Nothing launches Phone 4a series, Headphone a: Watch unboxing, check specs

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 5, 2026 | Technology

British consumer technology brand Nothing has launched the Phone 4a series smartphones, along with the Nothing Headphone (a) over-ear headphones. The Phone 4a series encompasses two models: the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro. The Phone 4a series is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets and comes with a 5,080mAh battery.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro: Price and variants

8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 39,999

8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 42,999

12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 45,999

Colours: Black, Silver and Pink

Nothing Phone 4a: Price and variants

8GB RAM + 128GB storage: Rs 31,999

8GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 34,999

12GB RAM + 256GB storage: Rs 37,999

Colours: Black, White, Blue and Pink

Nothing Phone 4a series: Availability

The company said that global pre-orders for the Phone 4a Pro will begin on March 13, 2026, through nothing.tech and select partners, with open sales scheduled to start on March 27 in most markets. Meanwhile, pre-orders for the Phone 4a will start on March 5, 2026, with open sales beginning on March 13.

Nothing Phone 4a series: Details

Nothing Phone 4a Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, coupled with LPDDR5X memory and UFS 3.1 storage. Phone 4a Pro sports a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 5,000 nits. The display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes with a full metal construction, while featuring a transparent design on the camera module, which also includes a Phone 3-like Glyph Matrix display. According to Nothing, the metal finish improves thermal management, while the phone also features a 5,300mm² vapour chamber system. The Phone 4a Pro also offers IP65 dust and water resistance, along with submersion protection.

The Phone 4a Pro features an updated Glyph Matrix with 137 mini-LED lights. Nothing said that despite using fewer LEDs than the Nothing Phone 3, the setup covers a larger area and can reach brightness levels of around 3,000 nits for notifications. The phone also supports several Glyph features such as Battery Indicator, Timer, Digital Clock, Solar Path and Glyph Mirror, which are integrated into the Glyph Matrix always-on display experience, even without a dedicated Glyph button.

The Phone 4a Pro features a 50MP Sony main sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), paired with a Sony ultra-wide camera and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. The smartphone supports up to 140x digital zoom, which the company said is the highest zoom level offered on a Nothing smartphone so far. It also includes a 32MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

Nothing Phone 4a is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, paired with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. The Nothing Phone 4a features a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with a peak HDR brightness of 4,500 nits and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

The Phone 4a features a new “Glyph Bar” interface next to the camera module, with a vertical strip of individually controlled mini LED lights. Nothing said that the Glyph Bar setup is designed to reduce distractions while still delivering clear visual notifications.

For photography, the Phone 4a includes a 50MP main camera with OIS, along with a 50MP periscope camera offering 3.5x optical zoom and OIS. It also features an ultra-wide lens and a 32MP front camera. The camera system supports zoom levels ranging from 0.6x to 70x.

Both models in the Nothing Phone 4a series come with a 5,080mAh battery. According to Nothing, the battery can deliver up to 17 hours of mixed use, including activities such as music playback, video streaming, gaming and messaging. The phones also support 50W fast charging, which the company said can charge the battery to around 60 per cent in about 30 minutes. Nothing said that the Phone 4a series runs on NothingOS 4.1.

Nothing Phone 4a Pro: Specifications

Display: 6.83-inch AMOLED, 1.5K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, up to 5,000 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass 7i

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Memory: LPDDR5X RAM

Storage: UFS 3.1 storage

Protection: IP65 dust and water resistance

Glyph Interface: Glyph Matrix with 137 mini-LED lights and up to 3,000 nits brightness

Rear Cameras: 50MP main (OIS) + Sony ultra-wide + 50MP periscope telephoto (3.5x optical zoom)

Front Camera: 32MP

Software: Nothing OS based on Android

Nothing Phone 4a: Specifications

Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, up to 4,500 nits HDR peak brightness

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4

Memory: LPDDR4X RAM

Storage: UFS 3.1

Rear Cameras: 50MP main (OIS) + ultra-wide camera + 50MP periscope telephoto (3.5x optical zoom)

Front Camera: 32MP

Battery: 5,080mAh

Charging: 50W fast charging (up to ~60% in 30 minutes)

Software: NothingOS 4.1 based on Android

Nothing Headphone (a): Details

Nothing has launched the Headphone (a) alongside the Phone 4a series. The company said that it can deliver up to five days of continuous listening on a single charge, making it the longest-lasting battery on a Nothing product so far. The company also claims that a five-minute charge can provide around five hours of playback.

