Nothing Phone (2a) Review: The lit phone with lights gets a Lite avatar

The phone journey of Carl Pei’s Nothing has been a fascinating one. The brand started out with the very mid-segment Nothing Phone (1), then moved into the flagship killing/budget flagship zone with the Phone (2), and now has got into the mid-segment proper with its latest offering, the Nothing Phone (2a).

We think that this is perhaps its biggest challenge yet because, at its starting price of USD 349 / Rs 23,999, it is in one of the most crowded segments of the smartphone market and has to go up against devices from just about every notable brand out there. The Phone (2a)’s cause was not helped when it hit the market with a number of bugs, but a series of software updates (delivered with typical Nothing speed) seems to have improved matters. So, more than a month after its launch and after a number of updates, does the Phone (2a) now do enough to carve a niche for itself in a new segment of the Indian market? More importantly, should you be considering investing in it?

Nothing Phone (2a) Appearance and Design: Looks different, but still looks like Nothing

In terms of design, the Phone (2a) retains some of the features of its predecessors but still is a departure from the brand’s previous phones. The front of the Phone (2a) remains similar to the Phone (1) and Phone (2), with a tall, slightly wider than usual display and remarkably symmetrical bezels (a rarity in this price segment). The sides are fashionably straight, and although they have a slight metallic shine to them, they are made of plastic this time around. It is on the back, however, where the Nothing Phone (2a)’s difference really shines through, ironically by not shining as much as its predecessors.

Yes, the Phone (2a) also has those LEDs on its back, and its back is also transparent-ish like those of the Phone (1) and Phone (2), but there the similarity ends. The innards of the phone look very different on the Phone (2a) as compared to the Phone (1) and Phone (2), especially on the lower part where they look like curving roads or like a digestive system component, depending on whether the bend of your imagination is topographical or biological. The cameras on the back move to the center near the top and are placed next to each other to give the impression of ‘eyes’ on the back. The back also seems to be divided into two very distinct sections with a line running between them – the upper portion houses the cameras and the LEDs, while the lower portion is largely decorative. So, the entire back of the phone is not going to light up like those of its predecessors.

At 161.7 mm, the Phone (2a) is on the larger side and wider than usual at 76.32 mm (the Redmi Note 13 Pro, for instance, is 74.24 mm wide), although it is reasonably slim at 8.55 mm and not too heavy at 190 grams. It comes with IP54 splash resistance. Although the front comes with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, the back has none and picks up smudges fairly quickly. Unfortunately, there is no case in the box and no charger either – Nothing is not known for bundling accessories for its phones, but we think it is an oversight in this price segment where other brands do include them in the product package.

The transparent back and the positioning of the cameras give the Phone (2a) a very distinct look, and we think the white model is especially noticeable as the black unit can seem plain black from a distance. Whether it looks good or not is, however, a matter of opinion, given the fact that the segment has some very elegantly designed phones, including the likes of the Redmi Note 13 Pro and the OnePlus Nord CE4. We must confess we like Nothing’s markedly different approach to phone design and are happy to see it in a more mainstream segment. Still, the limited LEDs on the back and the plastic frame (it actually feels plasticky) do dampen the impact a little. The back also does tend to pick up dust very quickly, and Nothing has not included a case in the box (most brands do in this price segment), so we would advise getting one.

Nothing Phone (2a) specs: Mid-segment stuff

In terms of specs, the Phone (2a) is very strictly mid-segment. The phone comes with a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate. As in Phone (1) and Phone (2), the display is notable for the very symmetrical and narrow bezels around it, which is a nice touch to the design. The Phone (2a) runs on the MediaTek 7200 Pro chip, which is a pretty steady mid-segment processor, and comes with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage with RAM and storage variants of 8 GB/ 128 GB, 8 GB/ 256 GB, and 12 GB/256 GB. The use of UFS 2.2 is a bit of a disappointment at this price point for the geek squad but is unlikely to have any major performance repercussions.

The phone also boasts an impressive array of cameras in terms of megapixel count. Nothing continues its practice of two rear 50-megapixel cameras – one main with OIS, and another ultrawide in this case – on the back and pairs it with a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front. You also get stereo speakers, and keeping all this running is the task of a 5000 mAh battery (the biggest on a Nothing phone) with support for 45W charging. Rather interestingly, Nothing has persisted with its policy of not putting a charger in the box – something that is not very usual in this price segment, where getting a (often super fast) charger in the box is the rule rather than the exception.

Nothing Phone 2a gaming and multimedia: Handy rather than handsome

With that configuration and hardware, the Phone (2a) is not a gaming monster by any means but is a reasonable enough performer. You can even have a few hours of Genshin Impact and Call of Duty on it if you are careful with the graphics settings. While the display is not the brightest or the most colorful we have used, its extra width does give one a little more real estate and especially comes to the fore while typing in commands or messages.

The stereo speakers deliver sound at impressive volumes, making this a very good phone for viewing content. Mind you, if gaming and multimedia are what you seek, there are better options out there. The Phone (2a) handles gaming and multimedia very well but does not hit it out of the park like some others (most notably, the Poco X6 Pro) do. This is not a phone that has been made with intense gaming in mind, but devices in this price segment seldom are.

Nothing Phone (2a) general performance and battery life: A super smooth trooper!

