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I reviewed the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and it’s not the lights and beeps that make it the best bargain smartphone
1:30 pm | March 4, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Nothing Phones Phones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Nothing Phone 3a Pro: Two-minute review

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro (officially Nothing Phone (3a) Pro but I’m not typing that many parentheses) is the most interesting phone you can buy for less than $500 / £500 / AU$850, and if you’ve been craving something different than the cheerful bubblegum styling of cheap Android phones, you should consider the Nothing Phone 3a Pro no matter your price range.

For a full $140 / £150 / AU$150 less than the cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 16e, you can get the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which has a larger screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a bigger battery and faster charging, plus more storage and more RAM.

You also get a camera with 3x optical zoom, a feature unheard of at this price range. Most cheap phones give you wide, ultra-wide, and macro cameras, not a real zoom lens.

And all of that comes before I get to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s unique design (unique except for the nearly-identical Nothing Phone 3a), which takes a stripped-down approach so far that you can literally see into the back of the phone as if you have x-ray vision.

This see-through look a signature of Nothing Phone devices, along with the cool Glyph LED lights, though the Nothing Phone 3a Pro looks a bit more restrained and polished than previous models. It looks more like a circuitry subway map than an accidental phone autopsy.

The Nothing Phone LED lights are here, in a simple ring rather than an enigmatic ‘Glyph’ arrangement like I saw on the first two Nothing Phone devices. The Glyph system is more than just decorative, it’s actually quite functional and a bit nostalgic.

I remember when the LED lights were a key selling point for cell phones and I’d spend time customizing my friends’ light cues along with their designated ringtone. Nothing Phone 3a Pro let me do that again, assigning light patterns to my friends and family. I even had fun banging out my own patterns on the glyph-maker software.

I give Nothing a lot of credit – there are few phones with a feature like the glyph that is this fun. Most phones are just a slab of glass with cameras on the back. Samsung might give you a pen, but you pay a lot for it. With the Nothing Phone 3a Pro (and Nothing Phone 3a), you get the unique glyph feature that's entertaining on its own and adds unique flair to your calls and alerts.

That said, this is still a decidedly bargain phone, with a less-powerful chipset inside and limited support for US networks. I saw plenty of lag and stuttering performance on this phone, more than I’ve see on slightly more expensive and powerful phones like the OnePlus 12R or even the Google Pixel 8a.

I had no problem using my Nothing Phone 3a Pro on AT&T’s network in the New York area. Nothing says some users might have to call AT&T or Verizon to have their phone’s IMEI (a network identifier) whitelisted, or approved, by the carrier. T-Mobile fans should have no problem at all.

Performance issues aside, it’s almost sad that Nothing hasn’t created an even more premium device above the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, because it’s clear that plenty of work went into the interface and design, and phone fans who normally shun cheap phones might enjoy the minimalist and unique NothingOS. Don't knock it until you've seen it.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels special. This isn’t a pared back phone like the Galaxy A56, which is like a Diet Galaxy S25. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro improves on previous Nothing Phones with a more durable design, a better display, versatile cameras, and faster performance all around. This is the best Nothing Phone ever, and this is one bargain phone you shouldn’t ignore.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: price and availability

  • $459 / £449 / AU$849 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
  • Available in the US through Nothing Beta program

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro front showing lock screen with AI wallpaper

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will be available worldwide in one configuration for $459 / £449 / AU$849. You can choose a white or shiny grey exterior and get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage inside. That’s a respectable amount of storage and RAM for the price – much more than the 8GB/128GB you'll get on the Samsung Galaxy A56.

While not quite this cheap, for a bit more you can buy the Google Pixel 8a or OnePlus 12R. Both of those phones get discounted frequently to match the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s price, but those phones were both new in 2024. Samsung’s new Galaxy A56 will cost about the same as the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, but that phone won’t hit the US until much later this year.

Most of the world can simply order the Nothing Phone 3a Pro through Nothing.tech or a retail partner, but in the US there are a couple of hoops to jump through. Nothing saves money by cheaping out on radio bands, so the Nothing Phone 3a Pro doesn’t support every single band on the three major US carriers.

If you use T-Mobile in the US, you’re in luck with the most supported bands, but AT&T support lags a bit, and Verizon users will be missing enough bands that it might make sense to look elsewhere if you need the best cell service possible.

For this reason, Nothing sells the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro in the US under a ‘Beta’ program so that users will be aware of what they are missing. I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in the New York area on AT&T. I got a text message from AT&T right away that my phone wasn’t supported. I ignored the message and used the phone normally for the rest of the week and I had no noticeable issues. Network speeds were good.

