It looks as if Nothing can do no unsuitable in the intervening time. The three-year-old model clearly is aware of methods to market its units, and whereas its market share is not on par with entrenched rivals, Nothing’s units get an outsized portion of the thoughts share.A variety of that’s all the way down to Nothing’s intelligent advertising, however the design-focused strategy the model takes to all of its merchandise makes a giant distinction as effectively. The Phone 1 highlighted this extremely effectively, and the LED lights on the again, mixed with the distinctive see-through aesthetic, made it an instantaneous hit. Nothing adopted it up with the Phone 2 final yr, and it was catered to the high-end phase, delivering a extra polished design and higher {hardware}.For 2024, Nothing is setting its sights on the price range phase. The Phone 2a shares a variety of the identical nice options that made its predecessors stand out — together with a placing design and clear software program — but it surely’s the affordability that makes it an attractive selection. There’s clearly no scarcity of selection within the price range phase, however most telephones nonetheless run middling {hardware} or outdated software program with overt customization.The Phone 2a is difficult these norms, and after utilizing it for 2 weeks, it is clear to me that there is not any motive to purchase some other machine on this class.This overview was made attainable with a overview unit supplied by Nothing India. The firm didn’t see the contents of the overview earlier than publishing.Nothing Phone 2a: Pricing and availability(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Nothing unveiled the Phone 2a on March 5, 2024, and the telephone is now out there in most world markets the place the model has a presence. It prices £319 within the U.Ok. for the 8GB/128GB model, and the 12GB/256GB mannequin prices £349. The Phone 2a is offered in different nations in Europe as effectively, the place it prices €349 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and €399 for the 12GB/256GB version.India is a giant marketplace for Nothing, and the 8GB/128GB model of the Phone 2a retails for ₹23,999, and the 12GB/256GB model prices ₹27,999. Nothing sells a singular 8GB/256GB model of the Phone 2a in India, and that specific variant is offered for ₹25,999.Nothing sells the Phone 2a in choose nations within the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and the one area the place you possibly can’t purchase the machine in North America. Nothing has revealed why it is not launching the Phone 2a within the U.S., and it has to do with the truth that the model would not have a partnership with a provider but.Nothing Phone 2a: Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Nothing is greatest identified for its design prowess, and the model did an excellent job bringing its distinctive ethos to the price range phase. The finish result’s that the Phone 2a would not actually look or really feel like some other price range telephone. It has the same see-through design because the Phone 1 and Phone 2 however with a couple of tweaks.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As it would not include wi-fi charging, the again has a distinct sample that as a substitute highlights the cable that connects the battery. I talked to Nothing co-founder Akis Evangelidis in regards to the design, and he talked about that the inspiration for the again got here from the New York City metro’s subway maps. It appears to be like distinctive, and the opposite space of differentiation is the digital camera housing that is now centered.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The digital camera housing sits in the midst of the NFC coil, and the positioning means there isn’t a wobble when utilizing the telephone on a flat floor. The black model would not fairly have the identical presence because the white choice, and the principle concern I’ve with the design is that the again is a smudge magnet.Nothing eschewed glass and went with a plastic again on the Phone 2a, and whereas that is fantastic, the shiny end means the again is continually lined in smudges. It additionally picks up mud simply, and I’ve had to make use of a microfiber fabric on my desk due to the variety of instances I’ve needed to clear the telephone during the last two weeks. The solely different telephone lately that received wherever as dusty was the Redmi Ok20.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Having mentioned that, I’ll point out that the Phone 2a has an excellent in-hand really feel; the again has a slight curve the place it meets the mid-frame, and the rounded edges make it extremely comfy to carry and use the telephone. The matte sides go a good distance on this regard, and so they really feel nice — Nothing ought to have used the same coating on the again.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The sides are additionally made from plastic, however Nothing says the Phone 2a is utilizing an aluminum mid-frame to extend structural rigidity. At 190g, the telephone is not significantly heavy and has good weight distribution. It has IP54 ingress safety, and whereas it would not face up to a dunk within the pool, it does a good job of weathering the weather.