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.
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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.
Android Central’s Take
Nothing aimed to stand out with its premium aluminum unibody, and it really achieved that strong, solid feel. But it’s frustrating that a company so focused on design details could overlook something as simple as hole placement. Fixing it would have been easy with a small metal grille or a slightly smaller drill bit.
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.
Android Central’s Take
I’m glad to see a metal unibody making a comeback. I’ve always liked the solid, practical feel of aluminum more than the delicate look of modern glass phones. Still, it’s clear that Nothing focused so much on being innovative that it missed some basics. Making a microphone hole that lets a SIM tool get past the water seals is a beginner’s mistake.
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.
