Nothing Phone (2a) review – mid-range smartphone with an eye-catching design

• The Nothing Phone (2a) is the latest mid-range smartphone from Nothing in India.
• The device has been priced starting at ₹23,999 and is available in three variants.
• Here’s my review of the Nothing Phone (2a) that will help you decide whether to buy the device or not.

Carl Pei-led Nothing Technologies recently launched the Phone (2a), the company’s third smartphone and its most affordable offering to date. The device features the company’s signature transparent design while toning down the Glyph interface.

The Nothing Phone (2a) is placed below the Nothing Phone (2) and is aimed at users looking for a more affordable option but wanting a similar design and UI. The device’s highlights include its design, clean UI and battery life.

I have been using the Nothing Phone (2a) for a few days now, and here is my detailed review of the latest mid-range smartphone from the smartphone maker.

Nothing Phone (2a) price and availability

The Nothing Phone (2a) has been launched in three variants. The base variant, with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage has been priced at ₹23,999. The mid variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage has been priced at ₹25,999 and the top-end variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage has been priced at ₹27,999.

The Nothing Phone (2a) is available in four colour options – Black, Blue, Special Edition and White.

In the box

• Nothing Phone (2a)
• USB Type-C to Type-C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Documentation

Nothing Phone (2a) specifications

Pros and cons

Pros

• Design
• Performance

Cons

• No charger in the box
• Average low-light photography

Design and display

Starting with the design, Nothing has made several changes to the design of the device when compared to its predecessors, while retaining its transparent design language.

The device comes in four colour options – Black, Blue, Special Edition and White. I received the Black colour variant of the device, which is also my preferred variant.

The Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a redesigned camera module, with the cameras placed horizontally and the LED flash placed above the camera module.

The smartphone comes with a transparent plastic back, showcasing some of the interiors of the device. While you may want to use the device without a case to flaunt the design, it is a dust and fingerprint magnet and you may be forced to slap on a case.

The company has reduced the number of lights on the Glyph interface to just three for the Nothing Phone (2a) but they look good and add a unique touch to the device. The Glyph interface lights up for notifications, calls and even to show the battery level while being charged.

The smartphone features a matte black plastic frame with the power button placed on the right side.

You get two individual volume rockers on the left side.

At the top, you get a microphone.

At the bottom, the device features a SIM tray, a microphone, a USB Type-C port and a speaker grille.

Coming to the display, the smartphone features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1300 nits peak brightness.

The display is quite bright and easy to read outdoors, offering good sunlight visibility. The colours are accurate and you will not face any issues, whether you are gaming, watching movies or just browsing social media.

It is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to offer protection to the display.

Software and performance

The Nothing Phone (2a) runs on Android 14 out of the box with the company’s Nothing OS 2.5 on top. The device will get three years of Android updates and four years of security updates, which is fine for a mid-range smartphone.

If you have used a Nothing phone before, the software remains the same. You get a near-stock Android experience, along with improvements and added customisation options.

Nothing is popular for its quirky widgets and that is also the case with the Phone (2a). You get a good collection of widgets with the device and it does not come with any bloatware so you don’t have to worry about having to uninstall a ton of apps.

In terms of performance, the Nothing Phone (2a) is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset coupled with up to 12GB LPDDR4X of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage.

The Dimensity 7200 Pro offers good performance and battery efficiency. The chipset, which is coupled with ample RAM and storage can handle multitasking efficiently, without any stuttering.

I played popular titles such as Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty: Mobile on the device and did not notice any stuttering. If you are a casual gamer, you can get the device without any worries. If you plan on using the device for extended gaming sessions, it does heat a little but is manageable.

The Nothing Phone (2a) is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. The device is power efficient and easily offers over a day’s of battery life, with regular usage, streaming and light gaming.

Camera

Coming to the camera department, the Nothing Phone (2a) features a dual camera setup at the back consisting of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a secondary 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera.

The device can capture good photos in daylight conditions, with good colour reproduction and proper saturation. The device can capture a good amount of detail.

In low light conditions, the images captured are decent but there is some noise. The colours are good and there is minimal noise.

The device can capture good portraits in daylight conditions, with proper edge detection and subject focus.

While there is no telephoto camera offered with the phone, you can capture decent shots using the 2x zoom option.

On the front, the device features a 32MP selfie camera. The selfie camera works well and is great for capturing selfies and video calls.

Verdict

The Nothing Phone (2a) is a well-designed smartphone that stands apart in the crowd while offering decent features. The device comes with a clean UI, good software support and offers decent performance.

The device does have its share of issues such as a back that attracts fingerprints and lack of a charger in the box.

Overall, the Nothing Phone (2a) is a good option worth considering in the under ₹30,000 segment.

Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a purchasing guide or recommendation. We advise readers to do additional research, including hands-on usage of the device at a retail outlet, before making a decision.

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