Which Idle Phone Should I Buy? How do (4a) and (4a) Pro differ
The Nothing Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro are now official – and these two are very different from their predecessors.
The phone (4a) will go on sale sooner than the Pro version, so is it the one to get, or should you wait and use a spot on the latter?
Price
The Nothing Phone (4a) is up for pre-order now, with sales starting on March 13. This model is not available in the USA.
The Nothing Phone (4a) will open for pre-orders on March 13th, with an on-sale date of March 27th. It will be available in the USA.
I’ve created a quick lookup table of admission rates for three key states below. Note that this is the 128GB storage and 8GB RAM variant.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Phone (4a) |
Phone (4a) Pro |
|
In the UK |
£349 |
£499 |
|
USA |
N/A |
$499 |
|
EU |
€349 |
€479 |
I think 128GB storage is too low for most users, though, so Nothing offering a 256GB variant with more RAM seems like a smart choice. Here’s how prices go up instead:
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Phone (4a) |
Phone (4a) Pro |
|
In the UK |
£399 |
£549 |
|
USA |
N/A |
$599 |
|
EU |
€429 |
€549 |
Design
- Phone (4a): Plastic frame, glass back
- Phone (4a) Pro: Aluminum unibody
- Phone (4a) Pro only: Glyph Matrix feature
- Phone (4a): Pink, White, Black, Blue
- Phone (4a) Pro: Pink, Black, Silver
While the previous generation had a different and similar design language, the jump between the latest Phone (4a) and the Phone (4a) Pro is much greater.
That’s because the former opts for a plastic body, which exposes most of the components inside (like the classic Nothing design), while the latter opts for an aluminum unibody design, which hides the internal components.
That gives both handsets a very different look, the Pro looking and feeling more premium. It also makes the color options look very different, so don’t read ‘pink’ in one as meaning the same in another.
The Pro is also the only model to get the Glyph Matrix feature, as part of its enclosed camera, which is completely absent from the base model (4a).
Cameras
- Both: 50-megapixel 3.5x tele, 50MP main, 8MP wide-angle
- Pro: A small sensor upgrade for a large camera
- Both: 32MP front-facing selfie camera
- Pro only: up to 140x digital zoom
While the previous series (3a) was mainly defined by the difference in cameras – the Pro adds zoom that the basic model lacked – in the series (4a) it is a very different figure.
That’s because both the Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro both feature a 50-megapixel 3.5x telephoto zoom, both have a 50MP main camera, and a wide-angle one as well.
There’s little to distinguish it, then, except that the Pro’s main camera is a better sensor, so it should produce slightly better images. It also has more processing power, so it can offer more digital zoom, as one example.
Show
- Phone (4a): 6.78-inch display
- Phone (4a) Pro: 6.83-inch display
There’s a slight difference in the handset’s dimensions, too, as the Pro model has a slightly larger screen.
There’s no difference in scale then – and the pixel density is pretty much the same.
The Pro’s panel can be a little brighter, though, setting it apart from the base model.
Working
- Phone (4a): Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
- Phone (4a) Pro: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
- Both: 8GB RAM, 12GB option
- Both: 128GB storage base, 256GB option
- Both: 5080mAh battery capacity
Inside both models use a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but the Pro is the most powerful – with a faster clock speed.
That will translate to greater overall capability, with features like increased digital zoom being one example of that.
These two are not very different, they offer the same storage and RAM differences.
Both handsets also offer the same battery capacity (unlike in India, where the Pro is 5400mAh).
So which one has it?
For me, it’s the Pro model that takes it. Mainly down to its aluminum unibody design, which I think looks very premium.
I can take or leave the Glyph Matrix feature, though, and I don’t expect you’ll see any big shifts in performance or camera quality – other than minor differences.
That’s the main reason to buy the Phone (4a) Pro: for its aluminum finish above all else. It makes it look and feel better than the basic Phone plastic (4a).
Obviously the Pro is overpriced and doesn’t come with many color options. And it’s possible that bright pink or blue really appeals to you – when base (4a) wins.
