Nothing Phone (4a) vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

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.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

A new 50MP main (the same sensor as the Galaxy S24) plus a 12MP ultrawide. A real upgrade for a flip, but no telephoto and weaker than the same-year S24.

• A significantly better 50MP main sensor — the same as the Galaxy S24 — should deliver similar performance.
• Despite the iPhone 15 Pro's hardware advantages and zoom range, the reviewer mostly preferred the Flip 6's photos in most situations.
• You won't get the best photos, but Samsung isn't scraping the bottom of the barrel; the selfie is better than any dedicated selfie camera.
• It's one of only a few phones in this bracket lacking a third (telephoto) camera, and zoom past 5x isn't good.
• Compared head-to-head, the same-year Galaxy S24 is genuinely a way better camera than the Flip 6.

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 Z Flip 6

A 4,000mAh battery (about 10% bigger than the Flip 5) with 25W wired and 15W wireless — better than past Flips but small and slow next to clamshell rivals.

• A roughly 10% larger battery plus the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 yields about an hour more screen-on-time per day than the Flip 5.
• The 4,000mAh cell is modest — Oppo and Vivo clamshells are at 4,300–4,400mAh — though any increase is welcome.
• Charging is 25W wired and 15W wireless — slow versus the fast-charging competition.
• Owners feel confident leaving the house at ~50% and getting home with good battery, but the always-on cover screen can quietly eat charge.
• A battery-care option lets you cap charging at 85% to preserve long-term battery health.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Near-stock Nothing OS is repeatedly singled out as one of the best, cleanest and most customisable Android experiences at any price.

• The UI is pretty much stock Android, which is the best Android experience — Nothing and Pixel offer the best Android experience.
• While hard to compare to Samsung's far more customisable One UI, Nothing's OS is one of the best ways to experience Android.
• The in-house gallery, voice recorder and weather apps have wonderful design consistency, with everything else left as Google's clean defaults.
• The home screen is extremely customisable with built-in and user-made widgets — fresher, clearer and bolder than iOS.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Galaxy AI plus seven years of updates. The longevity is excellent; the cover-screen software remains the line's frustration.

• Long update support — seven years of OS and security updates — is a listed strength.
• After a year there's been no performance degradation and seven years of updates means it will last a long time.
• One UI 7 brings major improvements to the Flip 6, including updated drawing/photo assist and generative edit.
• The AI transcription feature worked well with only a couple of typos.
• Doing most tasks (email, WhatsApp, Samsung Pay, notifications) on the outer display reduces the temptation to open it and doomscroll.

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 Z Flip 6

At $1,099 (256GB) it's a $100 hike over the Flip 5, with cheaper, more capable Motorola Razrs as the main pressure.

• An excellent flip phone, but there's renewed competition now — the latest Motorola foldables are just as exciting and cheaper.
• It's the best Z Flip Samsung has ever made and 'the best folding phone you can buy, period.'
• A $100 price hike for both foldables over their predecessors raises whether there's enough here to warrant it.
• If the bigger cover display and larger battery of the newer model aren't compelling, the Flip 6 (often discounted from $1,099) is more than enough.
• Owners would still pick the Z Flip 6 over a regular S25 for the form factor.