Nothing Phone (2a): The New Face Of Nothing’s Innovation

Nothing Phone (2a) is the latest device from Nothing for price-sensitive consumers. Yet, the device flaunts features making it an absolute buy even if you are tight on budget.

Introduction

Nothing Phone (2a) just came into existence with some marvellous features and the price at which it comes can make you drool. Being a third launch from Nothing, the device still reflects the vision of Carl Pei and others at Nothing which is to rebuild the mobile phone realm.

The specifications got leaked online even before the launch on the 5th of March and we already had an idea of how the device was going to come out.

Even, Nothing divulged the design, days before the official release.

However, the innovation-obsessed company made subtle changes to the device and after its official release, we have a much clearer picture of how the latest product looks and what features it packs in.

Let’s discover the specifications and what sets Nothing Phone (2a) apart from the competition.

How’s the display on Nothing Phone (2a)?

The device sports a 6.7-inch, 120 Hz, 10-bit, flexible AMOLED** display for a seamless entertainment experience. The bezels are slim measuring only 2.1mm in thickness and symmetrical from all four sides.

This uniformity has made the display quite appealing and enriches the user experience. The display can reach a peak brightness of 1300 nits.

The outdoor brightness of the device hits 1100 nits while the typical brightness of the device is latched at 700 nits. The device also armours Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 on the front while the back is made of clear polycarbonate material.

It still looks premium but not as much as the Nothing Phone (2). Coming back to the front, Nothing Phone (2a) has a resolution of 1084x2412 with a PPI (pixel per inch) of 394. The contrast ratio on the device is 5 billion to 1 (5,000,000:1). There are also some new wallpapers for the Nothing Phone (2a) which I think makes the display more charming.

So all the visuals are clear and crisp. A 120Hz displays consume considerably more power as compared to other devices but thanks to the adaptive refresh rate feature, the device goes all from 120 Hz to even 30 Hz as it sits idly saving you against frequent recharges. Nothing Phone (2a) also supports Always-On-Display.

Highlights:

• 120Hz
• 10-bit
• AMOLED
• 1300 nits
• Gorilla Glass 5

How long does Nothing Phone (2a) last?

Nothing has also placed a 5000 mAh battery under the hood which is 300 mAh more as compared to last year’s flagship, Phone (2) introduced with a 4700 mAh battery capacity.

And yes, Nothing Phone (2a) also supports 45-watt charging but it doesn’t come with wireless charging also there’s no charger in the box. Nothing claims the device can long for up to 29 hours during video playback.

The brand also declares that it goes from 0 to 100% in just 59 minutes and 0 to 50% in 23 minutes. The brand professes that the phone can go straight for 2 days on a single charge which is incredible for a device with such capacity.

Highlights:

• 5000 mAh
• 2-day battery
• 45-watt charging

Do I need to compromise in performance if I buy Nothing Phone (2a)?

This time Nothing has gone for MediaTek in place of Snapdragon since the past two releases. Nothing Phone (2a) gets powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro 5G TSMC harnessing 8 cores based on 4nm architecture, clocked at 2.8 GHz.

This coupled with 12GB of RAM can extract every drop of FPS as you game on your latest device. Nothing Phone (2a) scores 741,999 on the Antutu benchmark scale which is 19% more as compared to Phone (1) scored 624,253.

To keep the device cool, Nothing has placed an advanced cooling system inside the body. A 3200 mm2 large vapour chamber dissipates the heat quickly throughout the 12,000 mm2 cooling area made using graphite.

Highlights:

• MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro 5G
• 4nm chip
• 8 cores
• 2.8 Ghz

What camera features does Nothing Phone (2a) have?

The photos on the Nothing Phone (2a) are even sharper and vibrant. The device flaunts a 50-mega pixel dual camera setup (main camera and ultra-wide) capturing every tiny detail.

The main camera features both OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) and EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) so your videos are still and steady even if you are running behind your kids as they play.

The main camera of the device comes with an aperture of f1.88 on the main camera with a shutter speed of 1/1.56”. It also comes with autofocus.

The ultra-wide camera on the device is also 50-megapixel with an aperture of F2.2. It has a shutter speed of 1/2.76”. The FOV (Field of View) is anchored at 114 degrees.

On the front, Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a 32-megapixel shooter having the same aperture as the ultra-wide one with a bit of refinement in the shutter speed which is reduced to a 1/2.74” making a negligible difference.

