The sub-25,000 price bracket is one of the most competitive segments in the smartphone market, with capable offerings from all the major brands trying to vie for the top spot. We will be doing a specification-based comparison between two of the major contendors in the segment, the Nothing Phone (2a) and the Realme 12 Pro, to find out which smartphone offers better value for money.
Table of Contents
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: key specifications
| SMARTPHONE | NOTHING PHONE (2A) | REALME 12 PRO |
| Display | 6.7-inch 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED panel | 6.7-inch 120Hz FHD+ curved AMOLED panel |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 |
| Storage | Up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage | Up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage |
| Cameras | 50MP+50MP rear cameras, 32MP front camera | 50MP+32MP+8MP rear cameras, 16MP front camera |
| Battery, charging | 5,000mAh battery, 45W charging | 5,000mAh battery, 67W charging |
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: price
| NOTHING PHONE (2A) | REALME 12 PRO |
| 8GB+128GB: Rs 23,999 | 8GB+128GB: Rs 25,999 |
| 8GB+256GB: Rs 25,999 | 8GB+256GB: Rs 26,999 |
| 12GB+256GB: Rs 27,999 |
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Redmi Note 13 Pro: design
The Nothing Phone (2a) chnages things up a bit while still retaining Nothing’s design philosophy. The plastic rear panel retains its transparency, like the Phone (1) and (2), but does get smudged a lot. The rear cameras are now positioned horizontally near the top centre of the back panel, giving the impression of a sci-fi robot staring at you. The Glyph count has also been reduced to just three LED’s around the camera. The phone comes with an IP54 dust and water resistance and is available in White and Black colours.
The Realme 12 Pro 5G features a luxury watch design, which was designed in partnership with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo. The smartphone comes with a large circular camera module with triple sensors and an LED flash. The module has a gold coating along its borders. A similar golden vertical line runs towards the bottom of the panel and extends to the bezels surrounding the smartphone, creating a distinctive design. The smartphone comes with IP65 water and dust resistance and comes in Submarine Blue and Navigator Beige colours.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: display
The Phone (2a) equips a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution (2,412 x 1,084p), an adaptive refresh rate from up to 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and 1,300 nits of peak brightness. The display comes with thin bezels, which improve the viewing experience, and flat edges that ensure good viewing angles. The 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut ensures vibrant visuals. The Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the panel against damage.
The Realme 12 Pro 5G equips a 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,412×1,080 (FHD+) pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM dimming, and up to 950 nits brightness. The panel has a 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut and comes with HDR10+ support for HD content streaming on OTT platforms.
Conclusion: Both smartphones offer a very similar display in terms of both specifications and size. The key differences are the flat and curved displays and brightness levels. The better brightness level does give Nothing Phone (2a) a slight lead, but the choice ultimately depends on the user’s preferences regarding a curved or flat display.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: Cameras
The Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a 50MP Sony IMX890 main sensor paired with a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide sensor for its rear camera setup. At the front, there’s a 32MP Sony IMX615 lens for selfies and video calls.
Realme 12 Pro 5G features a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary camera with OIS, a 32MP Sony IMX709 telephoto sensor with OIS and 2x optical zoom support, and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The device comes with a 16MP selfie camera at the front.
Conclusion: When it comes to optics, the Realme 12 Pro takes the lead with a more cohesive camera setup, which includes a dedicated telephoto zoom lens.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: performance, software
The MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro powers the Nothing Phone (2a), paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage support. In comparison, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 powers the Realme 12 Pro, and it comes with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
On the software front, Nothing Phone (2a) operates on NothingOS 2.5 based on Android 14 while Realme 12 Pro runs on Realme UI 5 based on Android 14.
Conclusion: The Nothing Phone (2a) should offer a better performance output thanks to a superior processor. It also comes with a higher RAM capacity. NothingOS, is comparatively a better operating system, with a stock-Android-like UI and the absence of bloatware.
Nothing Phone (2a) vs Realme 12 Pro: battery, charging
A 5,000mAh battery powers both smartphones. The Realme 12 Pro does offer a faster charging speed, with 67W fast charging compared to 45W on the Phone (2a).
Conclusion: The battery output on both smartphones should be comparable, but the Realme 12 Pro takes the lead when it comes to charging speed.
