In Summary
- If you are looking for a phone in the vicinity of Rs 25,000, two of the options that will be offered to you are likely the Nothing Phone (2a) and the OnePlus Nord CE4.
- Although the phones come from different brands, both brands share a common co-founder: Car Pei. And this adds a new level of spice to the rivalry.
- They might be priced very close to each other, but the Nothing Phone (2a) and the OnePlus Nord CE4 are very different phones targeted at different audiences. So which is the one for you?
It is one of the perils of being the person behind two brands. Whenever Carl Pei’s Nothing releases a phone, it inevitably gets compared with a phone from another he had co-founded and later left, OnePlus. It happened with the Phone (1), which got compared to the OnePlus Nord 3. It happened with the Phone (2), which was pitted against the OnePlus 11R. And it is happening with the Phone (2a), which finds itself crossing swords with the OnePlus Nord CE4.
Both phones were immensely hyped, released within a month of each other to generally favorable reviews, and are priced incredibly close to each other – the Nothing Phone (2a) starts at Rs 23,999, while the Nord CE4 starts at Rs 24,999. So which of the two should you go for if you are looking for a phone below Rs 25,000 – the ex or the current? Let us work that out for you:
Table of Contents
Design and appearance – A lit back against a marble one
The difference between the OnePlus Nord CE4 and the Nothing Phone (2a) is evident from the moment you clap your eyes on them. The Nothing Phone (2a) is honestly Nothing like anything in the segment, with its transparent-type back and LEDs (which are only on the top half of the phone) and dual cameras lying horizontally next to each other like a pair of eyes, while the OnePlus Nord CE4 sticks to its curved back convention with a vertical capsule shaped camera unit, although its celadon marble shade, which invokes textures of stone, is very different in terms of color.
Both phones have straight sides (although the one on the Nord CE4 seems slightly less straight because of the phone’s curved back), and tall displays in front with narrow bezels, but the Phone (2a) seems to have slightly narrower bezels and also a wider display.
Which one you prefer is a matter of taste. The Phone (2a) definitely scores in terms of looking different, but the OnePlus Nord CE4 has a more premium feel with its glass back (the Phone (2a) has a plastic back). Both phones come with IP54 splash resistance, but the Phone (2a) has Gorilla Glass 5 protection, something the Nord CE4 lacks. The OnePlus Nord CE4 is slightly taller at 162.5 mm as compared to the 161.7 mm of the Phone (2a), but is slimmer (8.4 mm against 8.6 mm), less wide (75.3 mm against 76.3 mm) and actually lighter at 186 grams against 190 grams. We think the Nord CE4 looks very nice indeed and actually has a more premium touch to it, but in terms of sheer attention-grabbing design, the Phone (2a) wins. Easily.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Display – High refresh rates, small bezels rule
Both phones come with very similar displays – 6.7-inch AMOLED displays with 120 Hz refresh rate, 2412 x 1080 px resolution, and HDR10+ support. They are so similar that picking one can be a bit of a task. The Nord CE4’s display seems slightly brighter and more colorful, but the extra width of the Phone (2a)’s display does make a difference to the viewing and even the typing experience. We are calling this a tie.
Winner: Tie
Processor, RAM, and storage – A MediaTek and Snapdragon face-off
This is where it gets interesting, as both phones come with chips that are new in the Indian market. The Phone (2a) runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, while the Nord CE4 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip. Both processors are very solid mid-segmenters and though the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is seen by many to be the more powerful one, the difference between the two is not a massive one. In the RAM and storage battle, both phones come with 8 GB/ 128 GB and 8 GB/ 256 GB variants, but the Phone (2a) also has a 12 GB/ 256 GB variant.
That said, the Nord CE4 comes with an expandable memory card slot, allowing one to expand storage to 1TB. It is that card slot, along with the slightly more powerful chip, that gives this very close round to the OnePlus Nord CE4.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4
Software – Breathe Oxygen or Nothing?
The OnePlus Nord CE4 and the Nothing Phone (2a) both come with Android 14 out of the box. But there, the similarity ends. While the Phone (2a) has a super clean and uncluttered UI with slightly retro-looking fonts and icons, the Nord CE4 comes with OnePlus’ OxygenOS, which is also generally rather clean but this time comes with a number of third-party apps and games.
Of course, the Phone (2a) also has Nothing’s famous GlyphUI interface, where the LEDs on the back glow for different notifications and functions, although the fewer number of LEDs make the process less impressive than on its predecessors. While we like OxygenOS, it does look crowded and cluttered in front of Nothing’s NothingOS, which is very clean and simple.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Cameras – Crazy clashes with consistency
On paper, you would think the Nothing Phone (2a) would have this round sewn up with two 50-megapixel sensors on the back, one main sensor with OIS and another ultrawide, and a 32-megapixel selfie snapper, as compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4’s 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS and 8-megapixel ultrawide, and 16-megapixel selfie shooter.
However, in terms of consistent performance, the Nord CE4 comfortably beats the Phone (2a). The Phone (2a) took some astonishing shots from time to time but also stumbled often, delivering colors that were far too warm to the point of almost giving shots a yellowish tinge, often over-sharpening images, and messing up edges in portrait shots.
