Nothing’s mid-range handset, the Phone (2a), is here to bring Android fans a dose of affordable cheer
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
T3 VerdictThe Nothing Phone (2a) has got pretty much everything going for it – especially when considering the competition at this price point – as there’s no major downfall in its day-to-day fluidity, battery life longevity, or overall performance. So long as you’re on board with the googly-eyed look and avoid the Black finish’s fluff-magnetism, you’ll be pleased as punch with this mid-range handset. It’s Android’s new cheap phone champion.
T3 Verdict
The Nothing Phone (2a) has got pretty much everything going for it – especially when considering the competition at this price point – as there’s no major downfall in its day-to-day fluidity, battery life longevity, or overall performance. So long as you’re on board with the googly-eyed look and avoid the Black finish’s fluff-magnetism, you’ll be pleased as punch with this mid-range handset. It’s Android’s new cheap phone champion.
Reasons to buy+Competitively priced against key Google and Samsung rivals+Maintains brand’s Glyphs lighting and design uniqueness+Decent power and battery life
Competitively priced against key Google and Samsung rivals
Maintains brand’s Glyphs lighting and design uniqueness
Decent power and battery life
Fingerprints and dust magnetism limit plastic rear’s appeal
No lower-positioned Glyph light
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What we didn’t get to know in advance, of course, was just how successful Nothing’s attempt at winning the mid-range section of the Android market would be. But I’ve had very high hopes, as someone who loved (and continues to love) theflagship Phone (2). I’ve held back on reviewing the Phone (2a) until beyond the official embargo was lifted, in part to not to rush the whole process and get to know the handset all the better.
I’ve been using the Phone (2a) for nine days and counting at the point of publishing this review, and while I was initially unsure regarding certain aspects about this device – as penned in my5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying A Nothing Phone (2a)feature – I’ve come around and now think it’s amongthe best Android phonesyou can buy for less cash. Which is no small feat among a sea of Google, Samsung and Motorola competition.
Nothing Phone (2a): Price & Availability
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Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a) deals56 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$379$349.99View$364.99View$397$377ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a) deals
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56 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
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$379$349.99View
$379$349.99View
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The Nothing Phone (2a) is priced from £319 in the UK (with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage; there’s a 12GB+256GB for just £30 more), with pre-orders open now for an on-sale date of 19 March. It’s $349 in the US, except you can’t actually buy one – as it’s part of a developer’s programme. Other regional pricing I’m yet to receive, so no official word for the Australian market just yet.
Nothing Phone (2a) review: What’s new?
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
When writing about the Phone (2a) for its launch, I noted that this lower-spec model actually hassome surprise upgrades over the full-fat Phone (2)model. Namely: the screen has a smaller bezel surround; the edges are ‘softer’ for a more comfortable hold; and there’s a larger battery capacity (at 5,000mAh) without adding additional weight compared to theoriginal Phone (1)model.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Otherwise, the Phone (2a) isn’t a dramatic step down – indeed its spec sheet in places reads like a device far more premium than its price suggests. Take theMediaTek Dimensity 7200, for example, which is steps above what you might expect at this level. The screen, too, really isn’t scrimping: it’s 6.7-inches, has minimal bezel as I’ve mentioned, features a 120Hz refresh rate, and a decent maximum brightness too. So while it’s stripped back and more affordable, in many respects the Phone (2a) redefines what you can expect from an Android phone for this kind of money.
Nothing Phone (2a) review: Design & Display
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
But the real jump-out feature of the Phone (2a)’s visual aesthetic regards its rear panel. Or, more to the point, what lies beneath it. That’s because this transparent plastic acts as a window inside, adding design flourishes to the functional sections within. There are curves, bends, exposed screws, but a unifying visual palette that’s subtle, distinctive yet eye-catching overall. If you really look up close there’s a lot of fun in the details.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The screen holds up very well for this price point too. I’ve found its brightness ample, with auto-brightness that’s generally well behaved, and a colour palette that benefits from OLED’s contrasty visuals. Motion is are fluid thanks to a 120Hz panel and there’s not much difference between this and many ofthe best phones' displays at the top-end of the market right now.