The headphones weigh 310g and feature memory foam ear cushions. They are available in Yellow, Pink, Black and White colour options. The device also carries an IP52 rating for protection against dust and light water exposure.

Headphone (a) supports Hi-Resolution Audio Wireless and the LDAC codec for higher-quality wireless audio. It uses a 40mm titanium-coated driver, which the company said is designed to deliver clearer sound with lower distortion.

For controls, the headphones include physical buttons integrated into the ear cups. These include a Roller, Paddle and Button that allow users to adjust volume, control playback and switch noise-cancellation modes. The headphones support Channel Hop, which lets users switch between apps or functions using the control button. The same button can also work as a camera shutter for taking photos or starting video recording on a connected smartphone.

Headphone (a) features Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with three levels — low, medium and high. Users can adjust sound settings using the Nothing X app, which offers an eight-band equaliser for custom audio tuning. For calls, the headphones use a three-microphone system with AI noise reduction, which is designed to reduce background noise during voice calls. The Headphone (a) will be available in Black, White, Pink and Yellow.

Nothing Headphone (a): Specifications

Driver: 40mm titanium-coated audio driver

Audio Support: Hi-Resolution Audio Wireless and LDAC codec

Noise Cancellation: Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation with three modes (Low, Mid, High)

Microphones: 3-mic system with AI noise reduction for calls

Controls: Physical Roller, Paddle and Button on ear cups for volume, playback and ANC control

Special Features: Channel Hop app switching and camera shutter control

App Support: Nothing X app with 8-band advanced EQ

Battery Life: Up to 5 days of continuous listening on a single charge

Fast Charging: 5-minute charge provides up to 5 hours of playback

Weight: 310g

Protection: IP52 dust and water resistance

Source link

OPPO Find X9 series to get Quick Share compatibility with Apple AirDrop

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 5, 2026 | Technology

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is set to roll out Android’s Quick Share interoperability with Apple’s AirDrop to the OPPO Find X9 series later this month. The company said that the feature will allow users to wirelessly share files between OPPO smartphones and Apple devices without installing additional apps. This comes after Google expanded Quick Share interoperability with AirDrop to its Pixel 9 series smartphones, following its initial roll-out last year on Pixel 10 series smartphones.

OPPO is also set to expand the Find X9 lineup with the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and Find X9s models. The company has confirmed that the Find X9s will launch in India, while the Ultra model will be getting a global launch. The OPPO Find X9 Ultra may also arrive in India; however, it has not been confirmed yet. Currently, the OPPO Find X9 series in India includes the OPPO Find X9 and Find X9 Pro.

Google’s Quick Share compatibility with AirDrop

According to OPPO, the feature will arrive on its OPPO Find X9 series through a software update in March. The company said the functionality has been developed in collaboration with MediaTek and Google. Once enabled, users will be able to transfer files between OPPO phones and devices running AirDrop on iOS, iPadOS and macOS. OPPO said the system will allow secure file sharing without requiring third-party applications.

Support for cross-platform sharing between Android and Apple devices was first launched last year with the Google Pixel 10 series. The feature later expanded to the Google Pixel 9 series models, including the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold.

Google had previously confirmed that Quick Share compatibility with AirDrop support will expand to more Android smartphones, and OPPO is among the first few brands to offer a roll-out schedule.

Apart from OPPO, UK-based smartphone brand Nothing had earlier confirmed that it is working on adding similar functionality to its devices. Chipmaker Qualcomm had also said that Android phones powered by its Snapdragon processors will gain support for cross-platform file sharing with Apple devices in the future. According to a report by 9To5Google, there are also indications that Samsung may bring AirDrop–Quick Share support to the Galaxy S26 series, although this has not been officially confirmed yet.

OPPO’s upcoming Find X9 devices

OPPO is set to launch multiple new devices in its flagship Find X9 series. The company previously stated that it would be launching a Find X9s model in India, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s processor. It could be accompanied by the Find X9 Ultra, which is now confirmed to get a global launch this year. The Ultra model has previously been limited to China.

According to OPPO, the Find X9 Ultra will feature what the company describes as its most advanced smartphone imaging system yet. The device is expected to combine upgraded optical engineering with camera technologies while continuing the partnership with Hasselblad, as seen on previous Find X9 models.

