Nothing Phone 2a Review: Unique Design, Solid Performance
Nothing Phone 2a offers a sleek design, 120Hz AMOLED display, solid performance, and long battery life—all at an affordable price.
Nothing Phone 2a brings the brand’s signature style to the mid-range market by scaling back high-end features while keeping the essentials strong. It offers a vibrant display, long battery life, and smooth performance with its custom MediaTek chip.
The dual 50MP cameras deliver solid everyday photos, though they face competition from the Google Pixel 7a in image quality. While the Glyph lighting is simplified, it still adds a unique touch.
With a clean UI, reliable performance, and a sleek design, the Nothing Phone 2a is a great option for budget-conscious buyers looking for a stylish, capable smartphone.
Nothing Phone 2a – Full Specifications
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | Announced: March 5, 2024 Released: March 12, 2024 |
| 📶 Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 📏 Dimensions & Weight | 161.7 x 76.3 x 8.6 mm 190 g (6.70 oz) |
| 🏗 Build | Gorilla Glass 5 (front), Plastic frame & back |
| 💧 Water Resistance | IP54 (dust & water splash resistant) |
| 🌟 Glyph Interface | 3 LED light strips (26 addressable zones) |
| 📱 Display | 6.7″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| 🎨 Resolution | 1080 x 2412 pixels (~394 ppi) |
| 🛡️ Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| ⚡ Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro (4nm) |
| 🏎 CPU & GPU | Octa-core (2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 6x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A510) Mali-G610 MC4 GPU |
| 📀 Storage & RAM | No microSD slot 128GB 8GB RAM / 256GB 8GB RAM / 256GB 12GB RAM |
| 📸 Rear Cameras | Dual Setup • 50MP (f/1.9, OIS, PDAF) – Wide • 50MP (f/2.2, 114˚) – Ultrawide |
| 🎥 Rear Camera Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| 🤳 Front Camera | 32MP (f/2.2, wide) |
| 📹 Front Camera Video | 1080p@60fps |
| 🔊 Audio | Stereo speakers, No 3.5mm jack |
| 📡 Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (360°), GPS |
| 🔌 Ports | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| 🔋 Battery | 5000mAh, 45W fast charging (50% in 23 min, 100% in 1 hour) |
| 🖥️ OS & UI | Android 14 (upgradable to 15), Nothing OS 3.0 |
| 🔐 Security | In-display fingerprint sensor |
| 🎨 Colors | Black, White, Milk, Blue |
| 💰 Price | ₹19,065 / $327 / £225 / €248 |
| 📊 Benchmark Scores | AnTuTu: 684574 (v10) GeekBench: 2592 (v6) 3DMark: 1151 (Wild Life Extreme) |
| 🔋 Battery Life (Tested) | 15 hours 53 minutes (Active Use Score) |
Nothing Phone 2a: Price & Availability
Nothing Phone 2a was announced on March 5 and went on sale on March 12, priced from $349 / £319 / AU$675. It’s cheaper than the Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy A54 but has limited availability in the US. US buyers can join the Nothing developer program for a chance to buy it.
In the UK and other European markets, the Phone 2a is available in two storage options:
- 8GB RAM / 128GB storage for £319
- 12GB RAM / 256GB storage for $349 / £349 / AU$675
It competes well with similar devices in its price range, offering good value for money.
Nothing Phone 2a Design
The Nothing Phone 2a introduces a fresh yet familiar design, setting it apart from its predecessors. It keeps the signature flat edges, curved frame, and semi-transparent back but simplifies the Glyph lighting system. The new layout features three LED elements around the camera, providing subtle notifications and lighting effects.
One major change is the repositioned camera module, now centrally placed in a raised, pill-shaped bump that gives the phone a distinct look. The build is mostly polycarbonate, making it lightweight and more resistant to shattering than glass-backed models, though it is prone to fingerprints and scratches.
The Phone 2a is IP54-certified, offering better dust and water resistance than the Phone 1. Despite the changes, Nothing’s bold design aesthetic remains intact, blending modern minimalism with a touch of retro tech appeal.
