Nothing Phone (4a) vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Nothing Phone (4a)

Nothing

8.3

The mid-ranger that stands out

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Samsung

8.1

Iterative refresh with the long-awaited gapless hinge

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.

TechTalkTown may earn a commission from purchases made through links below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not influence our reviews. Learn more.

Buy Nothing Phone (4a)

Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

People Also Compare

Motorola Razr Fold vs Nothing Phone (4a)Motorola Razr Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Nothing Phone (4a) vs Oppo Find X9 Ultra Oppo Find X9 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Google Pixel 10a vs Nothing Phone (4a)Google Pixel 10a vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Nothing Phone (4a) vs Vivo X300 Ultra Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Vivo X300 Ultra Nothing Phone (4a) vs Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Nothing Phone (4a) Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Browse all reviews

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

What Reviewers Agree On

New waterdrop hinge finally folds flat with no gap — the most-praised design change after four years of evolution
Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip as the S23 family — flagship-grade performance, more efficient than the Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1
1750-nit peak on both cover and main displays — a huge step up from the Fold 4's 1000 nits, finally usable in bright sunlight
Base storage doubled to 256GB at the same $1,799 starting price as the Fold 4
4 OS upgrades + 5 years of security — same industry-leading policy as the S23 family, through Android 17
Excellent foldable software: split-screen, taskbar, app continuity — best multitasking experience in any foldable

Deal Breakers

4,400mAh battery unchanged for five consecutive Fold generations — real-world SOT lands at 4-5 hours, behind cheaper slab flagships
Slow 25W wired charging (1h-1.5h to full) — Plus and Ultra S23 siblings get 45W, OnePlus 11 gets 80W
IPX8 only — no dust rating, a real concern for a hinge-and-fabric phone
S Pen still needs a separate purchase + bulky case, no built-in silo despite four years of owner requests
Cameras lag the S23 Ultra significantly — 10x periscope is Ultra-exclusive, no 200MP main; the camera bump also sticks out further on the Fold 5
Crease in the main display is still visible and tactile — Samsung hasn't fundamentally improved it

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Pros

New waterdrop hinge finally folds flat with no gap — the most-praised design change after four years of evolution
Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip as the S23 family — flagship-grade performance, more efficient than the Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1
1750-nit peak on both cover and main displays — a huge step up from the Fold 4's 1000 nits, finally usable in bright sunlight
Base storage doubled to 256GB at the same $1,799 starting price as the Fold 4
4 OS upgrades + 5 years of security — same industry-leading policy as the S23 family, through Android 17
Excellent foldable software: split-screen, taskbar, app continuity — best multitasking experience in any foldable

Cons

4,400mAh battery unchanged for five consecutive Fold generations — real-world SOT lands at 4-5 hours, behind cheaper slab flagships
Slow 25W wired charging (1h-1.5h to full) — Plus and Ultra S23 siblings get 45W, OnePlus 11 gets 80W
IPX8 only — no dust rating, a real concern for a hinge-and-fabric phone
S Pen still needs a separate purchase + bulky case, no built-in silo despite four years of owner requests
Cameras lag the S23 Ultra significantly — 10x periscope is Ultra-exclusive, no 200MP main; the camera bump also sticks out further on the Fold 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

50MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP 3x telephoto — same combo as the Fold 4 with the SD 8 Gen 2 processing bump enabling sharper enhanced-pixel mode. Capable but not Ultra-grade; the camera bump still protrudes noticeably.

Cameras: 50MP main (f/1.8, OIS), 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4, OIS, 66mm), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2) — same hardware as the Fold 4.
8 Gen 2 image processing automatically uses 'enhanced pixel mode' on the 50MP sensor (like the S22 Ultra) — sharper shots than the Fold 4.
Camera bump still protrudes meaningfully — better image quality doesn't justify the added bulk for everyone.
Cover-screen Dual Preview feature is a foldable-camera highlight — subjects can see exactly what you're shooting on the front display.
Top-down food/document shots without leaning are a unique foldable use case — practical, social-friendly camera utility.

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 Z Fold 5

Bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (3.36GHz) with 12GB RAM — the same chip as the S23 family. Flagship-grade performance with much better efficiency than the Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy at 3.36GHz + 12GB RAM + 256GB base UFS 4.0 — same chip as the S23 Ultra in a foldable.
8 Gen 2 power savings, better AI/CPU/GPU efficiency, faster RAM and UFS — meaningful step up from the Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1.
Two years on (2025), the chip is 'still very powerful' — handles One UI 7's AI features and demanding apps without issue.
Forbes verdict: 'still a flagship chip — the best in Android — just not as special as Samsung marketing would have you think'.

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 Z Fold 5

4,400mAh — unchanged for five consecutive Fold generations. 8 Gen 2 efficiency stretches it to 4-5h of inner-screen SOT, but 25W charging is slow (~1.5h to full) and 4,400mAh is now well behind 2026 foldable rivals.

4,400mAh battery unchanged from the Fold 4 — and Samsung kept the same cell through the Fold 7 (a five-generation stretch).
Real-world SOT on inner display: ~4 hours typical (one long-term owner). Power-save mode stretches to 2 full days for lighter users.
Cross-generation drain shootout: Fold 5 finished 3rd at 4h32m17s — beaten by both the Fold 6 and Fold 7 thanks to chip-efficiency gains.
25W wired charging: ~1h-1.5h to full — slow next to the OnePlus 11's 80W or even the S23+'s 45W.
15W Qi wireless and reverse wireless supported — handy for topping up Galaxy Buds while traveling with the foldable.

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 Z Fold 5

$1,799 launch with 256GB base (doubled from Fold 4's 128GB) — strong value in the foldable space, especially at $700-900 used in 2026. The Fold 7 at $2,000+ makes the Fold 5 newly compelling as the smart upgrade pick.

Launched at $1,799 with 256GB base storage — same starting price as the Fold 4 but with double the storage.
BGR's verdict: 'No Longer the Best' foldable in 2023 — the iteration was outpaced by competitors like Google's Pixel Fold and Honor V series.
Forbes counters: 'final form of a four-year evolution' — better screen, hinge and premium feel than the Pixel Fold competitor.
2025/2026 long-term owners regularly recommend it as the smart pick if you want a foldable without paying $2,000+ for the Fold 7.
Versus the Pixel Fold ($1,799): Forbes says the Fold 5 has the better screen, hinge and premium feel; the Pixel Fold has a more book-like cover aspect.