Video on the Phone (2a) is much more impressive, but in terms of stills, it is very erratic. The Nord CE4, on the other hand, is very consistent in terms of both colors and detail, sticking to slightly saturated snaps (although they sometimes seem faded compared to the flashy colors doled out by the Phone(2a)), but doing much better in most modes.
The Phone (2a) might still get better with yet another software update (it has had a few already), but as of now, it fluctuates between the silly and the spectacular and gets totally beaten by the consistency of the Nord CE4. The Nothing Phone (2a)’s camera has elements of an experiment about it, while the Nord CE4’s snapper seems more like a finished product.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4
Gaming and multimedia – Not gaming beasts but decent multimedia handlers
Both phones come with reasonably good mid-segment processors, similar-sized AMOLED displays with similar refresh rates, and stereo speakers, so it is hardly surprising that the two broadly match each other in terms of gaming and multimedia. We did find games to run a bit more smoothly on the Nord CE4, but the difference was not massive.
Similarly, we felt that the Nord CE4’s speakers beat those on the Phone (2a) in terms of quality and clarity, but again the difference was not immediately obvious. The Nord CE4 takes this round but by a very narrow margin. Neither phone is a gaming machine, to be honest (get a Poco X6 Pro for that!).
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4
General use – Nothing special about it (pun intended)
Both phones handle routine and everyday tasks equally well. Whether it is social media, browsing the Web, or handling emails and messages, there is not too much to choose between the two. Both are also equally adept at handling multiple apps.
In terms of general handling, we found the Nothing Phone (2a)’s cleaner and simpler interface easier to use, and while the Glyph UI is of limited actual use, it is definitely a handy addition. The Nord CE4 is also generally a smooth operator, and we actually felt its fingerprint scanner worked more smoothly than the one on the Phone (2a). It also has slightly better speakers, but the presence of bloatware in OxygenOS 14 is an irritant. The software wins this one for the Phone (2a).
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Battery life and charging – Nord is One(Plus) up!
This is pretty much the most one-sided round of this contest. The OnePlus Nord CE4 not only has a larger 5500 mAh battery as compared to the 5000 mAh one on the Nothing Phone (2a), but it also charges at 100W as compared to 45W of the Phone (2a). What’s more, the Nord CE4 comes with a 100W charger in the box, while the Phone (2a) has none.
And this difference becomes very evident in actual usage. We found the Nord CE4 often seeing off close to a day and a half on a single charge, while the Phone (2a) generally went a little beyond a day. In terms of charging, the Phone (2a) charges fully in close to about an hour and a half (although it claims to charge in an hour), while the Nord CE4 charges in less than half that time – in about 35-40 minutes. There’s only one winner here, and that one comes with a plus!
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4
Pricing – Lower price or bundled charger?
The Nothing Phone (2a) is available in the following configurations and prices:
- 8 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 23,999
- 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 25,999
- 12 GB / 256 GB: Rs 27,999
The OnePlus Nord CE4, on the other hand, is available in the following configurations and prices:
- 8 GB/ 128 GB: Rs 24,999
- 8 GB/ 256 GB: Rs 26,999
On the surface, this would seem to indicate that the Nothing Phone (2a) has a distinct price edge over the OnePlus Nord CE4. However, one factor that needs to be kept in mind is that the OnePlus Nord CE4 comes with a phone cover and 100W charger in the box, both of which the Phone (2a) lacks. This erodes the price advantage that Nothing seems to enjoy in this regard. Yes, the Phone (2a) does have a 12 GB RAM variant, which the OnePlus Nord CE4 totally lacks, but all said and done, the price difference is not notable here. The 100W charger in the box wins the round for the Nord CE4 here – it can even charge a notebook easily.
Winner: OnePlus Nord CE4
Final verdict: Go Nothing or Go Nord?
So, which of the two phones should you go for? We really think it boils down to how much you value software. The Nothing Phone (2a), with its clean software and regular bug fixes and updates, combined with a slightly eccentric camera system, gives us very early Nexus vibes. It is a phone with immense potential for those who are willing to be patient with it. The Glyph UI is more restricted here than the one on Phone (1) and Phone (2), so we do not think it is as big a factor.
The OnePlus Nord CE4, however, has a clear edge over the Phone (2a) in terms of plain good old value for money and performance – it has better cameras, handles gaming better, has better battery life, and in spite of the bloatware on board runs very smoothly indeed. And of course, while it does not have the whimsy and innovation that the Nothing Phone (2a) has on the phone, it more than compensates by adding handy basics like a cover and a super fast charger to the phone’s package, which the Phone (2a) totally misses out on.
We will keep it simple: The Nothing Phone (2a) is really for those who want something different and are willing to be patient in the process. However, suppose you want nothing (pun unintended) too crazily innovative and are looking for a solid, mid-segment phone that does everything well. In that case, the OnePlus Nord CE4 is easily one of the best options you have out there. Software updates and price changes might change our minds in the coming days, but as of now, there’s Nothing quite like the Phone (2a) in its price segment. But if you are looking for good old-fashioned value for money and solid performance, it makes sense to go Nord and Never Settle for Nothing.
Buy OnePlus Nord CE4
Buy Nothing Phone (2a)
