Nothing Phone 4a Pro and OnePlus 15R cost roughly the same — starting from 36,000 rubles on marketplaces. But if you think you’ll get identical smartphones for the same price — that’s not the case. We’re looking at two fundamentally different approaches to what a mid-range smartphone should be. One bets on the camera and design, the other — on performance and battery life.
These smartphones are too similar to confidently name the best. But each has some advantages.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro and OnePlus 15R: Design and Build
If you place both smartphones side by side, confusing them would be impossible — even blindfolded. Nothing Phone 4a Pro features an all-metal aluminum body — a first in the brand’s history — with a transparent insert on the back panel revealing the Glyph Matrix module. This is a circular LED display made of 137 individual LED elements, and honestly, it looks like a small screen from a space station. For some — a gimmick, for others — a reason to pull the phone out of their pocket and show friends.
OnePlus 15R is the complete opposite. Minimalist design in the style of the older OnePlus 15: flat frame, matte glass on the back, metal camera module. No showing off, but it does have IP68 and even IP69K — meaning the smartphone can handle not only water submersion but also high-pressure water jets. In practice, you probably won’t need this every day, but for those who drop phones in sinks or take them to the beach — it’s a strong argument.
Both devices are 8.1 mm thick, around 213 grams. Dimensions are practically identical, but the feel in hand is different. Nothing feels slightly “cooler” due to the metal, while OnePlus feels slightly more familiar thanks to the glass.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro Display vs OnePlus 15R: Comparison
Both smartphones have 6.83-inch AMOLED displays with 1.5K resolution. Seems like a tie. But the devil, as always, is in the details.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro has a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, peak brightness of up to 5000 nits (according to the manufacturer; independent tests show more modest figures so far), HDR10+ support, and PWM dimming at 2160 Hz. The screen performs excellently in bright lighting — text is readable without issues.
OnePlus 15R offers a faster screen. Image: CNET
OnePlus 15R squeezes out a bit more: refresh rate up to 165 Hz, brightness up to 3600 nits, plus Dolby Vision support. But the main trump card is a special chip providing a touch sampling rate of up to 3200 Hz. For regular scrolling, this doesn’t matter, but for mobile shooters and competitive games — it’s a noticeable advantage.
Honestly, in everyday use, you most likely won’t notice the difference between 144 and 165 Hz. But if you’re a dedicated mobile gamer, OnePlus will offer faster response — and that’s not marketing, it’s physics.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 5: Which Processor Is More Powerful
Here lies the main gap between the two smartphones. Nothing Phone 4a Pro runs on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 — a 4-nanometer chip, a solid mid-ranger. Paired with 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 128 or 256 GB of storage (UFS 3.1), it handles everyday tasks and even games on medium settings without major complaints. For cooling — a vapor chamber with an area of 5300 mm².
OnePlus 15R is a completely different story. Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a sub-flagship chipset on a 3-nanometer process. Don’t confuse it with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, found in true flagships like OnePlus 15 — but the gap compared to Nothing’s “7 series” is still enormous. Memory — LPDDR5X Ultra, storage — UFS 4.1. Cooling system with aerogel and graphite across an area of 5704 mm².
In practice, OnePlus 15R is a smartphone that handles heavy games on maximum settings and doesn’t choke during multitasking. Nothing Phone 4a Pro performs respectably, but for resource-intensive tasks, it sometimes struggles.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro Camera vs OnePlus 15R: Who Shoots Better
And here Nothing takes its revenge — and what a revenge. Nothing Phone 4a Pro features a triple camera module: a 50 MP main camera (Sony Lytia 700C) with optical stabilization, a 50 MP periscope telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom (and up to 7x with in-sensor zoom technology, with digital zoom claimed up to 140x), and an 8-megapixel ultrawide.
Nothing Phone (4a) Pro’s camera is better than its competitors. Image: Nothing
OnePlus 15R is more modest with cameras: a 50 MP main sensor (Sony IMX906, the same as in OnePlus 15) with OIS and an 8 MP ultrawide. There’s no telephoto lens at all — and this is arguably the main sacrifice the brand made to reduce the price.
So if the camera is one of your priorities when choosing, Nothing Phone 4a Pro offers far more capabilities: both zoom for portraits and flexibility when shooting at a distance. OnePlus 15R shoots well with the main camera, but loses at medium and long range.
OnePlus 15R and Nothing Phone 4a Pro Battery Life: Battery Comparison
And here OnePlus strikes back. OnePlus 15R is equipped with a silicon-carbon battery of 7400 mAh — a serious figure even by 2026 standards. At a body thickness of 8.1 mm — almost a record for a smartphone of this class. Charging — 80W wired, full cycle from zero — just over an hour.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro — 5080 mAh for the international version or 5400 mAh for the Indian version. Charging — up to 50W. There’s a nice bonus — 7.5W reverse wired charging, so you can top up earbuds or a second phone from the smartphone.
The difference is almost 2000 mAh, and in practice, it’s noticeable. OnePlus 15R easily lasts a day and a half to two days of active use, while Nothing Phone 4a Pro under the same scenario will need a recharge by evening. If battery life is your priority, the choice here is obvious.
If battery and charging matter most to you, the choice is obvious — OnePlus. Image: The Economic Times
Nothing Phone 4a Pro and OnePlus 15R: Prices in Russia in 2026
At the time of publication, both smartphones are sold in Russia through marketplaces. OnePlus 15R — starting from 36,000 rubles for the 12/256 GB version and from 40,000–43,000 rubles for the 12/512 GB variant. Available on all marketplaces.
Nothing Phone 4a Pro is available in three configurations: 8/128, 8/256, and 12/256 GB. With discounts, the 12/256 GB version can be had for 36,000–39,000 rubles. On Ozon and Yandex Market, prices are higher — starting from 42,000 rubles for the base version.
