What you need to know
- The Nothing Phone 4A Pro performs well in brutal durability tests, especially the bend test, thanks to its aluminum unibody.
- While the metal frame is rigid, the camera plateau is made of plastic.
- The biggest drawback is the poorly placed microphone hole, making it easy to accidentally damage the water-resistant mesh with a SIM tool.
Nothing new in the mid-range The Phone 4A Pro just faced some tough tests.
The JerryRigEverything YouTube channel put this $499 phone through scratch, fire, and bend testing. While it mostly impressed fans with its sturdy build quality, one design choice may jeopardize its water resistance.
The 4A Pro features a CNC-milled aluminum unibody, which brings back memories of the classic HTC One or the original Pixel.
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Due to the metal back, you will not get wireless charging, but in return the phone is quite sturdy. During a bend test conducted by JRE host Jack Nelson, it remained solid.
Android Central’s Tech
There’s no aim to stand out with its premium aluminum unibody, and it’s got a really strong, solid feel to it. But it’s disappointing that a company that focuses so much on design details can overlook something as simple as hole placement. This would have been easy to fix with a small metal grill or a slightly smaller drill bit.
However, the teardown revealed a subtle design flaw that may surprise owners. Usually, if you accidentally put your SIM device into the microphone hole, there is a twist or mesh inside to protect it. On the 4A Pro, the waterproof mesh sits right behind the hole.
Nelson’s tear shows that one wrong stroke of the SIM tool can break the first layer of water protection. Nothing added a second moisture barrier deeper inside, but it is easier to damage the first layer than usual.
Hardware is hit and miss
Apart from the metal body, durability results were mixed. The 6.8-inch AMOLED screen uses Gorilla Glass 7i, which withstands scratches at level 6 and deep marks at level 7 on the Mohs scale. That’s pretty standard, but 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 its pros and cons: it won’t break if you drop the phone, but it will wear and scratch more easily than the rest of the device.
Android Central’s Tech
I’m glad to see the return of the metal unibody. 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 fundamentals. Creating a microphone hole that allows a SIM device to get past the water seal is a beginner mistake.
Inside, the 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 those who are tired of phones with fragile glass. It’s hard, unique, and possibly the best Best built budget phone in its price range. However, the plastic camera housing and weak microphone mesh mean it’s not completely worry-free.