OPPO said the smartphone is being designed as a camera-focused flagship aimed at delivering professional-level photography in a mobile form factor. The company added that the “Ultra” branding should represent meaningful hardware improvements, with the Find X9 Ultra intended to push the limits of mobile imaging.

This also suggests that the upcoming flagship may bring upgrades over the OPPO Find X9 Pro. The Pro model currently features a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP Sony LYT-828 wide-angle sensor, a 50MP Samsung 5KJN5 ultra-wide camera and a 200MP Samsung S5KHP5 telephoto lens. On the front, the OPPO Find X9 Pro includes a 50MP Samsung 5KJN5 camera for selfies and video calls.

Source link

South Korean chip industry worried Iran crisis to disrupt material supply

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 5, 2026 | Technology

South Korea’s chip industry is concerned that a prolonged Iranian crisis will disrupt supplies of key materials from the Middle East and increase chip prices due to a spike in energy costs, a ruling party lawmaker said on Thursday.

The chip industry also warned the crisis could deal a setback to plans by big tech firms to build AI data centres in the Middle East for the longer term, thus weighing on strong chip demand, Kim Young-bae said.

Kim made the comment after meeting with executives from companies such as Samsung Electronics, the world’s top memory chipmaker, and business and trade groups.

“We say the semiconductor supercycle has arrived, but data centre plans are highly likely to be disrupted, potentially creating problems with chip demand,” he said at a briefing with reporters.

“Officials raised a possibility that semiconductor production could be disrupted if some of these key materials cannot be sourced from the Middle East,” he said.

The chip industry is worried that the Iran crisis could disrupt supplies of some key chip-making materials like helium from the Middle East, Kim said.

Helium is essential for heat management during semiconductor production and it has no viable alternatives currently.

South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix said in a statement that it had sufficient â€‹helium inventory and did not expect disruption to its procurement.

Samsung Electronics declined to comment.

Industry officials said chipmakers have diversified their material sourcing as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have persisted for years, and many have secured supplies in advance as a precaution.

Data Centres

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have benefited from surging prices of memory chips, driven by a global race among tech firms to build AI data centres.

Amazon said on Monday some of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes in the Middle East conflict, sparking questions around Big Tech’s pace of expansion in the region.

U.S. tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia have been positioning the UAE as a regional hub for artificial intelligence computing needed to power services such as ChatGPT.

Iran fired a barrage of drones and missiles at Gulf states in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source link

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hints at end of investments in OpenAI, Anthropic

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 5, 2026 | Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the latest investments in OpenAI and Anthropic might be the chipmaker’s last in those companies, as the AI companies prepare to go public this year.

The opportunity to invest $100 billion in OpenAI is probably not in the cards as the ChatGPT creator is set to go public later this year, Huang said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference on Wednesday.

Nvidia and OpenAI had announced a $100 billion deal in September last year. Nvidia has instead finalized a $30 billion investment in OpenAI, which might be the last time it has the opportunity to “invest in a consequential company like this,” Huang said.

OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an IPO that could value the company at up to $1 trillion, Reuters exclusively reported last year.

Nvidia’s $10 billion investment in Anthropic probably will be the last as well, Huang added. The startup is reportedly looking â€‹to go public this year.

Anthropic, which is embroiled in a dispute with the Pentagon, has said it has not finalized an IPO decision.

OpenAI and Anthropic did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The Financial Times reported in February that Nvidia and OpenAI had abandoned their $100 billion deal amid doubts about the health of the AI sector.

Some analysts had raised concerns about the circular arrangement, as the large investment in Anthropic would have made Nvidia a major investor in one of its biggest customers and the money it would pour into the startup was likely to be spent on its own AI processors.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source link

Google settles with Epic Games with offer to cut app store commissions

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 5, 2026 | Technology

Google will lower the lucrative fees imposed on its Android app store and offer a way for rival options to gain its stamp of approval, ending a bruising legal battle that led to one of several rulings condemning its tactics as an illegal monopoly.

The proposed changes filed on Wednesday with a federal court in San Francisco mark the latest twist in a case that began in August 2020 when video game maker Epic Games filed an antitrust case seeking make it easier for alternative payment options to compete against Google’s Play Store system, which charges 15 per cent to 30 per cent commissions on a wide variety of in-app transactions.

