Nothing Phone (4a) vs Samsung Galaxy S23+

Nothing Phone (4a)

Nothing

8.3

The mid-ranger that stands out

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Samsung

8.3

Best-value Galaxy S23 — same chip + 45W as Ultra, no S Pen

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

Pros & Cons

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

Detailed Comparison

Cameras

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.

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Buy Nothing Phone (4a)

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Samsung Galaxy S23+

What Reviewers Agree On

Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) chip as the S23 Ultra — flagship performance, more efficient than the Exynos S22+
Same 45W wired + 15W wireless charging as the Ultra (only the standard S23 is stuck at 25W)
6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz and 1750-nit peak — beautifully bright in sunlight
Excellent endurance from a 4,700mAh battery and the efficient chip — GSMArena measured ~14h Active Use score and 111h endurance, owners report 12h+ days with 40% left
IP68 + Gorilla Glass Victus 2 + Armor Aluminum frame, redesigned floating-camera look borrowed from the Ultra
4 OS updates / 5 years of security — among the best support in Android

Deal Breakers

'Awkward middle child' — doesn't stand out vs the Ultra (which adds S Pen, 10x periscope, 200MP camera, QHD+) or vs the cheaper standard S23
No S Pen and no periscope telephoto — the two features most reviewers cite as the Ultra's real edge
Only FHD+ display resolution (not QHD+ like the Ultra) — sharp enough but not class-leading
Box cable doesn't trigger 45W charging — must buy a separate 5A PPS cable to hit rated speeds
$999 launch price feels steep next to the OnePlus 11 (80W charging at lower price) and Pixel 7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Pros

Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) chip as the S23 Ultra — flagship performance, more efficient than the Exynos S22+
Same 45W wired + 15W wireless charging as the Ultra (only the standard S23 is stuck at 25W)
6.6-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 120Hz and 1750-nit peak — beautifully bright in sunlight
Excellent endurance from a 4,700mAh battery and the efficient chip — GSMArena measured ~14h Active Use score and 111h endurance, owners report 12h+ days with 40% left
IP68 + Gorilla Glass Victus 2 + Armor Aluminum frame, redesigned floating-camera look borrowed from the Ultra
4 OS updates / 5 years of security — among the best support in Android

Cons

'Awkward middle child' — doesn't stand out vs the Ultra (which adds S Pen, 10x periscope, 200MP camera, QHD+) or vs the cheaper standard S23
No S Pen and no periscope telephoto — the two features most reviewers cite as the Ultra's real edge
Only FHD+ display resolution (not QHD+ like the Ultra) — sharp enough but not class-leading
Box cable doesn't trigger 45W charging — must buy a separate 5A PPS cable to hit rated speeds
$999 launch price feels steep next to the OnePlus 11 (80W charging at lower price) and Pixel 7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Same 50MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x telephoto trio as the standard S23 — no 200MP main, no 10x periscope. Versatile and consistent in daylight; the Ultra's zoom range is the clearest gap.

Cameras: 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 120°), 10MP 3x telephoto (no 10x periscope like the Ultra), 12MP selfie.
Stuff verdict: 'some of the best mainstream smartphone cameras' — the 3x zoom is a step up from rivals stuck at 2x.
Consistent main camera; can occasionally overexpose with Scene Optimizer on indoors, but largely reliable.
8K video now 30fps (up from 24fps on the S22+), 4K60 on main and selfie cameras with the new 12MP front sensor.
The 10x periscope is the Ultra's biggest camera edge — without it, the S23+ caps at 3x optical and 30x digital, where the Ultra does 10x optical and 100x digital moon shots.

Performance

Nothing Phone (4a)

A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.