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Obviously, a giant a part of the design has to do with the LED lights on the again, and whereas the Phone 2a would not have as many LEDs because the Phone 2, the Glyph lighting is simply as enjoyable to make use of. Now, I do not essentially discover the function to be helpful as I do not depart my telephone face-down on a desk, however the addition of a timer made it much less gimmicky in my use case. The potential to see a visible indicator because the timer counts down is a superb use of the LED lights on the again, and I truly ended up utilizing it fairly a bit.On the entire, Nothing managed to remain true to its design heritage whereas nonetheless managing to ship a telephone that is enjoyable to make use of. The Phone 2a is well the best-looking price range telephone round, and the distinctive styling mixed with the eye to element give it a definite edge.Nothing Phone 2a: Display(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Nothing lavished a variety of consideration up entrance as effectively, and the Phone 2a has a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel that goes as much as 120Hz. While that is a typical function on this phase, what makes the Phone 2a stand out is the symmetrical bezels on all sides — it provides to the upmarket look of the telephone.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There’s no LTPO tech, however you possibly can select between High and Standard modes, and the previous ensures the refresh is locked to 120Hz more often than not. Colors are vibrant out of the field, and you’ll tweak the colour heat to your tastes. You get an always-on mode, however there is not a lot in the best way of customizability. That mentioned, Nothing has a variety of customized widgets on the lock display, and these make up for the shortage of AOD choices.The Phone 2a does job with media, and I did not run into any points streaming HDR10+ content material. Playing video games is simply as pleasant, and the telephone delivers glorious sustained efficiency. There’s stereo sound on provide, and it will get loud sufficient that you simply need not use earbuds for informal gaming or streaming the occasional video.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Another space the place the Phone 2a has a robust displaying is brightness figures. It goes as much as 1,100 nits in outside use, and whereas that is not as excessive because the Redmi Note 13 Pro, it’s greater than enough — I had zero points with the display below harsh daylight. Just like Xiaomi, Nothing provides PWM dimming, with the Phone 2a capable of go as much as 1920Hz.The display is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5, and it has an optical fingerprint module. The solely quibble in regards to the sensor is that it’s situated a bit too low on the display, making it awkward to entry.PWM measurementsSection written by Nicholas Sutrich.Like the Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2, the Nothing Phone 2a provides DC-like dimming at excessive brightness ranges and 1,920Hz PWM dimming beneath that. 50% brightness and above makes use of a single-pulse dip that emulates DC-style dimming, however the Nothing Phone 2a has deeper modulation charges than the Nothing Phone 2 as evidenced in my comparability video.Image 1 of two(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)At 49% brightness and beneath, the telephone switches to 1,920Hz PWM dimming with very low modulation charges. In reality, I discovered that 49% brightness was some of the comfy brightness ranges on any trendy OLED smartphone show. As you possibly can see from the graph above, the graph is sort of near a flat line and, subsequently, extraordinarily comfy even for PWM-sensitive of us.At 49%, I discovered outside brightness to be akin to some cheaper LCD panels. It’s not tremendous seen, but it surely’ll work in the event you’re tremendous delicate to low PWM charges and the DC-like dimming above, which bothers your eyes as effectively.Nothing Phone 2a: Performance and battery(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Phone 2a has the excellence of being the primary Nothing telephone to function MediaTek {hardware}. This is not too stunning contemplating Qualcomm simply would not have something within the price range phase that’s on par with MediaTek in the intervening time, and in consequence, most price range telephones now use the Dimensity 8300 or 7200.In the case of the Phone 2a, Nothing is utilizing a customized model of the Dimensity 7200, dubbed the Dimensity 7200 Pro. It makes use of the identical set of cores: you get two Cortex A715 cores at 2.8GHz, and the effectivity facet is dealt with by six Cortex A510 cores that go as much as 2.0GHz. The telephone has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with the bottom mannequin, and I’m utilizing the 12GB/256GB variant.