Nothing Has 2 New Midrange Phones, but Only 1 Will Be Sold in the US | WIRED

Overview

Nothing Has 2 New Midrange Phones, but Only 1 Will Be Sold in the US

It's midrange phone season. Google's

499 Pixel 10a goes on sale today, Apple announced its

599 i Phone 17e early this week, and now it's Nothing's turn.

Details

The UK company—from One Plus founder Carl Pei—announced the Nothing Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro at an event in London, hot on the heels of Mobile World Congress 2026.

After four years on the mobile handset market, Nothing is still lacking a major presence in the US. That's partly because it has mostly sold its phones through a confusing beta program for some time. Also, it doesn't have any US carrier partners, which is how most Americans buy a new smartphone. This latest launch still doesn't inspire confidence that the US phone market is a priority for the company, considering only the Phone (4a) Pro will be sold stateside.

Nothing spokesperson Lewis Hopkins says the company made the decision based on which model it expected to perform better in the market. Still, Hopkins did confirm that Nothing is expanding its retail presence globally—it just opened a store in Bengaluru, India, and stores in Tokyo and New York City are on the horizon.

The Phone (4a), which won't launch in the US, costs £349, whereas the Phone (4a) Pro will start at $499, matching the Google Pixel 10a's price. The former goes on sale March 13, whereas the Pro launches exclusively through Amazon on March 27.

Nothing also unveiled the Headphone (a), a more budget-friendly version of the over-ear headphones it debuted last year. It will be sold in the US for $199, beginning March 13. Here's everything you need to know.

The Phone (4a) series remains the most unique-looking smartphone on the market. The (4a) is not too dissimilar from last year's Phone (3a), with the company claiming it has the friendliness of the Phone (2a) and the technical look of the Phone (3a).

The Phone (4a) Pro, on the other hand, has a fresh look that differs from its predecessor. The camera module is a little similar to the i Phone 17 Pro redesign, though it's still unique with its camera layout and the large "Glyph Matrix" from the Phone (3) on the back. Nothing says the camera bump is 50 percent harder and more wear-resistant, which is good, because my Phone (3a) Pro's camera glass cracked the first time I dropped it less than a foot from the ground.

Like Apple, Nothing is leaning into more fun color options for its budget devices. The Phone (4a) comes in blue, pink, white, and black, and the Pro is available in black, white, and pink.

You'll notice the gimmicky but fun Glyph lights are different yet again. Nothing has long used these LED strips to make its smartphones stand out and to add some utility, though it has made tweaks to the Glyph design for almost every new device. For example, the light can slowly go down on one of the bars as your Uber draws near. It'll do the same if you set a timer. It can flash in a particular pattern when your spouse calls. You get the idea.

On the (4a), Nothing has refashioned it into the “Glyph Bar.” Many of these features are still available; it's just a little more streamlined and retro. And yes, the red dot below is a functional recording light for when you capture video. On the (4a) Pro, it's the souped-up Glyph Matrix on the back, similar to the mini display on Nothing's flagship Phone (3). This version has a different set of features, like the Glyph Mirror, which shows an outline of your head so you can snap a photo with the rear camera and be sure that you're in the frame.

The Phone (4a) is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset and starts with 8 GB of RAM, whereas the (4a) Pro enjoys a power boost with the slightly better Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. They have the same storage options and matching 5,080-m Ah battery capacities, along with 50-watt wired fast charging. There is no wireless charging.

Display: 6.78 inch, AMOLED LTPS, 30-120 Hz, 4,500 nits (peak brightness)

6.83 inch, AMOLED LTPS, 30-144 Hz, 5,000 nits (peak brightness)

Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 with 8 or 12 GB of RAM

Cameras: 50-MP main, 8-MP ultrawide, 50-MP telephoto (3.5X optical), 32-MP selfie camera

50-MP main, 8-MP ultrawide, 50-MP telephoto (3.5X optical), 32-MP selfie camera

Misc: 50-watt fast charging, IP64, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Glyph Bar, recording light, Essential Space and Key

50-watt fast charging, IP65, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Glyph Matrix, recording light, Essential Space and Key, e SIM

Software updates: 3 Android OS upgrades, 6 years of security patches

Some small differences explain the price gap, such as the (4a) Pro's metal unibody, the larger screen with slimmer bezels, and the higher peak brightness, plus a 144-Hz refresh rate. The main 50-megapixel camera is a better Sony sensor versus the (4a)'s Samsung sensor; there's a slightly higher IP65 water-resistance rating on the Pro. Heck, it's even nicer than Nothing's flagship Phone (3) in some ways, with Nothing claiming that the (4a) Pro has its “best-ever display” and the thinnest design at 7.95 mm.

The Tetraprism Periscope Camera is akin to what's on the Phone (3), but it's still notable here because Nothing is one of the few companies offering a 3.5X optical zoom in addition to the primary and ultrawide cameras at these sub-$500 prices. Even Google's Pixel 10a only has a dual-camera system, and Apple's i Phone 17e has just a single camera.

Nothing claims it has made improvements to its imaging pipeline, so you should expect better portrait images, especially when it comes to separating hair when applying the blurred background effect. Also new are a set of camera presets to help you capture specific looks without fiddling with camera settings.

These phones launch with Nothing OS 4.1, based on Android 16, with some software tweaks, like a depth-effect lock screen wallpaper, an extra dark mode, and live notifications. There's a new Relaxation Hub with breathing and soundscape widgets to help you relax. Disappointingly, the Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro will only receive three Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates. While the latter is respectable, the lack of a similar commitment to version upgrades means fewer new Android features over the device's lifespan. Nothing lags behind competitors like Samsung and Google here.

Last summer, Nothing's first-ever over-ear Headphone (1) drew attention for its unique look. The iconic design was a standout in a sea of drab headphones. Now, the company wants to make the design more accessible with the Headphone (a). Nothing uses the “(a)” branding for its cheaper products, if you can't tell.

These headphones come in white, black, pink, and, for a limited time, yellow (the yellow model goes on sale April 6). The company says it has improved the foam molding on the headband for better support, and this design refresh has made them lighter as well. The controls are the same as the Headphone (1), though now you can tap one of the buttons to remotely snap a photo on your Nothing Phone, maybe to show off your new yellow cans.

There are hardly any compromises on audio quality, with the Headphone (a) offering a similar 40-mm dynamic driver, with support for static spatial audio, along with the AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs. It also has Bluetooth version 5.4, and can be connected to two devices simultaneously. Most of the hardware changes seem to be related to the product's build materials, which are now made up of more plastic to hit the lower $199 price.

However, battery life is significantly better, lasting 75 hours with active noise canceling on, and a whopping 135 hours with it off—that's around five days of listening time. The headphones take two hours to recharge and come with an IP52 rating.

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Key Takeaways

Nothing Has 2 New Midrange Phones, but Only 1 Will Be Sold in the US
It's midrange phone season
The UK company—from One Plus founder Carl Pei—announced the Nothing Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro at an event in London, hot on the heels of Mobile World Congress 2026
After four years on the mobile handset market, Nothing is still lacking a major presence in the US
Nothing spokesperson Lewis Hopkins says the company made the decision based on which model it expected to perform better in the market