NOTHING PHONE 2a All white now
The Nothing Phone 1 came out with a see-through back, ‘glyph’ lights and wireless charging at a confusingly low price. Then came the Nothing Phone 2, adding power and refinement to the mix. Now a third instalment, the Phone 2a, arrives as the budget option, piling on the plastic and paring back the specs. But did Nothing strip things back too much?
The Phone 2a is a style departure. Gone is the glass and metal; now it’s a plastic bonanza. But it’s light for its size and feels great in the hand, with the back curving into the frame for a soft hold. It also gets streamlined glyph lights to keep costs down, complete with a redesigned look for the transparent back. When so many budget options go with a formulaic look, the 2a is a breath of fresh air.
Its screen feels like an extension of the phone’s design, with a very Apple feel. Screen quality is strong thanks to a smooth 120Hz AMOLED panel that showcases zingy colours, supports HDR and, at 6.7in, is a great size for anyone after a big picture.
Dots fired
Nothing OS 2.5, built atop Android 14, looks clean. It’s a stylised set of menus, icons and typical Android systems, while still packing loads of customisation options, dot-matrix flourishes and minimal bloat.
With three years of promised Android updates, the Phone 2a serves up decent longevity and also includes ways to eke out extra from your glyph lights: flip your phone over to silence it, activating the lights for notifications; fire up Glyph Timer to watch a visualised countdown on one of the light strips; or even compose your own glyph ringtone in 8-bit blip splendour. This is all seriously standout stuff for a budget phone.
While Nothing has stripped back the camera this time around, the Phone 2a still has two 50MP rear cameras and a 32MP selfie job – the same numbers as the much pricier Phone 2. This time, though, the main camera uses a slightly less impressive sensor, and the ultrawide misses out on autofocus.
Despite its more accessible positioning, the Phone 2a still delivers detailed and visually pleasing images, although it falls slightly short in low light compared to more expensive options. It can also take a second to register a photo, so benefits from a steady hand and does a better job of stationary subjects than moving ones, especially when the light drops.
The positioning of the camera is also a bit silly – it’s exactly where a finger might rest – so expect unwanted pink blobs in your ultrawide photos and videos.
When the chip comes in
Performance from the Dimensity 7200 Pro chip is impressive, despite its fairly modest on-paper spec: the Phone 2a delivers smooth operation and capable gaming performance for the price. Paired with up to 12GB RAM, and an additional 8GB via RAM Booster, it can even handle split-screen working across multiple apps and 4K Capcut video edits.
With a 5000mah battery and 45W fast charging, the Phone 2a lasts longer than any Nothing before it and powers up in around an hour. The upshot is, pretty much everything about this phone is good to great for the price.
For anyone who needs a classy camera above all, the Google Pixel 7a is a better choice. For virtually everything else, though, this is one of the finest affordable handsets around.
from £319 / go.stuff.tv/nothing2a
Key specs
● 6.7in 2412x1080 120Hz OLED
● Dimensity 7200 Pro ● 128/256GB
● 50+50MP rear, 32MP front
● 5000mah ● 162x76x8.6mm, 190g
This is a distinctive phone no matter which colour you go for. But if you really want those circuit cutouts to stand out, best avoid the black option.