Upcoming Nothing Phone (4a) Series to Feature Enhanced Storage and Potential Price Hikes

Today, Nothing's CEO, Carl Pei, confirmed that "some products" launching before the end of March will incorporate UFS 3.1 storage. This likely pertains to the Phone (4a) series, although it remains unclear which specific device(s) will feature UFS 3.1 and which will not.

Last year, the Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro were released in early March, leading us to assume that Pei is referring to their successors. The previous models utilized UFS 2.2 storage, a choice Nothing justified as not being driven by cost-cutting, but rather by prioritizing resources where they would have the most impact.

Interestingly, the company previously mentioned, "UFS 3.1 sounds great on paper, but in everyday use, its advantages are often negligible compared to software optimizations, battery life, and display quality." One has to wonder if the benefits are indeed less negligible a year later, or if this was simply a cost-cutting strategy.

In any case, this stance seems to have shifted. Carl Pei stated that brands are now faced with "a simple choice" amid rising RAM prices driven by investments in AI data centers: "raise prices, by 30% or more in some cases, or downgrade specs." He further asserted that the more specs for less money model that many budget brands relied on is no longer sustainable in 2026.

In essence, the upcoming Nothing Phone (4a) devices may either have reduced specifications compared to their predecessors or experience price increases of up to 30%. Pei believes this shift could be beneficial for his company, as it has learned that a focus solely on specifications is insufficient for success. Their priority is now on enhancing the user experience and demonstrating that a phone's aesthetics and feel are more critical than raw specifications. Nevertheless, Nothing's sales figures in comparison to competitors suggest otherwise.

Nothing Phone (3a)

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

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