Nothing Phone 4b hands-on: Great on specs, but is Rs 34,999 justified?

Nothing has launched its first-ever B-series phone, the Nothing Phone (4b), bringing a new entry-level competitor to the market. Priced at Rs. 34,999, the smartphone flaunts a clean design with a Glyph Bar, a dual camera setup, a Snapdragon processor, and a massive 6000mAh battery. 

But is it worth the catch? That's the question worth asking, because amid rising smartphone prices, Nothing might be playing a bigger bet in the mid-range smartphone segment, which is currently witnessing a shift as rising component costs push prices higher. 

We have spent a couple of days with the smartphone to see how it holds up outside the spec sheet, and here's our initial hands-on experience with the Nothing Phone (4b).

Nothing Phone (4b): Design and display

The Nothing Phone (4b) brings a unibody design, which is said to be inspired by the Phone (4a) Pro. It has an expanded camera deco layered with a thermoplastic polyurethane layer, housing a dual camera setup and the Glyph Bar. The brand has also introduced a refreshed Blue colour variant alongside White and Black. 

We received the Blue colour for the initial testing, and we are still confused about whether we like it or not. However, the White and the RCB Edition phone look far more impressive and better complement Nothing's identity. 

The smartphone has a bulky feel, measuring 8.6 mm thick, and it weighs 210 grams. Considering it houses a massive 6,000mAh battery, the thickness is well justified. 

Coming to the display, it features a 6.77-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2000nits peak brightness. While it looks good on paper, we are yet to test the display performance thoroughly. Initially, it feels smooth and responsive, and the brightness is also stable. However, the uneven bezel could make your experience distracting. 

Nothing Phone (4b): Camera

The Nothing Phone (4b) features a dual camera setup that consists of a 50MP main camera and an 8MP Ultra-wide camera. We have been testing the camera performance for over 2 days, and initially, it offers quite an impressive photography experience considering the price range and the competition in the segment. On the OS front, the smartphone runs on Nothing OS 4.1 powered by Android 16, which maintains its smooth and clean user interface.

The 50MP primary camera has showed promisingresults, capturing sharp details, vibrant colours, and well-balanced images in daylight. While the ultra-wide camera captures decent images, it's still too early to conclude. We are yet to evaluate its low-light performance and overall consistency.

Nothing Phone (4b): Performance and battery

The Nothing Phone (4b) is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. Yes, the UFS storage may put buyers in some doubt, but we are yet to put the phone to the test in terms of performance. However, its battery life is exceptional; considering 2 days of heavy camera usage, the phone is still left with 62% charge. Therefore, battery life is something on which users may rely. Although you may want to wait for the full review before purchasing the Nothing Phone (4b)