Conclusion on the Nothing Phone (4b)
The Phone (4b) is Nothing’s most affordable entry-level model in its smartphone lineup and also features the company’s distinctive design language. The Glyph Bar, which we’re already familiar with from the Phone (4a) and other models, is also included in a smaller form.
The large AMOLED display takes center stage here, but in our test measurements, it didn’t reach the advertised 2,000 nits; instead, it remained well below that at a maximum of 1,160 cd/m². This peak brightness is likely reserved only for very small white areas, so its practical benefit is minimal.
The Nothing Phone (4b)’s dual-camera system features a fairly small main sensor that quickly reaches its limits in low light and backlit conditions, though it does at least have OIS. There is no telephoto lens.
The Nothing phone is only available in Germany with 128 GB of internal storage, which we find a bit limited, especially since it doesn’t support microSD cards. The speakers measure at a slightly lower volume level than those on the (4a), but this is still clearly audible in a direct comparison.
In general, the Phone (4b)’s biggest competition comes from within its own lineup, as the Phone (4a) with the same storage configuration was actually cheaper than the (4b) at some retailers at the time of testing. One area where the Phone (4b) is clearly superior, however, is battery life. Nothing manages to squeeze an incredibly long runtime out of the 5,200 mAh battery, and with 1,400 charge cycles, the battery is also comparatively durable. It’s a shame that the larger 6,000 mAh battery is reserved for the Indian market.
The biggest trade-off with the Nothing Phone (4b) right now is its price; if it drops a bit, it will certainly become an attractive alternative.
Pros
Cons
Price & availability
The Nothing Phone (4b) can be purchased directly from the manufacturer's online store and costs 329 euros (~$380).
- $558.33Nothing Phone (3) Cell Phone, 5G Unlocked Phones 256GB, Android 15, Snapdragon 8s Gen4, AI Mobile Phones with Four 50MP Cameras & AMOLED Display, 5150mAh, Glyph Interface, Smartphone Black
- $429.00Nothing Phone (2) 5G Unlocked Smartphone 256GB + 12GB RAM, Dark Grey
- $654.78Nothing Phone (3) Cell Phone, 5G Unlocked Phones 512GB, Android 15, Snapdragon 8s Gen4, AI Mobile Phones with Four 50MP Cameras & AMOLED Display, 5150mAh, Glyph Interface, Smartphone Black
Table of Contents
- Conclusion on the Nothing Phone (4b)
- Specifications: Nothing Phone (4b)
- Design and features - The Nothing Phone (4b) is not waterproof
- Communication and usability – Slow Wi-Fi on the Nothing Phone
- Cameras - Two lenses without OIS
- Display - Phone (4b) with up to 2,000 nits
- Performance, emissions, and battery life
- Notebookcheck Overall Rating
- A comparison of possible alternatives
Specifications: Nothing Phone (4b)
Design and features - The Nothing Phone (4b) is not waterproof
Externally, the Nothing Phone (4b) is made entirely of plastic, yet it still feels both sturdy and high-quality and is also very well built. Nothing lists the thickness as 8.6 mm; we measured 8.8 mm, and with the cameras, it’s up to 11.65 mm.
The smartphone is IP64-certified, meaning it’s only protected against splashes; however, Nothing also states that it has been tested for “immersion in water up to 25 cm for up to 20 minutes.” Given the relatively small storage capacity, we would have liked to see microSD support.
Communication and usability – Slow Wi-Fi on the Nothing Phone
Bluetooth 6.0 isn't yet a standard feature in this price range. On the other hand, Nothing doesn't include a powerful antenna setup in the Phone (4b), so while the Wi-Fi connection is stable, it isn't particularly fast.
Voice quality is good when held to the ear, and both parties can be understood clearly. However, background noise isn’t filtered out particularly well. Additionally, there is no eSIM support.
| Networking | |
| Nothing Phone (4b) | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Motorola Moto G77 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Average of class Smartphone | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
Cameras - Two lenses without OIS
The front camera on the Nothing Phone (4b) takes pretty good photos in our test, as long as there’s enough light.
The results from the main rear camera are on par with what’s typical for this class and look very pleasing on the display, though they also tend to appear almost blown out in bright areas. The ultra-wide-angle camera is a nice bonus, but its image quality isn’t particularly impressive. Zooming is exclusively digital, so the quality is correspondingly poor.
| Aspect ratio | Resolution | |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | 4:3 / 16:9 / 1:1 / Full | 12 / 50 MPix |
| Video (Main camera) | 16:9 | Full HD (30 / 60 FPS)Ultra HD (30 FPS) |
| Video (Front camera) | 16:9 | Full HD (30 / 60 FPS) |
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Display - Phone (4b) with up to 2,000 nits
The Nothing Phone (4b)’s large display is supposed to be able to reach a brightness of up to 2,000 cd/m², but in our test, it didn’t achieve that peak brightness. Outdoors on sunny days, this is quite noticeable, as the display can sometimes be difficult to read.
