As if OnePlus never left.
Today, smartphone startup Nothing has revealed its newest smartphone, the Phone (2a). Not a flagship but a midrange. However, the phone is interesting not because of its glyphs but because of its great choice of price range. It starts at PHP 18,990 (8/128) and the other at PHP 20,990 (12/256). That’s crazy good for a startup brand!
So what’s in it for the Nothing Phone (2a)? Well, nothing (hehe) but good software and hardware. Starting with what we can see first, the design. Like with many other Nothing phones, the Phone (2a) retains the transparent back design and glyph lighting. Only the top-half is lit though. It also comes in Black, just like its flagship sibling.
Perhaps, one of the most noticeable changes is the camera array. It is now located at the center. However still only two because the company believes that you don’t need a multitude of cameras to create a decent image which also was Google’s philosophy for the Pixels before they too jumped ship. We’re waiting for Nothing to jump that ship as well.
At the front, you will find the 6.7″ AMOLED with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 2160Hz PWM Dimming. Also, you’ll find the 32MP Sony IMX615 front camera here. The display is bright on paper, maxing out at 1300 nits. It is also protected with multiple layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The phone is made of plastic and the design language makes this obvious (in a good way). Looking at it at first glance it looks like a toy and in comparison with other smartphones, the design is unique, unlike the regular pseudoglass or metal we see on literally every other smartphone out there. There are only three lighting zones here but they are designed in a way that is still appealing and is definitely well thought-out. Unlike its cheap rivals (ahem Unihertz).
At the back, there is the dual 50MP sensor comprising of a Sony IMX890 with OIS and a Samsung ISOCELL JN1 Ultrawide. Good shots not need multiple cameras and Nothing believes that. And we’re hoping it stays. Imagine this for a second, what would OnePlus be now if Pei was still in charge?
The Nothing team almost went for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 chipset but thankfully they went with a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro. We’re not sure if the “Pro” name is legitimate or just a customization shtick to cater Nothing.
There is a 5000mAh battery inside with 45W fast charging, the largest battery currently available with Nothing’s arsenal.
As Nothing is an independent British smartphone maker with BBK not having any holds, it runs a slightly modified version of Android called NothingOS. Its launcher was once available in Google Play so that users can have a test run how does NothingOS really feel like? We can’t say for sure but maybe if we were lent a unit we might.
By the way those lights can be modified to create a light show. They can show different notifications, incoming calls and texts, and many more. By the way, did you know that these lights sync to your music? Nothing crafted so many ways to be creative with these lights that it’s basically a something.
Speaking of software, the phone runs NothingOS 2.5 based on Android 14. In comparison with NothingOS 2, this one has more animations and more customization, and in turn, more accessibility options. The phone is designed to be passive so you really won’t have to see the screen frequently to check notifications, turn off certain options and settings, and answer incoming calls.
Nothing has joined the “Virtual RAM” arena quite late in the game. The Phone (2a) offers up to 8GB RAM for those who wished to expand their RAM. Virtual RAM has no guarantee however, and may be even less than ideal for consumers.
The phone features stereo speakers, an optical fingerprint sensor, 5G services, Bluetooth 5.3, and dual-band Wi-Fi. Again the phone is pretty competitive for its PHP 18,990 price tag (8/128) although the storage could have been higher. They answered that question but you have to add an additional PHP 2,000. That’s the (12/256) version.
SPECS:
- 6.7″ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 2160Hz PWM Dimming, 1300nits peak brightness
- Glyph Lighting
- Transparent back
- MediaTek Dimensity 7200 “Pro” (4nm)
- CAMERAS:
- 50MP (Primary), f/1.88, OIS, Sony IMX890
- 50MP (Ultrawide), f/2.2,, EIS, Samsung ISOCELL JN1
- FRONT: 32MP, f/2.2, Sony iMX615
- NothingOS 2.5 based on Android 14
- 5000mAh, 45W fast charging
- USB-C, optical fingerprint scanner, Virtual RAM
- Dual Nano-SIM Slot, 5G services, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6/6e, Bluetooth 5.3
- Black, White
- PRICE:
- 8/128: PHP 18,990
- 12/256: PHP 20,990
You may be able to pre-order the phone directly or via Digital Walker, if it’s available in your place.
Source: Nothing Phone (2a)