Nothing Phone (4b) first impression: A unique design, bold specs and a question to ponder

After the success of the Phone (4a), Nothing has introduced a new series — the "(b)" lineup. The Nothing Phone (4b) is the first smartphone in the series and has now launched in India. At a starting price of Rs 34,999, the phone packs several eye-catching specifications and features. For instance, it is the first smartphone in Nothing's portfolio to feature a 6,000mAh battery.

We spent a couple of days with the Nothing Phone (4b), and it certainly leaves a strong first impression. According to the company, the phone delivers an experience similar to the Phone (4a) series, while making a few compromises to reach a lower price point. But before we answer the bigger question of whether those compromises are worth it, let's take a closer look at what the Phone (4b) has to offer.

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Nothing Phone (4b): Design and display

For its first smartphone in the (b) series, Nothing has taken a slightly different approach to the design. The Nothing Phone (4b) moves away from the fully transparent aesthetics and instead features a solid rear panel. Yes, it resembles the CMF by Nothing phones, but it feels much sturdier in hand.

We received the White variant, and I found it quite classy.

On the rear panel, the Phone (4b) features a transparent glass island that houses the dual-camera setup and the Glyph Interface. Apart from this glass island, the rest of the body has a matte finish that feels comfortable to hold.

Coming to the Glyph Interface, Nothing has retained one of its signature design elements. The Glyph Bar features 45 individually controlled mini LEDs with a peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits. It displays notifications, charging status, recording indicators and customised alerts, allowing users to glance at important information without turning on the main display.

On the front, the Nothing Phone (4b) sports a 6.77-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. During my two days of testing, the display has been a delight to use. It produces bright colours and vibrant visuals. However, the final verdict will only come after our detailed review of the Phone (4b).

Nothing Phone (4b): Processor

Under the hood, the Phone (4b) is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC. Nothing claims the chipset delivers an AnTuTu score of over one million while also improving efficiency and on-device AI performance compared to previous-generation 6nm platforms. But does it perform as well as the company claims? Stay tuned for our detailed review of the Phone (4b).

The phone runs Nothing OS 4.1 based on Android 16 and includes features such as Essential Space, Essential Search, Essential Voice and native ChatGPT integration, alongside Google Gemini and Circle to Search. Nothing has also promised three years of Android OS updates and six years of security patches.

Nothing Phone (4b): Battery

Now, to one of the most exciting aspects of the Phone (4b) — the battery. The smartphone packs a massive 6,000mAh battery, the largest ever on a Nothing phone.

I have previously reviewed the Phone (3a) and Phone (4a), which came with 5,000mAh and 5,400mAh batteries, respectively. Both devices comfortably lasted an entire day on a single charge. Naturally, I am curious to see how much further the Phone (4b) can go with its significantly larger battery.

Nothing Phone (4b): Camera

The camera is another interesting aspect of the Nothing Phone (4b). The phone features a 50-megapixel primary camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS).

During the past couple of days, I clicked several photos, and the results have been impressive. Daylight images stay true to the original colours of the subject, while overall image quality appears bright and vibrant.

I also captured a few portrait shots, and so far, the results have been quite pleasing.

For selfies, the phone captures well-detailed and crisp images.

We are yet to test how the camera performs in low-light and night-time conditions.

Nothing Phone (4b) first impression

There is no denying that the Phone (4b) brings some compelling hardware to the table. The design, camera and battery stand out as the biggest highlights of the device. The bigger question, however, is whether the Phone (4b) justifies its Rs 34,999 price tag. We will have the answer in our full review. Stay tuned.