Nothing Phone (4a) vs Poco X8 Pro Max
Poco X8 Pro Max wins 3 of 5. Buy Nothing Phone (4a) if you want better photos and to spend less. Buy Poco X8 Pro Max if you want longer battery life, more speed for games and the longest software support.
The short answer
- CameraNothing Phone (4a). Takes the better photos: camera score 6 out of 10, against 5.
- BatteryPoco X8 Pro Max. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 10 out of 10, against 6. It has a 9000 mAh battery.
- SpeedPoco X8 Pro Max. Faster for games and heavy apps: MediaTek Dimensity 9500s, speed score 9 out of 10, against 5.
- UpdatesPoco X8 Pro Max. 4 years of updates promised.
- PriceNothing Phone (4a). Costs 10% less.
Overall, Poco X8 Pro Max wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Nothing Phone (4a) | Poco X8 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹44,999 | ₹49,999 |
| Launched | 5 March 2026 | 17 March 2026 |
| Software now | Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16) (same as launch) | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) (same as launch) |
| Rating | 7.3/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Battery | About a day of use (13 hours 34 minutes in GSMArena's test of the global model); 50W charging takes about 64 minutes. | Excellent battery life from a 9000mAh battery, with 100W fast charging. |
| Camera | Good 50MP main camera and a 50MP 3.5x zoom lens, but a basic 8MP wide-angle. | Capable main camera with good 2x shots, but no zoom lens and a basic wide-angle camera. |
| Speed | Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is smooth for daily use, but slower than rivals at this price. | Dimensity 9500s is one of the fastest chips at this price, great for games. |
| Catch | Prices have risen four times since launch (₹31,999 to ₹44,999), and it is only splash resistant (IP64). | Somewhat heavy, with no telephoto camera and a basic 8MP wide-angle. |
| Updates | 3 years | 4 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Nothing Phone (4a) | Poco X8 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.78-inch 1.5K (1224 x 2720) AMOLED, 120Hz, 1600 nits HBM, 4500 nits peak, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass 7i | 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED, 120Hz, 2000 nits HBM, 3500 nits peak, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Gorilla Glass 7i |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 9500s (3nm) |
| CPU | 1x Cortex-A720 @ 2.7GHz + 3x Cortex-A720 @ 2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A520 @ 1.8GHz | 1x Cortex-X925 @ 3.73GHz + 3x Cortex-X4 @ 3.3GHz + 4x Cortex-A720 @ 2.4GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Adreno 810 | Immortalis-G925 (MC11 per GSMArena, MC12 per India launch coverage), ray tracing |
| AI chip (NPU) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) | MediaTek NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 8GB RAM, 128GB (UFS 3.1; RAM type not officially stated) | 12GB RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.1, LPDDR5X (9.6Gbps)) |
| Battery | 5400 mAh | 9000 mAh |
| Charging | 50W wired (50% in 22 min, full in 64 min), 7.5W reverse wired; no wireless charging | 100W HyperCharge wired (PD3.0, PPS), 27W reverse wired, bypass charging; no wireless charging |
| Cameras | 50MP main (f/1.9, 1/1.57", PDAF, OIS) + 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto (f/2.9, 1/2.75", OIS) + 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 1/4", 120 degrees); 32MP front | 50 MP Light Fusion 600 main (1/1.95", f/1.5, 26mm, OIS) + 8 MP ultrawide (1/4", f/2.2, 15mm); 20 MP selfie |
| Water and dust | IP64 | IP66/IP68/IP69/IP69K |
| Size and weight | 8.6mm thick, 204.5g | 8.2mm thick, 220g |
| Software | Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16) at launch, Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16) now | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) at launch, HyperOS 3 (Android 16) now |
| Updates | 3 years promised | 4 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Only on some versions | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.4, NFC (market dependent), USB-C 2.0, no 3.5mm jack | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 (aptX HD, LHDC 5, Auracast), NFC, IR blaster, eSIM, USB-C 2.0 |
| Modem | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) | Integrated MediaTek 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers (rated Very good by GSMArena, -24.0 LUFS); haptics not detailed | Loud stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos (rated Excellent by GSMArena); haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | 2160Hz PWM; touch sampling not officially stated | 3840Hz PWM; touch sampling not officially stated |
| Cooling | Not officially stated | Not officially stated for the Pro Max (the X8 Pro uses a 5,300 sq mm IceLoop vapour chamber) |
| Colours | Black, White, Pink, Blue | Black, White, Blue |
Where to buy
- Nothing Phone (4a)₹44,999
- Poco X8 Pro Max₹49,999
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Common questions
- Which is better, Nothing Phone (4a) or Poco X8 Pro Max?
- Poco X8 Pro Max wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Nothing Phone (4a) if you want better photos and to spend less. Buy Poco X8 Pro Max if you want longer battery life, more speed for games and the longest software support.
- Which has the better camera?
- Nothing Phone (4a) takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Poco X8 Pro Max lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- Poco X8 Pro Max is faster for games and heavy apps.
- How much do they cost?
- Nothing Phone (4a) costs ₹44,999, Poco X8 Pro Max costs ₹49,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Nothing Phone (4a): 3 years, now on Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16). Poco X8 Pro Max: 4 years, now on HyperOS 3 (Android 16).