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryNothing Phone 2aOSNothing OS 2.5.4, Android 14Display6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED, 2412×1080, HDR10+, 1100 nits HBM mode, 1300 nits max, Gorilla Glass 5ChipsetMediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, Mali-G610, 4nmRAM8GB/12GBStorage128GB/256GB Rear digital camera 150MP f/1.9 Samsung GN9, OIS, 4K at 30fpsRear digital camera 250MP f/2.2 Samsung JN1, wide-angleFront digital camera32MP f/2.2 Sony IMX615Ingress protectionIP54 mud and water resistanceConnectivity5G bands, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFCSecurityOptical in-screen sensorAudioUSB-C, stereo soundBattery5000mAh battery, 45W USB PD 3.0 charging techDimensions161.7 x 76.3 x 8.6mm, 190gColorsBlack, WhiteWhile the Dimensity 7200 is a identified amount, Nothing positively managed to profit from the {hardware}, and the Phone 2a is optimized like no different price range telephone I’ve used up to now. There is totally no lag in any respect, and the extent of fluidity instantly takes me again to the heyday of OxygenOS. The Phone 2a simply would not really feel like a price range machine on this space, and that interprets to gaming as effectively — it is ready to ship a lot better-sustained efficiency than some other price range telephone.Yes, there are points in the event you play demanding titles on the highest settings, however flip down the visuals to medium, and also you get clean framerates with none jitter. While the machine is not capable of run 3DMark’s Solar Bay check, the Wild Life Extreme stress check had a stability of 99.8%, and there was no overheating.The artificial workloads do not reveal the complete image, however utilizing the Phone 2a has been a revelation. If you have been pissed off by price range telephones that have been laggy or in any other case unstable in day by day use, you might want to think about switching.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryNothing Phone 2aVivo V30PCMark Work 3.0 (Overall)1389810560PCMark Work 3.0 (Web Browsing)160097950PCMark Work 3.0 (Video Editing)52465866PCMark Work 3.0 (Writing)1951912225PCMark Work 3.0 (Photo Editing)2453823065Geekbench 6 (single-core)11251099Geekbench 6 (multi-core)241231443DMark Wild Life Extreme (rating)114414913DMark Wild Life Extreme (FPS)6.858.935Rounding out the connectivity, there is not an entire lot lacking on the machine; it has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and the requisite 5G bands. I did not discover any points with mobile connectivity or any of the opposite radios, and whereas the vibration motor is not as detailed as what you get on high-end units, it’s higher than most price range telephones.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Switching over to the battery, the Phone 2a has a 5,000mAh battery — the biggest but on a Nothing telephone — and it simply lasts over a day with ease. Even with heavy use, I did not really feel the necessity to cost the machine earlier than turning it in for the night time, and there is not any motive to fret about battery longevity in any respect.The telephone makes use of 45W charging tech, and a full cost takes a smidgen over an hour, hitting the 50% mark in 25 minutes. Obviously, plenty of telephones on this phase cost quicker, however the Phone 2a is not too far behind its rivals. What is annoying, although, is the shortage of a charger within the field.Nothing would not embody a charger with any of its units, however its earlier telephones weren’t aimed on the price range phase. Having to purchase a charger to make use of with the telephone is irksome, however because the machine depends on the USB PD customary, any first rate PD charger is greater than enough.Nothing Phone 2a: Cameras(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Phone 2a includes a 50MP Samsung GN9 sensor with OIS, and it makes use of the identical 50MP Samsung JN1 wide-angle lens because the Phone 2. The reality that you simply get two usable lenses on the again is a giant deal; most price range telephones solely give attention to the principle digital camera, with the auxiliary lenses barely meriting any consideration.Like different units on this phase, you miss out on 4K video at 60fps, and you aren’t getting many extras in the best way of taking pictures modes or customized filters. That mentioned, the interface is straightforward to navigate, you get toggles for the 2 lenses — the telephone makes use of the principle digital camera to take photographs at 2x zoom — flash, HDR, and results.Image 1 of 6(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Photos taken in daylight have loads of element, and Nothing continues to prioritize overly saturated colours, so you do not essentially get correct coloration rendition. That mentioned, the resultant photographs look fairly good, and so they’re nice for sharing on social media. The wide-angle lens does an excellent job in daylight situations, and that is not astonishing contemplating the caliber of the {hardware}.That mentioned, you aren’t getting as a lot element; the tuning is just too aggressive at instances, and foliage, particularly, appears to be like synthetic. The telephone redeems itself with its low-light prowess, delivering pictures with minimal noise ranges and loads of element. Night mode kicks in routinely as soon as ambient mild is below a sure threshold, and whereas the digital camera is not fairly on par with the likes of the Pixel 7a, it’s shut.Nothing Phone 2a: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Phone 2a runs Nothing OS 2.5 based mostly on Android 14 out of the field, and it’s rapidly turning into one among my favourite Android skins. Nothing did not mess with the general aesthetic, so that you get a clear UI that is much like what’s on the Pixels. Where Nothing differentiated the interface is by including a ton of visible thrives, and that is significantly noticeable with widgets.