Nothing Phone (4a) Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S23

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 with UFS 3.1 storage is a clear, tangible step up from the Phone (3a) generation — Nothing claims +27% CPU, +30% GPU and +65% AI. It's a perfectly capable everyday chip that feels noticeably quicker, but it's explicitly not a gaming powerhouse and warms up under sustained heavy load.

• Backed by OS optimisations and a custom CPU scheduler, the chipset delivers 27% better CPU, 30% better GPU and 65% better AI performance than the Nothing Phone (3a); storage is 147% faster in reads and 380% faster in writes.
• Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is a perfectly acceptable chip across the board, and the upgrade to UFS 3.1 makes this feel noticeably quicker compared to the Nothing Phone (3a) and prior.
• The CPU performance difference between the 4a Pro and the vanilla 4a is not massive, but it is still very much notable.
• Available in 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB and 12GB+256GB configurations, all running near-stock AOSP-style Nothing OS.
• Like most phones in this segment, it shows some basic heat build-up during really extensive tasks like gaming or 4K editing in high-end software, though it stays responsive while gaming.
• It's by no means a top-notch gaming phone, although the processor is better than the regular 4a's and squeezes out a bit more performance and FPS.

Samsung Galaxy S23

Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) chip as the Plus and Ultra — no compromise. 40% faster than the S22 Ultra and meaningfully cooler. 8GB RAM keeps multitasking smooth even 3 years on.

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy at 3.36GHz with 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 base — same chip as the Plus and Ultra, no Exynos split.
• Bespoke 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy is up to 40% faster than the S22 Ultra and adds Ray Tracing support for certain games.
• Cool under normal use — even at 38-39°C ambient temps, no overheating issues; long-term performance holds up.
• Three years in (2026): app opening, multitasking and Call of Duty still smooth — chip plus 8GB RAM has aged well.
• Ars Technica caught a 60GB Samsung Android system partition out of the box — 4x the size of a Pixel 7 Pro's 15GB, and only one OS copy means ~30 min downtime during updates.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The ~5,080mAh cell reliably gets through a day and endurance improved across all of GSMArena's tests versus the 3a Pro — but it's only an 80mAh bump over last year and looks small next to 6,000–7,000mAh budget rivals. 50W wired charging is the trade-off win; there is no wireless charging at all.

• Endurance has improved across the board in all tests compared to last year's Nothing Phone (3a) Pro; with a 68W USB-PD charger the phone peaked at around 42W.
• The review unit gets through a day without problems, but it'll certainly be into the red and close to done after about 15 hours of use; the OnePlus 15R has a much meatier battery to last longer.
• It's only an 80mAh increase over last year — small fry next to budget rivals like the Poco M8 Pro, which uses silicon-carbon tech to reach 6,500mAh.
• 50W wired charging is very respectable at this price — besting anything Google, Apple or Samsung offers below £500.
• Because the processor isn't power-hungry and the battery is large for the chip, real-world battery life is excellent.
• Roughly 13 hours of continuous playback at maximum brightness in a streaming test — impressive for what Nothing is doing at this price.

Samsung Galaxy S23

3,900mAh — the family's weakest point. Real-world ~5-6 hours of SOT typical (worsened by One UI 6/7), and only 25W charging means ~1h12m to full. The compact form factor's main cost.

• 3,900mAh battery — only 200mAh more than the S22, no 4,500mAh+ like the Plus. The smallest cell in the family.
• Real-world: ~5-6 hours of SOT typical, comfortably a full day of moderate use, 1-1.5 days possible.
• Battery life noticeably dropped after One UI 6 update — owner went from 5-6h SOT on 5G to barely 2h, recommends staying on Android 13 for best results.
• Feb 2026 update real-world: ~4h SOT on Wi-Fi, drops to <2h on 5G — battery efficiency has gotten worse with time.
• Charging caps at 25W (the Plus and Ultra get 45W): 0-100% takes ~1h12m on Samsung's 25W charger.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

At $499 it directly undercuts the experience-per-dollar of the same-priced Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e, and several reviewers would take it over the 10a without hesitation. The closest internal threat is its own cheaper sibling, the standard Phone (4a), which shares the same cameras for $150 less.

• From the design to the software and cameras, this is a phone that should absolutely not be slept on — at the price of a Pixel 10a, 'I'd take this 10 out of 10 times over a 10a.'
• Vibes and great value for under $500 — a balanced all-rounder.
• Against its immediate rivals the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e it looks impressive: a larger, brighter, faster display, more cameras, and Nothing's unique design including the Glyph Matrix.
• A premium balanced package with polished software and really good cameras — recommended, even if it's not perfect on the IP rating or front-camera 4K.
• The biggest problem for the 4a Pro is its own little brother — the standard 4a costs much less and gets the exact same cameras.
• While the (4a)'s design is still the best in the Nothing range, the (4a) Pro is a close second, and its speakers sound better than the standard model's.

Samsung Galaxy S23

$799 launch with the same chip as the $1,199 Ultra — strong value despite the 25W charging and smaller battery. Now $300-400 used, often the best compact-flagship option versus Pixel 7/8 and OnePlus 11.

• Launched at $799 with the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip as the $1,199 Ultra — outstanding flagship value at the base tier.
• Engadget verdict: 'A solid phone that's probably not worth the upgrade' from a recent S22 or S21 — Samsung's iterative cadence.
• Notebookcheck calls it 'the small S23 that makes the biggest leap' — the S23 family's largest year-over-year improvement is on the standard tier.
• Best compact Android flagship at ₹45k in 2024 — still recommended for buyers who want a one-handed phone with good cameras.
• vs Pixel 7 — Pixel wins on haptics, one-handed design and software smarts; S23 wins on chip speed, battery life and update commitment.