Nothing Phone (4b) Pre-Order: How It Compares to Competitors Like Galaxy A57 and Realme 16 Pro+

Nothing officially launched the Nothing Phone (4b) earlier this week, marking the debut of its (b) series phone. While a mid-range device, it bears similarities to the (a) series models, with the (4a) being the superior option.

The Nothing Phone (4b) features a 6.77-inch 1080p+ OLED display, powered by a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset and equipped with a 5,200mAh battery that supports 33W charging in Europe. An Indian variant will offer a larger 6,000mAh battery. The camera setup includes a 50MP main camera with a small 1/2.76" sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. Notably, even the CMF Phone 2 Pro offered a telephoto lens, while the CMF Phone 3 Pro was canceled. Currently, the (4b) is available for pre-order, with shipping slated to begin next week.

In comparison, the Nothing Phone (4a) is priced at €390 for the 8/256GB model. However, we recommend spending an additional €13 to secure 4GB of extra RAM, which is also faster, as the (4b) utilizes LPDDR4X RAM versus the (4a)'s LPDDR5X. Furthermore, the (4a) benefits from UFS 3.1 storage, which is faster than the UFS 2.2 found in the (4b). The (4a) also boasts the more powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset and a sharper 6.78-inch OLED display (1224p+ compared to 1080p+). Its 50MP main camera features a larger sensor (1/1.57") and includes a 50MP periscope camera with 3.5x optical zoom. Though its battery is slightly smaller at 5,080mAh, the difference is negligible.

The first and only flagship from Nothing, the Nothing Phone (3), features the more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip along with faster UFS 4.0 storage. Its camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor with a size of 1/1.3", a similar 50MP periscope, and a 50MP ultra-wide module—significantly more advanced than the 8MP ultra-wide offered in the other models. Additionally, the selfie camera on the Phone (3) boasts a 50MP sensor, compared to the 32MP on the (4a) and 16MP on the (4b). The European variant of this model includes a 5,150mAh battery.

Switching focus, the Samsung Galaxy A57 is available at a similar price point to the Phone (4b) but offers twice the operating system updates (6 years compared to the 3 years for the Phone). It features a premium 6.9mm aluminum frame with an IP68 rating, compared to the (4b)'s 8.6mm plastic frame and IP64 rating. The battery capacity is smaller at 5,000mAh, but the Galaxy A57 is noticeably lighter at 179g compared to 210g for the (4b).

Realme's 16 Pro+ is positioned at a higher price point but comes with multiple benefits, including the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset (not to be confused with the 7s Gen 4). It features an impressive 200MP main camera (1/1.56" sensor) and a 50MP periscope camera with 3.5x optical zoom, along with a substantial 7,000mAh battery and 80W fast charging. The device is set to receive 5 operating system updates.

The Motorola Edge 70 is also priced similarly and offers a slimmer design with a 6.0mm aluminum frame, weighing in at just 159g while housing a 4,800mAh battery. Unlike other models, it supports 15W wireless charging in addition to 68W wired charging. The Edge 70 is equipped with the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset as the Realme device, featuring a 50MP main camera (1/1.56") and a 120° ultra-wide lens.

For those considering alternatives to the Nothing Phone (4b), the Poco F8 Pro stands out as a competitor to the Nothing Phone (3). It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with a large 6,210mAh battery, supporting 100W wired charging. Its 50MP main camera features a 1/1.55" sensor, coupled with a 50MP 2.5x telephoto camera and an 8MP ultra-wide lens.

Lastly, the Poco F8 Ultra offers a larger 6.9” display and a robust 6,500mAh battery, supporting both 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. It utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and features a Bose 2.1 sound system, comprising stereo speakers and a woofer. The camera system includes a larger 50MP sensor (1/1.31"), a longer 5x periscope lens, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera, with a comprehensive comparison of the Poco F8 Pro and F8 Ultra available here.