The PWM dimming operates at 480 Hz. While this is generally harmless for most people, it can cause discomfort for those who are sensitive to it.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Center on Battery: 1148 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 1.9 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.7}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 3.6 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø4.95}
97.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.24
CCT: 6856 K
| Nothing Phone (4b) Super AMOLED, 2344x1080, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy A37 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.7" | Motorola Moto G77 AMOLED, 2772x1272, 6.8" | Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G AMOLED, 2772x1280, 6.8" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 65% | 232% | 174% | |
| APL18 Peak Brightness (cd/m²) | 1160 | 1839 59% | 3521 204% | 2841 145% |
| HDR Peak Brightness (cd/m²) | 1030 | 1752 70% | 3704 260% | 3117 203% |
| Response Times | -23% | -4% | 4% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * (ms) | 0.95 ? | 1.57 ? -65% | 1.6 ? -68% | 1.09 ? -15% |
| Response Time Black / White * (ms) | 1.28 ? | 1.39 ? -9% | 1.1 ? 14% | 1.13 ? 12% |
| PWM Frequency (Hz) | 480 | 240 | 103 | 120 |
| PWM Amplitude * (%) | 17.34 | 16.58 4% | 10 42% | 14.64 16% |
| Screen | -14% | 49% | 44% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 1148 | 1127 -2% | 1558 36% | 1791 56% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.9 | 2.6 -37% | 0.79 58% | 1.5 21% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.7 | 5.3 -13% | 2.97 37% | 3.4 28% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 3.7 -3% | 1.3 64% | 1 72% |
| Gamma | 2.24 98% | 2.06 107% | 2.24 98% | 2.23 99% |
| CCT | 6856 95% | 6496 100% | 6489 100% | 6587 99% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 1526 | 1795 | ||
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 96 | 99 | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 9% /
0% | 92% /
72% | 74% /
60% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 480 Hz Amplitude: 17.34 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 480 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 480 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 7656 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with a fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (Although the amplitude curve at minimum brightness appears flat, this is due to the scaling. The info box shows a magnified version of the amplitude at minimum brightness.)
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.6045 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.678 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (19.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 0.95 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.46 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.491 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.13 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (30.8 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions, and battery life
| Nothing Phone (4b) | Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | Motorola Moto G77 | Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 49% | -33% | -11% | -30% | 79% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 952.54 | 1986.3 109% | 522.1 -45% | 1009.1 6% | 742 ? -22% | 2277 ? 139% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 860.56 | 1732.34 101% | 494.6 -43% | 993.91 15% | 543 ? -37% | 1960 ? 128% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 253.22 | 368.9 46% | 217.2 -14% | 183.57 -28% | 195.6 ? -23% | 315 ? 24% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 293.92 | 115.25 -61% | 206.2 -30% | 187.74 -36% | 189.3 ? -36% | 361 ? 23% |
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 49.4 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46.9 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 34.1 °C / 93 F
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Nothing Phone (4b) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G77 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G77 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | |
| Nothing Phone (4b) | |
Nothing Phone (4b) audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 34% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 34%, worst was 136%
Compared to all devices tested
» 52% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Samsung Galaxy A37 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 22% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 34%, worst was 136%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
| Off / Standby |   0.11 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  1.01 / 2 / 2.09 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Nothing Phone (4b) 5200 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A37 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G 6500 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 10% | 21% | -17% | 20% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 1.01 | 0.85 16% | 1.11 -10% | 1.185 ? -17% | 0.878 ? 13% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 2 | 1.86 7% | 1.23 38% | 2.34 ? -17% | 1.453 ? 27% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 2.09 | 1.94 7% | 1.34 36% | 2.43 ? -16% | 1.65 ? 21% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 3.8 | 6.84 ? | |||
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 7.79 | 11.1 ? |
* ... smaller is better
| Battery runtime - WiFi v1.3 | |
| Nothing Phone (4b) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | |
| Motorola Moto G77 | |
| Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G | |
Notebookcheck Overall Rating
The Nothing Phone (4b) impresses with its design and exceptional battery life, but falls short in terms of the display, cameras, features, and price, especially given the strong competition from its own Phone (4a).
Nothing Phone (4b)
- 09/15/2026 v8
Daniel Schmidt
Total Sustainability Score: A comparison of possible alternatives
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 76.5%  | Nothing Phone (4b) Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.2 | List Price: 329€ | 210 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.77" 2344x1080 381 PPI Super AMOLED |
2. 79%  | Samsung Galaxy A37 5G Samsung Exynos 1480 ⎘ Samsung Xclipse 530 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 3.1 | List Price: 519€ | 196 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.70" 2340x1080 385 PPI Super AMOLED |
3. 76.7%  | Motorola Moto G77 Mediatek Dimensity 6400 ⎘ ARM Mali-G57 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB UFS 2.1 | List Price: 300€ | 182 g | 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.78" 2772x1272 450 PPI AMOLED |
4. 79.1%  | Xiaomi Poco M8 Pro 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 810 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB UFS 2.2 | Amazon: $316.90 List Price: 400 Euro | 206 g | 512 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.83" 2772x1280 447 PPI AMOLED |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
Add as a preferred source on Google