Gaming is absolutely possible on this device, with solid everyday performance for the class.
There's no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades over the 3a, even if the design doesn't stand out as much as the Pro.
After 24 hours the home screen is extremely customisable and feels massively more functional than iOS, with no responsiveness complaints.
Gesture-based navigation is fully supported and the overall experience is good thanks to Nothing's optimisations.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

The bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and 8GB RAM make it indistinguishable from the Ultra for everyday use — much cooler than the Exynos S22+ and still smooth in 2026.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy at 3.36GHz with 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 base — same chip as the Ultra, runs the global market without Exynos split.
No overheating even with sustained gaming and 4K video editing — a clear improvement on the Exynos S22+'s thermal issues.
Three years in (2026), the chip 'still handles everything' — app opening, multitasking and games like Apex still smooth.
Light Mode performance profile clocks down the X3 core slightly to preserve power without noticeably impacting performance — free extra battery life.

Battery & Charging

Nothing Phone (4a)

A ~5,080mAh cell with 50W wired charging — reviewers call endurance strong, but a notable group of owners report disappointing screen-on time.

The Nothing Phone (4a) features a ~5,080mAh cell which delivers very strong endurance in everyday use.
The battery grew slightly — about 80mAh in most markets but a more meaningful 400mAh in India — with a 50W PD unit recommended on the box.
Several owners report only 4–6.5 hours of screen-on time with moderate use — worse than other phones with similar ~5,000mAh batteries.
Battery life on this phone is excellent in everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

4,700mAh paired with the efficient chip delivers excellent real-world endurance — owners regularly hit 5-8 hours SOT and full days with 40% to spare. Charging is 45W rated (the standard S23 is only 25W) but caps out at ~1h6m to full and needs the correct PPS cable.

4,700mAh battery (up 200mAh from S22+) and 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy give a measured 14h Active Use score and a 111h GSMArena endurance rating — beating the S22+'s 97h.
Real-world: 5-8 hours of SOT typical, with one owner reporting 12 hours of mixed use (YouTube, gaming, Bluetooth, texting) and still 40% left.
After 2.5 years, moderate use still gets 2 days of battery — long-term efficiency holds up well.
45W wired charging: 21% in 10 min, 39% in 20 min, 55% in 30 min, 79% in 45 min, full in ~1h9m.
ChargerLAB confirmed: peak charging is ~40W (drops to 33W after 6 min); a PPS-capable charger is needed — without it the rate caps at 27W.
15W wireless charging supported (Qi); 4.5W reverse wireless to top up Galaxy Buds or a Watch.
Critical gotcha: the in-box cable doesn't trigger Super Fast Charging 2.0 — must buy a 5A PPS cable separately, same issue as the Ultra.

Value vs Competition

Nothing Phone (4a)

Aggressively priced below the Pixel 10a with a more distinctive design and a real telephoto — the standout budget pick for buyers who want personality.

It's a good chunk of change cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a.
It fits the perfect budget for buyers who can't afford the ~$1,000 needed for an entry-level iPhone 17, with good hardware and excellent battery.
A very strong mid-range smartphone that stands out with unique design, great display, solid performance and surprisingly capable cameras — definitely worth a closer look.
Nothing stands out among the crowd with a brand identity strong enough to turn consumers into fans.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Launched at $999, now $400-500 used / refurbished — strong value for the chip + charging combo, but the standard S23 ($799) and the Ultra ($1,199) overshadow it inside Samsung's own lineup.

Launched at $999 — middle of the S23 lineup; now ~$400-500 used and increasingly seen at refurbished discounts.
Phone Arena: 'awkward middle child position, failing to stand out in any meaningful way when compared to its siblings while delivering excellent value of its own at these latest discounts'.
Matthew Moniz: 'Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Review - The Best Galaxy S23!' — gets the Ultra's chip and 45W charging at $200 less, without the Ultra's bulk.
Counter: TechOdyssey would recommend 'zero people' buy the S23+ over a Pixel 7 Pro that's hundreds cheaper with similar cameras.
vs OnePlus 11 ($699 launch with 80W charging): the S23+ wins on software support and the 3x telephoto; OnePlus wins on charging and price.
If you find it at a good price ($400-500 used in 2026), it's still a solid daily driver — battery, screen and chip all hold up.