  • Value score: 5/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: specs

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, which is a fairly new platform from Qualcomm, so it can support all of the latest software as well as upcoming AI features, should Nothing decide to add more machine learning.

The most outstanding spec is the 3x optical zoom camera, which is unique in this price range. Nothing uses periscopic lens technology, like you’ll find on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 5X zoom lens, to add reach.

Otherwise, the large display is noteworthy for its high refresh rate and brightness, both of which top Apple’s latest supposed-bargain iPhone 16e. Across the board, you won’t find much better specs on a smartphone without spending hundreds more, and Nothing also gives you the unique Glyph lights around back.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: design

  • Totally unique transparent design with LED Glyph lights
  • A bit thick and heavy, but not too much

Nothing Phone 3a Pro back showing internals, camera bump, and USB-C port on bottom

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro stands out, even in the muted grey and white color options available. At first glance, friends who saw the transparent back, with its roadmap of flat ribbon cables and antenna lines, asked what was going on with my phone.

Folks who caught a glimpse when the Glyph lights flared always wanted to know what phone I was using.

The design is decidedly tech-forward, and the Glyph light patterns, with their matching sound cues, and the minimalist NothingOS interface only reinforce this feeling. Most phones try to disappear behind the display and the content, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro begs to be seen from every angle. I was looking for opportunities to place this phone face down so I could watch it ring.

The design is so unusual that you won’t notice it feels a bit cheap. The seams are not as perfectly aligned as the edges on a Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16. The phone is thick – at 8.4mm, it’s thicker than an iPhone 16e or Galaxy A56.

The transparent back is glass: a Chinese knock-off of Gorilla Glass called ‘Panda Glass’ instead of plastic like previous Nothing Phone devices. The camera bump is huge and unapologetic, with textured lines that draw a circle around the frame. The Glyph lights ring the cameras, and can also act like a ring light when you’re shooting.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a new Essential Key, which is a button that will take a screenshot or record a voice memo. It won’t just store these entries, it feeds them into an Essential Space app that analyzes your notes with AI to give you summaries and answers. In practice… it needs work. I hope the Essential Key gets repurposed in a future NothingOS update so that it can do a bit more.

  • Design score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: display

  • Big, bright display with a fast refresh rate
  • Not as bright in our tests as Nothing claims

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro home screen showing widgets for the camera, pedometer, compass, and battery life

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a huge, 6.77-inch AMOLED display that can refresh at a variable rate up to 120Hz. It looked bright, colorful, and smooth in my time reviewing the Phone 3a Pro. There was some stuttering, but I suspect the slower chipset was to blame, as the display could handle whatever video content or fast-scrolling lists I threw its way.

I wonder if this display is overkill for Nothing Phone 3a Pro. NothingOS is nearly monochromatic, and in fact there is a monochrome mode if you want to eliminate all colorful distraction from your phone. Maybe Nothing should have developed a unique display to play into those strengths, instead of competing on color and brightness with Samsung and Google.

Nothing claims the Nothing Phone 3a Pro can hit 3,000 nits at peak brightness, but in our Future Labs tests we couldn’t manage half that brightness level. We still saw peak brightness well over 1,000 nits, which is great, but not what Nothing claims.

  • Display score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: software

  • NothingOS offers a unique look and plenty of widgets
  • Nothing Phone 3a Pro gets 3 years more Android, 6 years more security

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro quick settings menu drop down

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses NothingOS on top of Android 15, and NothingOS could really be considered a Theme and Widget combo pack. It doesn’t add a whole lot of useful features to Android, but instead it succeeds by taking away distractions.

By distractions, I mean color and shapes. The look of NothingOS can best be described as a monochrome, low-resolution, dot matrix theme. There's an actual monochrome mode you can enable, but the basic NothingOS theme is mostly black and white, with graphics that reduce iconography, like clouds and the sun in the weather app, to a series of large dots.

It kind of works, if you like this style. Nothing even includes an AI wallpaper generator, a feature very en vogue with the smartphone elite, though in this case the choices are much more limited than you’ll find on a Galaxy or Pixel phone.

On my Galaxy I might create a ‘lamp of flowers in pink and purple,’ with thousands of possible combinations of nouns and colors. On my Nothing Phone 3a Pro I can choose ‘flora’ and ‘iridescent’, and up to 30 total combos. What you get ends up looking like a wallpaper that Nothing might have included with its phone anyway.

