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Credit: Amazon

Amazon currently has the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro in silver with 128GB of storage for $449, down from $499, and price trackers show that as its lowest price so far—helping it make a stronger case for itself against more conventional midrange Android phones, especially if you want something that feels a little less generic. That said, the Pixel 10a is the alternative I would look at if you want something more conventional. It costs $499, has a smaller 6.3-inch 120Hz display, and does not have the same visual personality, but it offers broader U.S. carrier support, Google’s more established camera processing, and seven years of software and security updates.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro’s 6.83-inch AMOLED display is one of the highlights, with a 1,260-by-2,800 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations feel especially smooth. Nothing also claims up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, so the screen should hold up well outdoors. Around back, the updated Glyph Matrix uses micro-LEDs for visual alerts and other information, while the aluminum unibody gives the phone a more premium feel than the plastic-heavy builds you typically still see in this price range. The tradeoff is that the unibody design hurts repairability, and there is no wireless charging, notes this PCMag review.

For everyday performance, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and 8GB of RAM of the (4a) Pro should comfortably handle messaging, streaming, navigation, social apps, and regular multitasking. I would not choose it specifically for demanding mobile games, but that is unlikely to be a problem for most people shopping in this price range. As for its camera setup, it gives you a 50MP main camera, another 50MP camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 32MP front camera, so there is enough flexibility for travel, family photos, and everyday shooting without making this a camera-first phone. Battery life is also one of its stronger points, with PCMag’s testing showing more than 15 hours of use, which should make getting through a normal day fairly easy. You also get dual-SIM support with eSIM, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and IP65 resistance against dust and water.