There are some minor exceptions, however, as the coating is fairly reflective – just as can be said of the rear – and the scratch resistance from the Gorilla Glass 5 on the front (not the rear) is a few generations behind the very best. Don’t want a scratched-up screen? Keep the included screen protector present and correct, unlike me!
Nothing Phone (2a) review: Performance & Battery
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Speaking of software, Nothing OS 2.5 runs over an Android 14 framework, delivering a light, responsive and easy-to-use interface. As I’ve said before: it’s familiar Android stuff, with some cool additional features, including Glyph Composer and more. Some of the small touches are particularly great, such as camera shortcuts that you can setup with pre-selected focal lengths, for example, as customised widgets, for super-easy quick-fire activation.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Better still, the plastic panelled rear, in combination with this processor combination, doesn’t get hot – even during prolonged use, where I’ve not seen throttling become an issue either. All that benefits the battery life, which thanks to a 5000mAh cell lasts for a decent innings – I’ve been getting an easy 16 hours per day without hitting the red zone. It’s only when hotspotting extensively I’ve found the battery to be less favourable. Recharging is quick, too, and while there’s no plug in the box – just a fancy-looking Nothing-branded USB-C-to-C cable – it’s compatible with 45W.
Nothing Phone (2a) review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Those bug-eyed cameras in that protruding rear hump are a pair of 50-megapixel snappers, catering for your typical wide-angle and super-wide fields of view. No zoom here, as such, except for a 2x digital zoom that crops into the frame – which, at 50MP in raw terms, is perfectly acceptable.
That’s my overall sentiment about the Phone (2a)’s cameras really. They’re perfectly acceptable, arguably pretty exceptional at this kind of price point. There’s no extra guff thrown into the mix for no measure (such as a pointless macro sensor or black-and-white sensor). You just get the basics and the basics are well catered.
Image1of8(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Image1of8(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Image1of8
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
That said, the results are a little oversaturated and the high dynamic range (HDR) has a hard finish to its look, as you can explore in the gallery above. Still, images are sharp irrelevant of the settings used, and with low-light shooting perfectly plausible from handheld capture too, it’s hard to complain.
Think about it in context too: there are plenty of £300/$350 phones out there, most of which have cameras that are just a tickbox exercise. The Nothing Phone (2a), at this price point, features cameras a step above plenty of pricier competitors, with its super-wide’s super-high resolution a particular surprise.
So while the Phone (2a) couldn’t be called a camera master, nor is its feature set widely extensive, for this kind of money it’s actually really well balanced. Which is reflective of how I feel about the phone as a whole, ultimately.
Nothing Phone (2a) review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
While the Nothing Phone (2a) hasn’t blown me away quite as much as the flagship Phone (2), it’s still got pretty much everything going for it – especially when considering the competition – as there’s no major downfall in its day-to-day fluidity, battery life longevity, or overall performance.
Also consider
I’ve already hit on the key competitors in this article and they are the most obvious options to consider: theGoogle Pixel 7awill deliver a better overall photography experience, while theSamsung Galaxy A54keys into that more accessible visual and software appeal. But both cost more than the Nothing Phone (2a).
Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a), Samsung Galaxy A54, Google Pixel 7a, Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2) dealsNothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all pricesGoogle Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a), Samsung Galaxy A54, Google Pixel 7a, Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2) dealsNothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all pricesGoogle Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a), Samsung Galaxy A54, Google Pixel 7a, Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2) dealsNothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all pricesGoogle Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Nothing Phone (2a), Samsung Galaxy A54, Google Pixel 7a, Nothing Phone (1) and Nothing Phone (2) deals
Nothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all pricesGoogle Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all pricesNothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone (2a)$379$349.99ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone (2a)
Nothing Phone (2a)
$379$349.99View
$379$349.99
$349.99
See all prices
Samsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy A54$172.84ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy A54
Samsung Galaxy A54
$172.84View
$172.84
$172.84
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Google Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all prices
Google Pixel 7a$233ViewSee all prices
Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a
$233View
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$233
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Nothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone 1$575ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone 1
Nothing Phone 1
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$575
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Nothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone (2)$925ViewSee all prices
Nothing Phone (2)
Nothing Phone (2)
$925View
$925
$925
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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