Nothing Phone 4b: They Can't Say It!
In a Nutshell
Nothing's new Phone 4B is a budget 330-euro Android phone with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4, 120 Hz OLED, dual cameras, and full Glyph lights, but it has a plastic build, slower UFS 2.2 storage, and no wireless charging. It delivers the full Nothing OS experience and solid battery life at a lower price point than the A-series, targeting India and Europe. The phone essentially fills the gap below the A-series as Nothing's cheapest current model.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Nothing's head of marketing explained that the B stands for a continuation of their naming system where numbers represent generations and letters indicate different product segments. The B series builds on the success of the A series by expanding into a new segment while the A series remains their most premium line below flagship products.
The reviewer interprets the B as standing for budget, positioning the Phone 4B as an even cheaper option than the A series. The flagship Phone 3 sits at the top, followed by the A series, then the new B series at the bottom. The phone launches at exactly 330 euros or 300 pounds and is not available in the US market, though it targets India and Europe in a competitive price bracket.
The reviewer maintains a theory that Nothing cannot produce a high-end competitive flagship due to high costs relative to their production volume. A new theory suggests this phone was originally intended as a CMF Phone 3 Pro. Memory price spikes pushed the bill of materials higher than acceptable for the CMF sub-brand, leading to its conversion into a slightly more expensive but more premium Nothing Phone.
The Phone 4B measures 6.8 inches with a transparent window on the top half featuring more texture and exposed screws with metal-looking pieces. Glyph lights remain on the side. The entire body is plastic and feels plastic, though the clear top window appears more glassy and premium. Color options include blue, black, and white, all with black buttons on the flat sides.
The front features a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate using LTPS technology. Resolution exceeds 1080p but falls short of 1440p. It uses a non-flexible OLED panel, resulting in a slightly larger chin at the bottom. The display includes high frequency PWM dimming and a 1,000 Hz touch sample rate. The in-display fingerprint reader sits low and uses optical rather than ultrasonic technology, making it slower. The anti-glare finish performs worse than on premium phones, and bezels are not perfectly even.
The rear camera setup includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor with OIS that bins to 12 megapixels, using a physically small Samsung sensor. An 8-megapixel ultra-wide completes the dual-camera configuration. The primary camera produces acceptable photos in excellent lighting conditions but struggles with fast shutter speeds and low noise in dimmer conditions, where colors become dull. The ultra-wide lacks corner sharpness regardless of framing and lighting conditions.
The device runs on a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset, a mid-range to lower-end processor that benchmarks near the OnePlus 7 Pro from seven years ago and close to the Tensor G2. The GPU offers more power than those older chips, and a larger modern vapor chamber supports better sustained performance for gaming. Storage uses slower UFS 2.2 specification.
Nothing OS 4.1 arrived via update out of the box. A new custom CPU scheduler contributes to smooth operation. The software feels optimized and responsive thanks to the high refresh rate OLED and 1,000 Hz touch sampling. App opening speeds generally feel quick, though occasional stuttering occurs due to the lower-end chip. The experience includes all Nothing features: near-stock Android with customized widgets, dots, customization options, and icon packs. AI toolkit developments and Essential Space features extend to the B series.
- Higher refresh rate OLED display
- IP64 rating for splash resistance
- True stereo speakers with one speaker at the bottom and another as a dot at the top, separate from the earpiece
- 5200 mAh battery (6000 mAh in Indian market version), delivering one and a half days of use easily and up to two days with light usage
- 33W charging
- Glyph lights that are brighter than on the Phone 4a, functioning as notification LEDs and red recording indicators during video
- No wireless charging
- No NFC on the Indian market version
- Vibration motor is mushy and low quality, with haptic feedback disabled by default for typing
- Plastic build scuffs and wears easily, particularly noticeable on the blue colorway
- Lower-end performance specs suggest limited longevity over 5-6 years
- Optical fingerprint reader is slower than ultrasonic alternatives
- Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 will likely have shorter relevance period
The Phone 4B delivers the full Nothing software experience and glyph lights at a lower price point. The reviewer notes that Nothing software ranks among favorite Android skins for its customization options. The device expands the lineup into a new price bracket with strong value, though the brand resists explicitly labeling it as budget-oriented.
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