A fresh round of Telegram leaks has sketched out what Nothing’s next midrange push might look like: two Phone (4a) models, a cheaper over‑ear called Headphone a, a new pink colorway — and, perhaps most eyebrow‑raising, a noticeable bump in price for at least one common configuration.
What the leak says
Developer accounts on Telegram (the tip commonly attributed to MlgmXyysd and a handle translated as “Unreliable cat”) claim Nothing will ship both a Phone 4a and a Phone 4a Pro in early 2026, likely around March if the company follows its recent cadence. The headline items from the leak:
- Chip split: Phone 4a reportedly uses a Snapdragon 7s‑series chip, while the 4a Pro moves up to a standard Snapdragon 7‑series processor — a clearer performance gap than last year’s models.
- Memory and price: The 12GB/256GB trim is called out specifically. The Phone 4a is said to be around $475, and the 4a Pro about $540 (USD). That’s a substantial year‑over‑year increase if the numbers hold.
- Colors: Expect blue, white and black again, and a new pink option — which would also appear on Headphone a.
- Headphone a: Reportedly a plastic‑bodied, lower‑cost rework of Headphone 1, offered in pink, yellow, white and black.
- eSIM: The Pro model may keep eSIM support, much like its predecessor.
All of this is unconfirmed: Nothing hasn’t announced anything yet, so treat the details as plausible but provisional.
Why the processor split matters
Last year Nothing kept things tidy by equipping both 3a and 3a Pro with the same Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 silicon — differences were in extras rather than raw horsepower. If the 4a Pro really switches to a Snapdragon 7‑series chip, buyers should expect noticeable gains in sustained performance, GPU grunt for games, and camera/AI processing. In short: more than just a few extra pixels or a fancied‑up case.
That kind of vertical differentiation makes it easier for the company to justify a higher Pro price, but it also shifts how the line competes in the crowded midrange. Rivals are pushing thinner devices and aggressive specs at this price band — a trend typified by phones such as the new Motorola Edge 70 — so Nothing will need more than colorways and a quirky aesthetic to stand out.
The price jump — reasonable or risky?
A $96 increase for the base 12GB/256GB Phone 4a (from $379 to about $475) is the kind of headline that makes buyers blink. Component costs, inflation and more advanced SoCs can drive prices up, but Nothing has positioned the “a” series as the company’s more accessible option. If those sticker estimates are accurate, Nothing risks squeezing the value angle that made the earlier models appealing.
There’s also a regional wrinkle: the leaked figures are in USD, and Nothing sometimes staggers availability and pricing by market. Currency shifts and local taxes could widen or narrow the gap between rumor and reality.
Headphone a: small changes, wider reach
The Headphone a looks like a straightforward cost‑down strategy — similar internals to Headphone 1, but with a plastic shell to shave price and weight. The color palette is intentionally playful (pink and yellow join classic black and white), which fits Nothing’s design language: bold but not buttoned up. If ANC, battery life and tuning stay close to the original, these could bring the brand’s distinctive look to a larger audience.
What to watch next
Leaks name March 2026 as a plausible launch window — consistent with Nothing’s past timing — so we’ll probably see more data points in the next few months: chipset confirmations, camera sensors, charging speeds, and actual retail prices. Keep an eye on carrier support too; eSIM on the Pro would be a notable convenience for travelers.
If you’re thinking about upgrades: assess whether the rumored Pro’s performance uplift is worth the premium, and whether the base 4a’s rumored price still lands it as a value pick against other midrange alternatives and discounts from bigger players like the Vivo X300 Ultra’s global rumors or seasonal deals on older flagships.
For now, the picture is still a sketch: a bolder color palette, a clearer performance split, a cheaper set of cans — and a price tag that could force the story’s direction once the numbers are official.
(When Nothing confirms details, expect hands‑on reviews and benchmarks to reveal whether the 4a series delivers the same personality at a higher cost.)