Nothing Phone (2a) launched in India earlier this week as a mid-range offering in the country. This will sit below the Nothing Phone (2) as an affordable alternative. The phone retains the same transparent back panel and the Glyph LED light interface, which makes it unique among the regular candy bar designs. In this article, we are doing a specifications-based comparison between the Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (2).
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Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): specs at a glance
| NOTHING PHONE (2a) | NOTHING PHONE (2) | |
| Display | 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz | 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC |
| RAM & storage | Up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage | 12GB RAM and 256GB/512GB storage |
| Rear cameras | 50MP main camera +50MP ultra-wide | 50MP main camera +50MP ultra-wide |
| Front Camera | 32MP selfie camera | 32MP selfie camera |
| Battery and charging | 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging | 4,700mAh battery with 33W wired charging, 15W wireless charging |
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): price in India
| NOTHING PHONE (2a) | NOTHING PHONE (2) |
| Rs 23,999 for 8GB/128GB | Rs 36,999 for 12GB/256GB |
| Rs 25,999 for 8GB/256GB | Rs 38,999 for 12GB/512GB |
| Rs 27,999 for 12GB/256GB |
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): design
Nothing Phone (2a) continues the same design language as the Phone (1) and Phone (2) but has an identity of its own. The rear camera module’s design is what distinguishes the Phone (2a) from other phones from the brand and competition. The dual cameras are arranged horizontally instead of vertically. The Glyph interface is reduced to just three LED modules around the camera design instead of the whole back panel.
On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (2) has a more premium design. We get a centre-positioned punch-hole cutout for the selfie shooter and there are symmetrical bezels. The phone has a boxy chassis, with rounded edges for better grip on hands. We see vertically stacked dual cameras arranged at the top-left corner of the back panel. There is a transparent back panel and there are multiple LED lights and these work for notifications and call alerts. We see the wireless charging coil as well.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): display
The Nothing Phone (2a) sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate of 30Hz up to 120Hz, 1,300nits of peak brightness, and a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 layer for protection. The screen offers thin bezels and this enhances the viewing experience and fits in more content. The panel has flat edges and this ensures decent viewing angles.
On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (2) sports a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED LTPO display with an adaptive refresh rate of 1-120Hz, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 1,600 nits peak brightness, and there’s Corning Gorilla Glass protection as well.
Takeaways: Strictly from the raw specifications point of view, the Nothing Phone (2) offers a better display. It offers a better screen quality and the peak brightness is also at 1600nits. This results in better outdoor visibility and this is especially useful as we are entering the summer season. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (2a) is quite decent for the asking price.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): performance
The Nothing Phone (2a) is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro paired with Mali-G610 MC4 GPU for graphics. The chipset is paired with 8GB/12GB LPDD4X RAM and 12GB/256G storage. In terms of software, the Nothing Phone (2a) boots Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.5 custom skin out of the box. The software offers various customisation offers.
The Nothing Phone (2) ships with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC paired with Adreno GPU for graphics. It packs up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Though the phone launched with Android 13 OS, Nothing pushed the Android 14-based Nothing OS 2.5 custom skin out of the box.
Takeaways: The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is no comparison to the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro. The former chipset offers better performance compared to the one on the Nothing Phone (2a), being a flagship. It can handle everything you throw at it be it gaming or resource-intense tasks. In terms of software, nothing phones boot Android 14 OS so the experience is the same.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): cameras
Nothing Phone (2a) ships with a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary camera with f/1.88 aperture and OIS and a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture. We get a 32MP Sony IMX615 shooter on the front for selfies and video chats.
On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (2) features a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary camera with OIS, f/1.88 aperture and a 50MP 114° ultra-wide-angle camera. There is a 32MP Sony IMX615 selfie camera.
Takeaways: The Nothing Phone (2a) and Phone (2) have the same cameras but the one on the Phone (2) should offer better results in comparison considering the ISP on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. Better software optimisation should help with better images.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (2): battery
The Nothing Phone (2a) features a 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging support. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone (2) packs a slightly smaller 4,700mAh battery with 45W and 15W Qi wireless charging support.
Takeaways: The Phone (2a) offers a higher capacity battery and similar charging speeds. There shouldn’t be major differences in terms of battery backup so the choice becomes personal preference.
