Nothing Phone (4b) is Out Now

At first glance, it feels like a contradiction. It strips back some of Nothing's classic hardware power, yet introduces some of the most striking visual elements the brand has ever produced. But in a fiercely competitive market, does style overrule substance?

Flip the phone over, though, and Nothing’s signature DNA immediately takes over. The iconic Glyph Bar returns in a heavily refined, cleaner form. This time, it features 45 individually controlled mini-LEDs capable of pumping out an astonishing 3,500 nits of peak brightness. It isn’t just bright; it provides exceptional clarity for tracking your charging progress, checking silent notifications, timing recordings, and displaying personalized light alerts. It remains an experience that is entirely unique to Nothing.

When you look at what you lose for that $50 savings, the math gets tricky:

• The Processor: The 4b runs a mid-range Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. It handles daily tasks fine, but it utilizes slower LPDDR4X RAM and older UFS 2.2 storage, meaning it won’t feel as lightning-fast over the next three years.
• The Cameras: While you get a solid 50MP main camera, you completely lose the 4A's dedicated telephoto zoom lens.
• Durability: It only carries an IP64 splash-resistance rating, whereas similarly priced competitors from Samsung offer near-full waterproofing.

However, Nothing does throw in one massive spec to sweeten the pot: a mammoth 6,000mAh battery (5,200mAh in select global regions), giving it some of the longest endurance found on any modern budget device.

If you are a student, a minimal tech-enthusiast, or someone who values elite battery life and a beautifully clean, bloatware-free software interface, the $399 entry point is highly compelling. But if you want the absolute best bang for your buck, you might want to save up an extra $50 and skip straight to the Phone (4a).

Image: Nothing