Nothing Phone (2a) – Review

The Nothing Phone was established in 2020, Nothing has managed to generate a lot of interest. The company has made several pairs of earbuds, but it is its smartphones that have garnered a lot of attention. The original Phone (1) had generated plenty of excitement, while the Phone (2) had been a small upgrade. But, its third phone, Nothing has opted to go down a different route. The Phone (2a) has a better price tag than its previous phones and boasts several changes.

Design and build

The design of the Nothing Phone (2a) is bound to draw attention. It has a semi-transparent back like its predecessor, which hints at the internals, but does not show them. But, the back is plastic instead of glass, which means it feels a little less premium. However, it weighs 190g, which means it is lightweight and has curved edges, so it is easy to hold. The ‘Glyph Interface’ of LED lights is also present, but it has been scaled back a bit.

The lights no longer cover the back of the phone; they are arranged around the camera module. The Glyphs can light up partly, fade in and out and used for showing timer progress and volume. These are new and their aim is to let you know when you have gotten a notification, or a call. You can set each app or caller to display differently, so you do not have to check the display. The camera module does look like a pair of eyes, but it blends seamlessly into the back of the phone.

The volume controls are on the left side of the Nothing Phone (2a) and this makes them easy to access when you are using the phone. The power button is on the right side and pressing it for long gives you power options.

Screen and speakers

The Phone (2a)’s display allows it to head-to-head with flagships. The 6.7-inch AMOLED panel boasts a resolution of 2412 x 1084 and is as good as many high-end phones. You can get vibrant and rich colors and it proves to be a versatile display. It is great for replying to emails and browsing the web and you can also use it for scrolling social media and watching videos. The 120Hz refresh rate makes these tasks smooth and fluid, as the phone is very responsive.

The display is completely flat, with just a slim symmetrical bezel around it. This makes the Phone (2a) one of the best-looking phones currently available in the market. There is an optical fingerprint sensor within the screen and you can also use face unlock. As for audio, the phone comes with dual stereo speakers that are downward-firing. They are capable of pumping out great sound and there is no distortion at high volumes.

Specs and performance

The Dimensity 7200 Pro powers the Phone (2a), which is a custom chipset that has been co-engineered with MediaTek for delivering the best performance while optimizing power. You will have no issues during typical phone usage and you can check emails, take photos, browse the web and watch videos easily. There is no slowdown anywhere, which means the phone is good for multitasking.

This does not apply to your gaming experience because this is where the performance does falter, but it is to be expected from such an affordable phone. It also depends on whether you get the model with 8GB of RAM or one with 12GB. As for storage, the only option is 256GB and there is no microSD expansion possible, which is a downside.