Nothing can make me buy a Nothing Phone in 2026

Nothing has built a brand around design and eye-catching features, and I have to admit - I don’t hate it. The lights on the back of the Nothing Phone 4a Pro are undeniably gimmicky, but they’re also fun-looking.

Design is subjective, of course, but I genuinely think the new Nothing Phone 4a Pro looks really cool. What I appreciate even more is the use of unibody aluminum instead of glass. That alone makes it far less likely to shatter in everyday use - unless you’re unlucky enough to drop it directly onto the camera island, which is still made of glass.

But beyond the design, I think Nothing has been heading in the wrong direction for a while now, and the Phone 4a Pro cements my theory.

Pro, is it?

For one, there’s very little about this phone that feels “Pro.” It comes with a fairly average mid-range chip, just 128GB of base storage, no full IP68 water resistance, no wireless charging, and only three years of software updates.

The real issue, though, is the price. The 256GB version costs €500, while the 128GB model comes in at €430 - but realistically, 128GB is no longer sufficient for most people. That effectively makes this a €500 phone with mid-range specs and a gimmicky design. And at that price point, design alone just isn’t enough. Not even close if you ask me.

As the biggest phone nerd I know, I can appreciate what Nothing is trying to do - but I also know for a fact that I wouldn’t invest into the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. In fact, it might be the last €500 phone I’d consider.

That’s because there are far better options at the same price. Phones like the Galaxy S25 FE, for example, can now be found for €500 (256GB), and then there’s the OnePlus 15R and the Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max - yes, the name of the latter is terrible, but the specs are anything but.

All of these alternatives offer flagship-level processors and longer software support, which matter far more in the long run than a flashy design. If battery life is your priority, OnePlus and Xiaomi push things to the limit in Europe with massive batteries - 7,400 mAh in the Nord 5 and 8,500 mAh in the Poco X8 Pro Max - easily delivering two days of use.

The S25 Fan Edition is a far better deal

That said, personally, I’d probably go for the Galaxy S25 FE if I was buying a new phone today. It offers a flagship-grade camera, seven years of OS updates, and wireless charging - all for the same price. Even if it “only” lasts a full day on a charge, that’s a trade-off I’m happy to make.

In the end, Nothing is chasing a “cool” factor, clearly targeting younger buyers, but I struggle to see how that strategy holds up long term. A lot of young people today are more budget-conscious than ever, and they should be (in this economy). Spending €500 on a phone that will last twice as long - whether because it has a processor that’s 3x faster or 2x the software support - just makes more sense. Way more sense.

As things stand, I wish I could say “Nothing can make me buy a Nothing Phone in 2026”, but the truth is that nothing can make me buy a Nothing Phone in 2026.