iPhone 15 vs Nothing Phone (4a)

iPhone 15

Apple

8.1

Best non-Pro iPhone yet — USB-C and Dynamic Island finally arrive

Nothing Phone (4a)

Nothing

8.3

The mid-ranger that stands out

iPhone 15

What Reviewers Agree On

USB-C finally arrives on a standard iPhone — universal charging with iPad/Mac/AirPods Pro (USB-C versions)
Dynamic Island trickles down from the 14 Pro — same software experience as the Pro models
48MP main camera from the 14 Pro brings 2x lossless zoom (sensor crop) and meaningful detail upgrade
Contoured aluminum frame with rounded edges — comfortable in-hand vs the boxier iPhone 12-14 design
$799 starting price unchanged from the iPhone 14 — Apple held the line on entry pricing

Deal Breakers

Pros & Cons

iPhone 15

Pros

USB-C finally arrives on a standard iPhone — universal charging with iPad/Mac/AirPods Pro (USB-C versions)
Dynamic Island trickles down from the 14 Pro — same software experience as the Pro models
48MP main camera from the 14 Pro brings 2x lossless zoom (sensor crop) and meaningful detail upgrade
Contoured aluminum frame with rounded edges — comfortable in-hand vs the boxier iPhone 12-14 design
$799 starting price unchanged from the iPhone 14 — Apple held the line on entry pricing

Cons

Detailed Comparison

Cameras

iPhone 15

48MP main camera trickles down from the 14 Pro, enabling 2x lossless zoom via sensor crop. 12MP ultrawide + 12MP TrueDepth selfie complete the kit. No telephoto and no periscope — the camera that pleases casual shooters not creators.

48MP main camera (f/1.6) with sensor-shift OIS — same sensor as last year's 14 Pro, a real upgrade from the 14's 12MP.
2x lossless zoom via 12MP crop of the 48MP sensor — best telephoto-substitute on a non-Pro iPhone yet, but no real optical telephoto.
12MP ultrawide (f/2.4) + 12MP TrueDepth selfie carry over from the 14 — same hardware, same daylight output.
Excellent daylight photos and video with consistent natural color processing — Apple's signature look on the cheaper hardware.

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Nothing Phone (4a)

What Reviewers Agree On

Distinctive Glyph design that stands out in a sea of black slabs — widely called one of the best-looking phones at its price
Excellent big screen for the money: a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED, HDR10+, ~1,600 nits outdoor and a 4,500-nit HDR peak
Near-stock Nothing OS ranked among the best Android experiences, highly customisable and clean
A rare 3.5x (80mm) periscope telephoto at this price, adding real flexibility most budget rivals lack
A clear, substantial upgrade over the Phone 3a / Phone 3, fixing earlier design problems
Strong value — cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a while feeling more premium than the price suggests

Deal Breakers

The 3.5x telephoto is poorly optimised — among the worst processing JerryRigEverything has seen on a periscope lens
The 8MP ultrawide is a basic, low-resolution sensor
Battery life is divisive — several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time despite a ~5,080mAh cell
The Glyph Matrix's real-world usefulness is questioned by multiple reviewers

Nothing Phone (4a)

Pros

Distinctive Glyph design that stands out in a sea of black slabs — widely called one of the best-looking phones at its price
Excellent big screen for the money: a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED, HDR10+, ~1,600 nits outdoor and a 4,500-nit HDR peak
Near-stock Nothing OS ranked among the best Android experiences, highly customisable and clean
A rare 3.5x (80mm) periscope telephoto at this price, adding real flexibility most budget rivals lack
A clear, substantial upgrade over the Phone 3a / Phone 3, fixing earlier design problems
Strong value — cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a while feeling more premium than the price suggests

Cons

The 3.5x telephoto is poorly optimised — among the worst processing JerryRigEverything has seen on a periscope lens
The 8MP ultrawide is a basic, low-resolution sensor
Battery life is divisive — several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time despite a ~5,080mAh cell
The Glyph Matrix's real-world usefulness is questioned by multiple reviewers

Nothing Phone (4a)

A standout 3.5x periscope telephoto at this price and a solid main camera, undercut by an under-optimised zoom and a basic ultrawide.

A triple setup — 50MP main, a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide — undoubtedly one of the best experiences at this level.
The telephoto has been tweaked to a much better 3.5x (80mm) zoom factor.
A telephoto with optical zoom at this price is great, but this is the worst optimisation I've seen on a 3.5x camera — expect disappointment if you buy for the zoom.
The 3.5x optical-zoom telephoto is one of the biggest highlights, adding much more flexibility than most competitors in this price range, and the cameras are surprisingly capable.
Each camera here feels better than what you'd get on Samsung at the price, and the main is solid with nice detail.