pop-up view can handle two floating icons at once, so you can drag and drop or switch between tasks more smoothly. You can also hide apps right from the app drawer or home screen.

The Glyph Interface is also improving. It now works with Android 16’s Live Update notifications, so third-party apps like Uber or food delivery can show progress bars on the back of your phone.

Too many phones look the same these days, especially if you use a case on your phone. And while that might be fine for some people, others could be looking for a bit of a style switch-up. That's where the Nothing Phone 3 comes in, and with the first 20% off sale of the year, it's easy to finally get a phone that's as unique as you.

In our Nothing Phone 3 review, we praised the phone, saying "the Phone 3 is nothing short of the brand's best device. The design is all grown up, but you still get the quintessential Nothing ethos with bold styling and a new Glyph Matrix LED at the back."

To make things even better, Nothing just released Nothing OS 4.0 based on Android 16, which comes with a host of impressive new features you're going to love. Getting up to $180 off this unique phone AND getting a brand new update on day one? Now that's a win-win!

✅Recommended if: You want a phone that feels and looks unique, sports an excellent history of meaningful updates, and packs plenty of "fun" into everyday experiences.

❌Skip this deal if: You need the best camera or performance. Neither of these things is bad on the phone, but other phones on sale during Black Friday may offer better specs.

The Nothing Phone 3 is the company's first phone to sport full U.S. support, including open sales at everyone's favorite retailers and compatibility with the uniquely weird wireless networks here. That also includes proper support for U.S. customers, something that wasn't always guaranteed with previous models sold under the "beta" program.

This phone is a particularly good recommendation here in the U.S. because, quite simply, we have very few smartphone options available when compared to the rest of the world. Nothing stands out as a UK brand with unique design characteristics, including a fast and fluid OS that isn't a bloated mess, plus the unique Glyph Matrix screen on the back that adds a bit of fun to the otherwise bland smartphone game.

Our review pointed out that what was offered here simply wasn't worth the $799 starting price, but $639 is a substantially better place to start. That's particularly where this deal excels, and it makes this unique phone an easy recommendation when you don't have $1000 or more to spend.

If you end up picking up a Nothing Phone 3, I highly recommend grabbing a Tudia Lucion case, which is also on sale today for a few bucks off. This $16 case feels great and retains the authentic, unique look of your Nothing Phone 3 without sacrificing protection.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
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