
Nothing
The mid-ranger that stands out

Samsung
Polished, predictable middle child
Nothing Phone (4a)
Nothing Phone (4a)
Nothing Phone (4a)
Nothing's signature transparent-inspired look with the Glyph — divisive but genuinely distinctive at a budget price, and a real step forward from the Phone 3a.
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Samsung Galaxy S26+
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Samsung Galaxy S26+
An almost identical body to the S25+ — same dimensions, weight, and aluminium-with-Gorilla-Victus-2-glass construction. The only visible change is a raised oval camera island (matching the Galaxy Z Fold 7), which broke compatibility with existing S25+ cases. IP68 water resistance, ultrasonic fingerprint, and excellent stereo speakers carry forward.
Nothing Phone (4a)
A genuine highlight for the price — a big 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED that's bright, sharp and HDR-capable, beating similarly priced rivals.
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Reviewers universally rate the S26+ display as elite — sharp QHD+, fast adaptive 120Hz LTPO, excellent HDR, more-than-enough outdoor brightness — but note Samsung carried the panel forward from the S25+ with effectively zero changes. The Ultra now has the differentiating Privacy Display; the Plus does not.
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.
Samsung Galaxy S26+
The most-criticised aspect of the phone. The S26+ uses the same 50 MP main + 12 MP ultrawide + 10 MP 3x telephoto array Samsung has shipped since the S22+ — fine for landscapes and well-lit shots, mediocre in low light, and frustrating for moving subjects. Software adds Horizontal Lock video and natural-language Photo Assist edits, but the hardware ceiling is showing.
Nothing Phone (4a)
A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Both chip variants — Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (US/China) and Exynos 2600 (rest of world) — deliver flagship-grade benchmarks and smooth real-world performance. The Exynos throttles harder under sustained load and consumes a touch more battery than the Snapdragon, but day-to-day use is indistinguishable.
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.
Samsung Galaxy S26+
The flashpoint of every review. The 4,900 mAh cell is unchanged from the S25+ and lab tests put the S26+ comfortably in 'reliable all-day' territory — but Chinese rivals with silicon-carbon batteries (OnePlus 15, Oppo Find X9 Pro) now run 50–70% longer in the same tests. 45W wired and 20W wireless charging are competitive within Samsung's lineup but slow versus the OnePlus 15's 100W.
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.
Samsung Galaxy S26+
Starting at $1,099 / £1,099 with 256 GB (no 128 GB option), the S26+ has the hardest pitch in Samsung's lineup. The base Galaxy S26 saves $200 and gives up only the bigger screen and 4,900 mAh battery; the Ultra adds dramatically better cameras, Privacy Display, S Pen, and 60W charging for $200 more. Outside Samsung, the OnePlus 15 and Google Pixel 10 each undercut the Plus on the things it doesn't excel at.