Google’s concessions come five months after the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the company’s attempt to overturn a federal judge’s order requiring a far more extensive overhaul of the Play Store following a 2023 trial that culminated in a jury declaring the setup an illegal monopoly.

Backed into a legal corner, Google is now prepared to decrease its baseline commissions for subscriptions and e-commerce transactions into the 10 per cent to 20 per cent range while creating a new option that would charge 5 per cent for payment processing.

App developers could still choose to rely on another payment processing system besides Google’s, and consumers will be able to download apps from alternative stores that go through a certification process. Although not required, alternative app stores that go through Google’s registration process are less likely to provoke warnings about security risks.

US James Donato still must approve the proposed changes as an alternative to a more dramatic shakeup that he ordered in October 2024. Google is seeking an April 9 hearing before the judge to answer any questions about the revisions, which are being backed by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose North Carolina company is best known for making the Fortnite video game.

“Epic has been advocating for open platforms for a long time, and this really brings Android up to the status of a truly open platform,” Sweeney told The Associated Press during an interview that also included Sameer Samat, the Google executive in charge of Android.

“We think it’s really great to focus more energy and time on building than on quarrelling,” Samat said about Google’s decision to finally strike a truce with Epic after years of acrimony.

Google is planning to extend this new Play Store template to the rest of the world, contingent on regulatory approval in other countries. The Mountain View, California, company intends to begin the rollout in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, Samat said.

The lower fees are likely to dent the profits of Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., which is in a better position to weather the blow now that its market value stands at $3.7 trillion – four times more than when Epic filed its lawsuit.

Alphabet also faces other possible setbacks with Google’s search engine being ordered to share more of its collected data after being declared an illegal monopoly in a different case brought by the US Justice Department. Parts of the technology powering Google’s digital ad network were also deemed an abusive monopoly last year in yet another federal lawsuit. A federal judge in Virginia is weighing whether to order a breakup in order to restore competition in that case.

Epic’s 2020 attack against Google’s Play Store coincided with a similar crusade against Apple’s iPhone app store that still remains entangled in some legal disputes about how alternative payment systems can be managed.

Sweeney isn’t optimistic about reaching a deal with Apple that mirrors the Google concessions because the cases played out differently. In the Apple lawsuit, a federal judge concluded that the iPhone app store isn’t a monopoly but still ordered changes designed to make it easier for consumers to navigate to alternative payment options – a shift that Epic argues still hasn’t occurred.

For now, Sweeney intends to savour the outcome of the Play Store case set to the soundtrack of a classic tune by the Rolling Stones.

“As the song says, you can’t always get what you want, but if you try, you can often get what you need,’ ” Sweeney said. “And what we need is competition.

Source link

VSCO launches standalone Galleries app to organise shared photos: What's it

by Hansraj Agrawal | Mar 4, 2026 | Technology

Visual Supply Co. (VSCO) has launched a new standalone app called VSCO Galleries to make it easier for photographers to share photos with clients and collaborators. The app is currently available on the App Store for iPhone, and a desktop version is expected to launch later. According to a report by 9To5Google, the app aims to address a common issue photographers face when using traditional shared folders. In projects like weddings, events or portrait shoots, multiple photographers often upload images, which can make shared folders messy and harder to manage.

VSCO Galleries app: How it works

As reported, VSCO Galleries attempts to address this by creating a single space where images from multiple contributors can be collected and organised. Instead of sending files through different links or folders, photographers and collaborators can upload images to a unified gallery designed specifically for photo sharing.

The report noted that the app aims to make collaboration easier while also improving the way photographers deliver their work. VSCO described the platform as one that “simplifies the delivery process while promoting collaboration, enabling photographers, guests, event organisers and content creators to gather and share photos in one, photo-first experience.”

The app also allows organisers to generate a QR code that contributors can scan to upload photos directly to the gallery. Guests or collaborators can upload images using a desktop or mobile browser, meaning they do not need to install the app themselves to contribute.

VSCO Pro subscribers will get additional features, including unlimited storage and password-protected galleries for sharing images with clients or event participants. These controls are intended to help photographers manage access and keep projects organised.

The core functionality of VSCO Galleries is available for free, while additional features are included in the VSCO Pro subscription, which costs $60 per year.

Source link

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Times Top News

Times Top News