Nothing Phone (4a) Review: Periscope Zoom, Clean Software

The Nothing Phone (4a) is for buyers who want something the rest of the mid-range rarely offers: a true periscope zoom camera and clean software with no ads, in a design that stands out. The trade-off is ordinary battery life for the price, a modest chip for heavy games, and missing extras such as NFC payments and a charger in the box.

How good is the camera, especially zoom?

The 50 MP 3.5x periscope with optical stabilisation is the headline. Smartprix found it usable up to about 15x and called portrait mode a highlight, though zoomed shots were oversharpened and colours did not always match the main camera. The 50 MP main camera produced detailed, natural daylight photos with OIS; in low light, highlights could look harsh. The 8 MP ultrawide was the weakest of the three, and selfies softened indoors.

How long does the battery last?

The Indian model gets a larger 5,400 mAh cell than the 5,080 mAh global version. Even so, Smartprix recorded about 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time over two weeks: a full day for moderate users, but well short of big-battery rivals. Nothing quotes 50 W charging to 50 percent in 22 minutes; you need to buy a compatible charger.

Can it handle BGMI and other games?

For casual gaming, yes. Smartprix measured about 90 fps in BGMI and 89 fps in Call of Duty: Mobile, with stable performance after 30 minutes and only mild warmth near the cameras. Genshin Impact averaged 44 fps, which the reviewer called poor. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 scored about 11.4 lakh on AnTuTu in that review.

Is the display bright enough for Indian summers?

Nothing rates the 6.78-inch AMOLED at 1,600 nits outdoors and 4,500 nits peak, and Smartprix praised its sharpness, brightness and restrained colours. It also uses high-frequency PWM dimming, which helps people sensitive to flicker.

Is the software clean, and how long are updates?

Nothing OS 4.1 on Android 16 is consistently described as clean and clutter-free. Nothing promises three Android updates and six years of security patches, shorter than OnePlus’s four on the Nord 6.

Can you pay with tap-to-pay?

Probably not. Smartprix’s review says NFC payments are not available, and Nothing’s own spec sheet lists Google Pay NFC for every market except India. UPI by QR code works as usual.

Where the evidence is thin

Durability is only IP64, so the phone is splash-resistant rather than submersible. We could not confirm how far Nothing’s authorised service network reaches outside metros, so check for a centre in your city before buying. Some retail listings we saw were above the launch price, which reviewers linked to component shortages, so compare prices across stores.