This week saw the release of their third phone and first proper midranger, the Nothing Phone (2a). I say “proper midranger” because while the original Nothing Phone (1) wasn’t exactly a flagship either, it’s clearly a more budget option. Please check the prices below.
| Blank phone (2a) | european union | England | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/128GB | 330 euros | £320 | ₹24,000 |
| 8/256GB | – | – | ₹26,000 |
| 12/256GB | 380 euros | £350 | ₹28,000 |
Unlike the Phone (2), the A model is not available in the US, at least not in retail stores. It’s available for $350 as part of Nothing’s developer program. However, I don’t know what the terms (warranty? support?) will be.
Regardless, you get a lot for your money with the Nothing Phone (2a). This includes a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display (20:9 FHD+) with 10-bit HDR10+ color, Gorilla Glass 5, and Always On mode. This is comparable to the Phone (1), except it’s a little larger (up from 6.55 inches). It’s also comparable to the more expensive Phone (2), but its 6.7-inch panel is LTPO (still 20:9 FHD+ resolution).
The a-phone’s camera settings are very similar to the Phone (2). The main has a 50MP 1/1.56-inch sensor (Samsung GN9 instead of Sony IMX890), and the 114° ultrawide has a 50MP 1/2.76-inch sensor (both Samsung JN1). The selfie camera is 32MP.
More important than the sensor difference is the lack of 4K @ 60fps video capture. The phone (2a) can go up to 30fps thanks to its chipset. Specifically, the Dimensity 7200 Pro chip.
The CPU with two Cortex-A715 cores and six A510 outperforms the Snapdragon 778G+ that was included in the phone (1), with the Mali-G610 MC4 GPU having an edge (by quite a bit, depending on the benchmark). its big) . However, if you compare this to his Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 on the Phone (2), the CPU is about the same, but strictly inferior, and the GPU is much slower, usually twice as fast, in some cases Sometimes it’s three times slower.
All three Nothing phones have the same update schedule, with three years of major OS updates and four years of security patches. The difference is that the Phone (1) is already in its second year (started with Android 12 and recently added Android 14). The Phone (2) starts with Android 13, and the new (2a) model runs Android 14 out of the box.
Finally, the A-phone has a 5,000mAh battery, which is the largest of the three (4,500mAh for the original model and 4,700mAh for the (2)). (2) Supports faster 45W wired charging, but no wireless charging.
With all this in mind, would you buy the Nothing Phone (2a)? You can also find the Phone (1) for about the same amount, but new stock is running low at the places we checked. But other than the complete lack of wireless charging and IP rating, the phone (2a) is the better phone. As for the phones (2), even with the discount they are 200 euros more expensive.
what else? Nothing’s Android skin may be stylized, but it’s lighter than most skins. Google Pixel 7a sells for between 300 and 350 euros, so it’s basically the same as (2a). There’s only one configuration (8/128GB), and the 6.1-inch FHD+ display is small and slow (90Hz). Speaking of which, the Tensor G2 might not be my favorite chipset, but it’s faster than the Dimensity 7200.
You also get a 64MP main camera (1/1.73 inch) and 13MP ultrawide (120°), as well as 13MP selfie. The rear camera can record 4K @ 60fps video and the phone is IP67 rated. The 4,385mAh battery is also smaller, with 18W charging and slower, but basic wireless charging at 7.5W. Google will provide him with three OS updates (the first update is already live) and five years of security patches.
We have the Samsung Galaxy A34 and A54, which will soon be replaced by the A35 and A55, so let’s see what they will be like.
HyperOS customizes Android even more than Nothing OS. However, if you like it, the Poco X6 Pro is cheaper for comparable storage, and even at 12/512GB it’s about the same price as the Nothing. Powered by the faster Dimensity 8300 Ultra, it features a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with high resolution (1220p class) with 12-bit color. This battery’s 5,000mAh battery charges even faster at 67W, but it still only supports wired charging. It has IP54 dustproof and waterproof performance. However, the camera is not equivalent to a phone (2a).
Realme 12 Pro is close in terms of price, but 12 Pro+ is more expensive. Realme’s 6.7-inch FHD+ 10-bit 120Hz display is comparable to Nothing’s display and comes with an IP65 rating. However, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is slower, and the 50MP main camera has a smaller sensor (1/2.0 inch), but it adds a 32MP 47mm portrait lens and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The 5,000mAh battery supports 67W wired-only charging.
We are working on a review of Nothing Phone (2a). So we expect more details about the company’s first true midranger to be announced soon. In the meantime, do you think you’ll be happy with your purchase of the Phone (2a)?
