Nothing Phone (4a) vs Sony Xperia 1 VII

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.

• 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits typical / 1,600 nits HBM / 4,500 nits peak at 1224x2720 (440ppi).
• The 6.78-inch display is 23% brighter than the 3a, reaching 1,600 nits outdoors with a 4,500-nit HDR peak.
• Brightness goes up to 4,500 nits peak, remaining easily readable outdoors — the display is very strong for this price range and one of the standout features.
• In the real world it hits around 700 nits peak SDR and ~1,550–1,600 nits in HDR, with 460ppi and dynamic 120Hz.

Sony Xperia 1 VII

A bright 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED that's a clear highlight — though Sony dropped the 4K/21:9 panel that defined earlier Xperia 1 models.

• Peak brightness is up ~20% over the VI — measured ~800 nits manual boosting to over 1,470–1,500 nits in auto.
• Outdoors in sunlight watching HDR content you get just shy of 1,500 nits — a meaningful step up.
• Sony continues to produce some of the best screens in the industry, and the bright 120Hz OLED carries that legacy.
• Long-time fans lose the 4K and 21:9 panel that earlier Xperia 1 models were known for — a real reason some won't upgrade from the VI.

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.

Sony Xperia 1 VII

The most divisive area: a genuinely standout new ultrawide and great selfies, but a continuous-zoom telephoto that's an engineering marvel undermined by mediocre image quality.

• The trio is a 52MP (48MP effective) IMX888 24mm main, a new 50MP IMX906 16mm ultrawide and a 12MP periscope covering 85–170mm continuous optical zoom.
• The new ultrawide is arguably the one camera that delivers truly standout results — and the selfies are awesome too.
• The upgraded ultrawide is clearly sharper than the competition, in the centre and at the edges.
• The super-advanced continuous-zoom camera is a unique feature, but it's a shame it's bad — it just doesn't produce the photo quality to justify its existence.
• The one-lens 85–170mm continuous optical zoom is an engineering marvel, on par with top-tier ultra flagships at 3x, but only usable to about 10x where Samsung/Xiaomi stay sharp to 20x.
• For a regular non-enthusiast taking everyday pictures, the output can feel disappointing given this is the best Sony has to offer at the price.

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.

Sony Xperia 1 VII

Excellent endurance is a genuine strength — but the 5,000mAh non-silicon-carbon cell pairs with lethargic 30W charging and nothing in the box.

• It scores highly for battery life, beating even the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and topping the comparison pack.
• It earned an active-use score of ~14h44m and ~17h20m in PCMark screen-on testing — typically ending the day with 25–35% left.
• Even gaming Wuthering Waves non-stop at max settings you still get about 4.5 hours before the battery is fully drained.
• Charging is lethargic 30W wired — 0–51% in 30 minutes and a full charge in ~80–90 minutes — plus 15W wireless.
• It's the same 5,000mAh cell as last year and not silicon-carbon, with no power adapter or USB-C cable included.

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.

Sony Xperia 1 VII

An extortionate price for a deliberately niche phone — superb for the right enthusiast, hard to recommend to a mainstream buyer over a Pixel or Galaxy.

• There's plenty to like, but one of the problems is the absolutely extortionate asking price.
• It's not for everyone, but for creators, photographers and multimedia enthusiasts it could be one of the best Android flagships of 2026.
• It's a dream smartphone for enthusiasts — versatile zoom, very long battery, bright OLED, high-quality build, fast SoC and 6-year updates — but with low charging, only 256GB and a mediocre telephoto.
• Notebookcheck's verdict: a professional camera smartphone not suitable for everyone — but a very strong high-end device for its target buyer.
• If you prefer super-long-range telephoto over ultrawide photography, a Samsung or Xiaomi flagship is the better buy.