It is in everyday use that the Phone (2a) really shines. That large-ish display and clean interface combine to make tasks like browsing the Web, keeping track of social media, emails, and messaging a smooth, seamless experience. In a world that seems obsessed with color and complexity, we must confess to developing a soft corner for the very minimal, almost monochrome NothingOS. It did have a few stutters now and then, but a flood of updates (so typically Nothing) has improved matters significantly.

The Glyph UI on the back is limited to fewer lights on the Phone (2a) but is still handy enough for those who like to keep their phones face down – you can still allot light patterns to different numbers and functions. The phone was able to run half a dozen apps at the same time without too many problems. While extended gaming and photography sessions did result in its temperature going up, it never reached worrying levels. The fingerprint scanner is not the fastest we have used, but it gets the job done. Call quality was a little erratic to start with but has improved with software updates.

The same can be said for battery life. The Phone (2a) comes with a 5000 mAh battery, but it initially struggled to get through a day of normal use – perhaps the Glyph UI was draining it more heavily than expected. Things have improved significantly after a series of updates, and at the time of writing, the Phone (2a) could get through a day and a little more quite comfortably on a single charge, which is decent enough for the segment, although well below the brand’s claim of two days. Yes, one can extend battery life by turning down settings and switching off some features, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a phone like this in the first place. The battery comes with support for 45W charging, but there is no charger in the box. Rather oddly, the phone (2a) takes significantly longer to charge than one hour, as claimed by the brand. We used Nothing’s own 45W charger with it, and the Phone (2a) generally took about an hour and a half to two hours to fully charge from zero. The scenario did not change when we switched to other chargers.

Nothing Phone (2a) Cameras: A Russian Roulette between triumph and disaster

In classic Western cowboy films, characters were often shown playing a game called Russian Roulette. It was a game in which the “players” placed a single bullet in a revolver, spun the revolving chambers, and then held the revolver to their heads and pulled the trigger, not knowing whether the bullet would be in the chamber next to the trigger or not. It was a game of lethal chance, and it certainly seems to have inspired the cameras of the Nothing Phone (2a). When you frame a shot and hit the shutter, the result could be photographically fantastic or fatal.

We saw the camera deliver some stunning shots with an amazing amount of detail and very good colors. And then totally mess up others. Portrait images were a particular issue, either having no bokeh at all or ending up looking like something seen from behind a steamed window partly brushed by a hand – partly clear, mostly blurred. Colors often got aggressively warm, suffusing images with a yellowish tint, which sometimes made them look better but often did not. Nothing has issued a number of software updates to try and fix this inconsistency, but it still wanders around in its cameras like an unpleasant relative, dropping in when you least expect them to. To make matters worse, the cameras at times seemed to take a long time to process shots, which is unusual when shooting in normal mode at this price point.

There is a silver lining to this camera cloud, though – the Phone (2a) delivers some very good video indeed (where its color inconsistency is not so evident), especially in terms of detail and sound, perhaps the best in the segment. But all said and done, the camera is the biggest con in the Phone (2a), especially when one considers what the competition delivers. The brand has improved matters considerably with a number of updates, but it is going to need a few more before it can give the competition a run for its money. Knowing Nothing, they should be coming soon.

Nothing Phone (2a) Price: The most affordable Nothing Phone

The Nothing Phone (2a) is available in these RAM and storage variants at these prices at the time of writing:

• 8 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 23,999
• 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 25,999
• 12 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 27,999

Those prices are easily the lowest for a Nothing phone at launch but float in the highly competitive region between the mid-segment and the premium mid-segment. Another fact to keep in mind is that the Phone(2a) does not come with a charger or a case in the box (both of which it actually needs), which would add at least another Rs 1,000 to its price.

Even keeping that out of the equation, the Nothing Phone (2a) is priced very close to the likes of the just-released OnePlus Nord CE 4, which starts at Rs 24,999 and boasts better cameras and faster charging. Also within striking range of it is perhaps the most powerful device in the sub-Rs 30,000 zone – the Poco X6 Pro, which runs on the near-flagship Dimensity 8300 chip and comes with a faster-charging battery and the inevitable Redmi Note, the Redmi Note 12 Pro, which boasts better cameras and faster charging battery.

Nothing Phone (2a) Review verdict: Something worth purchasing?

We will keep it simple: the Nothing Phone (2a) is really all about the interface. For all its (mainly camera) quirks, we think it is perfect for those who love a clean, uncluttered interface in a device that also looks different. In some ways, it is very much the spiritual successor of the original Moto G that was released in India in 2014. It was not exactly a master of high-end tasks, and its cameras were adequate rather than amazing, but where it excelled was in the simplicity of its operation and the sheer uncluttered nature of its software.

The Nothing Phone (2a) follows that roadmap very closely. However, it misses out on something Motorola was wise enough to realize – that budget devices in the Indian market are expected to come with chargers (India was one of the few markets where the phone was sold with a charger). So, if you are questing for a phone that has clean Android, a simple (yet different) interface and generally smooth performance across the board, then the Nothing Phone (2a) is pretty much what you need.

However, if photography plays an important part in your life and you value super fast charging and in-box accessories or want features and functions packed into your phone, then the Phone (2a) is not your phone. It is a Nothing phone at a mainstream price, but it is certainly not a mainstream phone. At least not until a few more updates.

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