Nothing Phone 2a Display
The Nothing Phone 2a features a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, delivering sharp visuals and smooth performance. With a 91.65% screen-to-body ratio, it offers an immersive viewing experience, surpassing some pricier competitors.
The screen supports HDR10+ and 10-bit color depth, making it great for movies and gaming. It reaches a peak brightness of 1,300 nits, ensuring good visibility even in bright conditions. The slim, evenly sized bezels and Gorilla Glass 5 protection add to its sleek design.
The front camera is now centered, and the in-display fingerprint sensor is positioned low on the screen, performing faster and more reliably than on the Phone 1. Face unlock is available but less consistent. Display is a strong feature of the Phone 2a, offering impressive quality for its price.
Nothing Phone 2a Software
The Nothing Phone 2a runs on Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.5, offering a clean, stylish interface with a unique dot-matrix design, custom widgets, and retro notification sounds. It keeps the software experience close to stock Android while maintaining Nothing’s signature look.
Unlike many other phones, the 2a comes with minimal pre-installed apps, including Nothing X for audio settings and Glyph Composer for custom light animations. It also introduces new features like Smart Clean, which removes unnecessary files to keep the phone running smoothly, and RAM Booster, which uses storage as virtual RAM for better multitasking.
The phone gets three years of software updates and four years of security updates, which is decent for its price range. It also supports NTFS optimization for faster file transfers from Windows PCs, a handy feature for those who store media files manually.
Nothing Phone 2a Cameras
The Nothing Phone 2a features a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide lens. The redesigned camera module offers decent performance, but image quality is just average. Photos are clear enough for social media but lack the sharpness and brightness of higher-end phones.
By default, images are captured at 12MP, balancing quality and file size. You can switch to 50MP for more detail, but this disables zoom. Dynamic range isn’t the best, with some areas appearing too dark or overexposed. While the camera is fast to focus and capture, occasional app hiccups can occur.
Nothing Phone 2a Performance
The Nothing Phone 2a runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, offering a slight boost over the Snapdragon 778G in the Phone 1. While Nothing claims an 18% performance improvement, the difference is mostly noticeable in gaming and battery efficiency rather than daily use.
Apps open quickly, but the camera app can lag at times. In benchmarks, it performs slightly below the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, but in real-world use, the difference is minimal.
Gaming performance is solid for a mid-range phone. Genshin Impact runs well on ‘medium’ to ‘high’ settings, though heavy action can cause occasional stutters. The phone gets warm but not uncomfortably hot during extended play.
One downside is the lack of a microSD card slot, meaning you’re limited to either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.
Nothing Phone 2a Battery
The Nothing Phone 2a packs a 5,000mAh battery, the largest in any Nothing phone so far. It outlasts the Phone 1 and Phone 2, offering nearly two days of use. In testing, it delivered around 11 hours of screen-on time, including browsing, gaming, and streaming.
It supports 45W fast charging, an upgrade from the Phone 1’s 33W, but lacks wireless charging. However, there’s no charger included in the box, so you’ll need to buy one separately.
Nothing also promises long battery life, with the phone retaining 90% capacity even after 1,000 charge cycles—about three years of use.
Pros & Cons of Nothing Phone 2a
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 💰 Affordable price for its features | 📉 Minor upgrade over Phone 1 |
| 🎨 Unique transparent design with Glyph lighting | 🔦 Simplified Glyph lighting system with fewer LEDs |
| 📱 Vibrant 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate | 🔋 No wireless charging |
| ⚡ Smooth performance with MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro | 💾 No microSD card slot for expandable storage |
| 🔋 Long battery life (up to two days) | 🔌 No charger included in the box |
| 🧹 Clean, bloat-free software with Nothing OS 2.5 | 📷 Camera performance is average in low light |
| 🔄 Three years of software updates | 🌍 Limited availability in the US |
| 💦 IP54 water and dust resistance | 👁️ Face unlock is inconsistent |
| 🏆 Good value for money compared to competitors | 🕐 Occasional camera app lag |
Conclusion
Nothing Phone 2a is a stylish and reliable mid-range phone. It has a sharp display, good performance, and excellent battery life, making it more than just an upgrade from the Nothing Phone 1.