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Nothing has a set of customized widgets which can be superbly designed, and so they brighten up the interface fairly a bit whereas offering contextual data. You additionally get monochrome icons which can be terrific, however like all icon packs, there are a couple of lacking apps, and the inconsistent styling is a bit bizarre. That mentioned, Nothing did a greater job than Google on this space.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The notification shade has massive tiles, and a double pull-down gesture surfaces eight in whole, with the 2 on the prime prominently highlighted. Pressing the Bluetooth tile pulls up the machine menu with no need to enter the settings, and whereas this function has been round for some time, it is nonetheless a welcome tweak.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There are loads of customized additions all through the interface, and it is clear that Nothing put a variety of thought into which areas of the UI to deal with. The result’s that the Phone 2a has the most effective software program of any price range telephone I’ve utilized in a really very long time. It’s a rarity to get a clear interface on this phase, a lot much less one which’s brimming with thrilling options. Best of all, there is not any bloatware to be discovered. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)On that observe, Nothing is doing a improbable job rolling out constant updates to the telephone. I’ve had the telephone for simply over three weeks now, and it has already acquired two updates. Again, I can not consider one other price range telephone that has picked up as many updates.Nothing ensures three Android platform updates, and which means the Phone 2a will make the change to Android 17 when that turns into out there. To put issues into context, the Redmi Note 13 Pro will not get any updates past Android 15.Nothing Phone 2a: The competitors(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Out of all of the price range telephones I used this yr, the one one I’d think about recommending is the POCO X6 Pro. I actually just like the design; the {hardware} is a smidgen extra highly effective than the Phone 2a, the battery costs quicker, and the principle digital camera is simply pretty much as good. The software program is not as refined, and it will not get as many software program updates, however apart from that, the X6 Pro is a good various.Nothing Phone 2a: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You should purchase this if:You need the most effective price range telephone presently out thereYou want a telephone that is nice for gamingYou want good cameras on the againYou’re on the lookout for clear software program that is customizableYou want a vibrant 120Hz OLEDYou should not purchase this if:You desire a charger bundled within the fieldYou reside within the U.S.The greatest technique to sum up the Phone 2a is that it would not really feel like a price range telephone. Nothing did a wonderful job optimizing the {hardware}, and the telephone is simply as fluid because the Phone 2 in day by day use — no small feat. The design is evocative, the AMOLED panel is terrific, and the cameras take nice pictures in most conditions.However, the clear differentiator is the software program; Nothing OS 2.5 provides the most effective software program expertise within the price range phase, and there is not one other machine that comes shut on this space. More than anything, the clear software program coupled with well timed updates is what offers the Phone 2a a sizeable benefit over its rivals.There’s no scarcity of price range telephones with nice {hardware}, however all of them fall brief in the case of the software program. That’s why the Phone 2a is such a giant deal; the software program on provide is on par with the most effective Android telephones, and also you additionally get terrific {hardware} that delivers the efficiency you want.There are not any main drawbacks with the Phone 2a, and that in itself differentiates it significantly from the remainder of the pack. There actually is not any motive to think about some other machine on this phase.
The Phone 2a delivers all the things you want from a price range telephone. The design stands out significantly, the {hardware} is terrific, you get two nice cameras on the again, and the software program is well the most effective on this phase.