The rear cameras can record up to 4K at 30FPS, 1080p at 60FPS and 120FPS for slow-motion videos. There’s also this Action Mode feature where you can have smooth and steady results even in an action-packed environment.

The following are some of the key features of the Nothing Phone (2a) cameras on the back:

• Ultra XDR
• Night Mode
• Portrait Optimiser
• Motion Capture

Highlights:

• 50-megapixel dual camera setup
• 4K 30 FPS
• 32-megapixel front camera
• OIS and EIS

Is Nothing OS still the same in Nothing Phone (2a)?

While being praised for the outside aesthetic of the Nothing Phone series, the brand is also cherished and known for its software side. Nothing is famous for using its own custom OS based on Android. Nothing promises 3 years of major updates and an additional year of security updates with Nothing Phone (2a).

The device packs all the features of the Nothing OS 2.5.3 based on Android 14 which were already present in its predecessors i.e., Phone (1) and Phone (2). From adjusting the home screen as per your need to customising how the Glyph lights behave you can do everything. Nothing OS is fluid and simple.

Carl Pei’s approach to declutter impracticality has named the OS in the list of the top 10 alongside Samsung’s OneUI, Apple’s iOS and OnePlus’s Oxygen OS.

Highlights:

• Android 14
• Nothing OS 2.5
• 3 years Android updates
• 4 years of security updates

What are connectivity options on Nothing Phone (2a)?

Connectivity is essential for smart devices and the Nothing Phone (2a) is like the Swiss army knife when it comes to connectivity. The phone bags from Type-C charging ports to dual noise-cancelling mics that offer clear conversation with your loved ones.

Nothing Phone (2a) being a 5G-enabled device includes all the 5G bands.

The device is stuffed with the latest and greatest hardware with Bluetooth 5.3 supporting A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) saving you battery in the long run.

These coupled with Wi-Fi 6 supporting both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz unleash lighting fast downloading and uploading speeds. The device embraces the latest Wi-Fi standards including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac or ax. Alongside these, advanced hotspots and Wi-Fi Direct are included as well.

Some more connectivity options available in Nothing Phone (2a) are as follows:

• NFC (including Google Pay)
• GPS
• GLONASS
• BDS
• GALILEO
• QZSS
• Highlights:
• Dual 5G
• Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Type C charging

What colours do Nothing Phone (2a) come in?

Over the years, Nothing has maintained a lot of monotonicity towards colours. The first device came in black and white and the trend is still there till date.

Nothing Phone (2a) comes in two colour variants black and white, I like the black version as the Glyph Lights are easily visible.

However, both colours are appealing and attractive. Also, this time Nothing has kept the power button and the volume rockers black even in the white variant which kind of looks cool.

Highlights:

• Black
• White

What’s inside the box of Nothing Phone (2a)?

There’s no power brick in the box. You get a phone, a charging cable, a SIM ejector tool and the same paperwork. So, you need to spend some extra bucks to get a charger.

Highlights:

• Nothing Phone (2a)
• Type C-C charging cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Documents

Miscellaneous features of Nothing Phone (2a)

Though we have covered almost everything about Nothing Phone (2a), there are still some qualities that are worthy of mention.

• In-display fingerprint scanner
• Face unlock
• Stereo speakers
• IP54 certified
• 360-degree antenna
• Linear haptic motor
• And much more

What is the launch price of Nothing Phone (2a)?

Price in the mobile phone market has been a pivotal point for an absolute win. The leaders at Noting understand it clearly and through consideration of the past performance of the mobile devices in the Indian market, the brand has come up with lucrative prices.

Nothing Phone (2a) launched in India on 5th March 2024 over Flipkart for ₹19,999 including all the discounts. At this price point, the device is a win-win situation for customers who are looking for a new mobile phone around ₹20,000.

This time Nothing has targeted the budget-segment users as they have already lured in flagship users with Phone (1) and Phone (2).

As compared to both Phone (1) and Phone (2), Nothing Phone (2a) comes in the following price segments in India:

• ₹23,999 or $290 for 8+128 variant
• ₹25,999 or $315 for 8+256 variant
• ₹27,999 or $340 for 12+256 variant

Should you buy Nothing Phone (2a)?

Whether to buy the Nothing Phone (2a) or not is subjective to the user’s budget. The device comes with a ton of features at a remarkable price range, and I suggest you should steal the deal.

Only if your budget is around 20K and if you can push your budget a bit then go for the 8GB+256GB variant. Finally, I want to say that nothing’s like Nothing.