Nothing Phone (4a) Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The headline value play: a 50MP Sony LYT-710 main with OIS, a true 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto (80mm) with OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide — flagship-tier hardware Samsung and Apple don't put in phones at this price. Output is characterful and the telephoto is a genuine win, but reviewers consistently flag inconsistency, average low-light and a gimmicky 140x digital zoom.

• Triple rear system: 50MP Sony LYT-710 main (f/1.9, OIS), 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom (80mm, f/2.9, OIS).
• Both the main and periscope-zoom cameras are 50MP and deliver strong results for this price range; the zoom in particular stands out from competitors and even allows for extreme digital zoom.
• Having a proper dedicated telephoto shooter is a genuine love, although the camera experience itself is a little bit inconsistent at times.
• It's not clinically the best camera, but the shots have a bit more soul to them.
• Low-light performance isn't the best, and image quality when you zoom right in isn't the best out there — not bad, just not class-leading.
• The 140x zoom headline grabs attention, but in use it's more about how far the camera can push digitally than something you'd rely on day-to-day.
• Not super impressed by the camera or the giant protruding bumps the lenses sit in.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

A 50MP main, 10MP 3x telephoto and 12MP ultrawide with an under-display inner selfie. Competent point-and-shoot, but no real upgrade and well behind the S-series.

• The expensive Fold 6 falls short on camera performance and long-term durability; at $1,900 you'd expect it to shoot nearly as well from far away as the S24 Ultra.
• The main camera isn't as good as the S-series — roughly equivalent to S21/S22 cameras.
• It's a slept-on point-and-shoot camera, even if it lacks the Ultra's zoom and video capability.
• Surprisingly, the Fold 6's long-range zoom past 10x (20x/30x) looks consistently clearer than the Fold 7's, and its under-display inner camera keeps the screen clean.
• Despite shipping after the Galaxy S24, the Fold 6 still can't shoot Log video even after One UI 7 added other camera features.

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 Z Fold 6

The same 4,400mAh battery and 25W charging Samsung has shipped for five Fold generations. Endurance improved modestly via efficiency, but charging is the line's biggest weakness.

• Endurance improved roughly an hour browsing (10:24h), two hours video (16:53h) and ~20% gaming (8:43h) over the Fold 5, but charging speed was inconsistent.
• Same 4,400mAh battery and slow 25W charging 'like it's 2020,' with no charger in the box.
• A full charge gets about 7–8 hours of screen-on-time for most users.
• After a year the battery still held up well with no notable degradation, comfortably lasting a full day.
• Charging is picky about chargers and the phone heats up on wireless charging because it's so thin.

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 Z Fold 6

Launched at $1,900 ($100 more for less in the box). The OnePlus Open is the cheaper international rival; post-Fold 7 the Fold 6 is now a much stronger value buy.

• The international market's OnePlus Open counters it — somewhat cheaper, with Android from the source, though the Samsung–Google software collaboration narrows that gap.
• Even after using the best foldables (OnePlus Open, Oppo Find N5), this reviewer 'inexplicably' still enjoys the Fold 6 most for Samsung's fit-and-finish and inviting foldable formula.
• Post-Fold 7, the Z Fold 6 is now almost half price — a much stronger value proposition.
• It's a premium top-of-the-line foldable that will remain an extremely good one for 3–5 years; just plan to replace the battery mid-cycle.
• After a year it's worth grabbing used, especially if it drops well below $1,000 now that it's no longer the latest Fold.