
Nothing
The mid-ranger that stands out

Xiaomi
The best compact flagship of 2025
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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Xiaomi 15
Xiaomi 15
Xiaomi 15
A genuinely compact flagship that fits premium hardware into a small, well-built body. Reviewers consistently praise the in-hand feel and durability, with the flat Xiaomi Shield Glass back the main quibble.
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.
Xiaomi 15
A small but flagship-grade flat AMOLED with class-leading peak brightness. Outdoor visibility is a recurring highlight.
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.
Xiaomi 15
A Leica-tuned triple 50MP system that reviewers rate among the best you can get in a compact phone, with a large 1/1.3-inch main sensor and a versatile 60mm telephoto. Pro-grade video is strong via the main sensor.
Nothing Phone (4a)
A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.
Xiaomi 15
Snapdragon 8 Elite makes it one of the fastest small phones available, and it holds sustained performance better than larger rivals — but it still runs warm under prolonged synthetic and 4K-video loads.
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.
Xiaomi 15
A ~5,240mAh cell that beats a Galaxy S25 in head-to-head rundowns and recharges very fast over both wire and wireless — though a HyperOS idle drain divides reviewers.
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.
Xiaomi 15
HyperOS is fast and feature-rich (IR blaster, long update commitment) but the bloat, ads and unremovable apps remain the phone's most consistent complaint, and big updates have shifted benchmark behaviour.
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.
Xiaomi 15
Widely called the best compact flagship of 2025, but it's priced like a flagship and only an iterative bump over the Xiaomi 14 — and in the US a Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16 is cheaper and easier to buy.