If you press the new Essential Key twice, you open a new Essential Space app, where you can find the screenshots that you took and the voice memos you saved. Only the screenshots that you capture using the Essential Key end up here. If you press the power button and volume down, you get a screenshot in your Gallery, but not in the Essential Space. Weird.

Honestly, I didn’t have any use for the Essential Key or Essential Space during my time with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and I didn’t feel I was missing anything except a better use for the new button. I rarely take screenshots or record voice memos, and I’m not going to change my behavior for this phone, so if you’re like me, you won’t see the benefit. Hopefully Nothing will add more to make this useful for more people.

  • Software score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: cameras

  • Good cameras (but not as good as Nothing's bragging)
  • A 3x optical zoom lens is unique at this price

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro in hand showing camera app

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The people have spoken, and people say they want three cameras, so most cheap Android phones come with three cameras, but none of them give you optical zoom like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has a clever, versatile array of cameras, making it a solid pick if you need a real zoom lens.

Most phones at this price give you a fine wide-angle camera, a mediocre ultra-wide, and a terrible, low resolution macro camera. The Galaxy A55 and the Motorola Edge 2024 offer that camera setup, for instance. Nothing gives you a lot more camera bang for your buck.

You get a real 3x optical zoom with a periscope lens, which just means it’s more compact than a normal zoom lens. You also get a big 50MP sensor on that zoom lens, in addition to the 50MP main sensor. The ultra-wide sensor is only 8MP, but who cares when you have all that zoom.

The selfie camera is a 50MP sensor as well, which is too much for selfies. I ended up with a file that is six times as large as an iPhone 16 Pro selfie, even though it doesn’t have as much detail or clarity.

The image quality from the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is fine, but not incredible. The Pixel 8a will give you better images in this price range, at least with its main camera, though it only shoots up to 12MP. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can shoot 50MP images, but you have to dig through settings to make that happen, otherwise you get a standard 12MP file.

It’s clear from the image samples that there is a lot of AI processing going on with the Nothing photos. On the zoom photos, I could get a pretty good shot overall, but if I look closely the image takes on an oil paint quality that makes it clear a computer filled in a lot of gaps and erased all the noise.

Before this phone launched, Nothing teased us by claiming that its new cameras would be as good as an iPhone. It’s not even close, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is not a bad camera. It takes much better photos than any Motorola phone I’ve used, and it has more versatility than comparable Samsung Galaxy A-series phones. It’s a solid camera setup for the price.

  • Camera score: 4/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: camera samples

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Nothing Phone 3a Pro sample

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro camera image samples

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: performance

  • Performance is good enough to get by
  • There are more powerful phones with less style

Nothing Phone 3a Pro back showing internals, camera bump, and USB-C port on bottom

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Nothing took a step up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip inside both the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, but the platform still isn’t quite fast enough to keep up with the demands of Android 15 and NothingOS. I encountered plenty of lag in my time with the phone, often bad enough that the screen would stop responding to taps and then would catch up all at once. It was frustrating, but it didn’t happen too often, not every day.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn’t going to be the best phone for hardcore games like Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG, but it will do fine with casual games like Balatro and Marvel Snap. Vampire Survivors choked the phone when the screen filled with enemies, but it recovered quickly enough that I didn’t lose the round.

Frankly, the competition at this price doesn’t offer much better performance – the Pixel 8a isn’t winning any benchmark crowns. If you want a fast phone for less, the OnePlus 12R is your best bet, otherwise you’ll just need to spend more if you want a serious mobile gaming machine.

  • Performance score: 2/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: battery

  • Great battery life and excellent charging speeds
  • No wireless charging

Nothing Phone 3a Pro back showing internals, camera bump, and USB-C port on bottom

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Battery life on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro was excellent, and the phone had no trouble lasting me a full day on a single charge with battery to spare. The phone also charges very quickly, though Nothing skimps by not offering any charger in the box, fast or otherwise.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can charge up to 50 watts, and I tested it with my own variable charger that can charge up to 50W or more. The Phone 3a Pro charged very quickly, and I got to 100% in just over 50 minutes, which is even faster than Nothing claims. That’s faster than the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.

With a 5,000mAh battery inside (and a very dark, black interface), the Nothing Phone 3a Pro conserves power nicely. In our Future Labs tests, the Phone 3a Pro lasted just under 15 and a half hours, almost the same amount of time as the Samsung Galaxy S25. In my real world tests, I had no trouble taking photos and working through a full day on a single charge.

  • Battery score: 5/5

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 3a Pro ?

Buy it if...

You like the look
You won’t find anything that comes close to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro design, with its unique transparent back glass and minimal interface.

You like the lights
It’s surprising no other phone maker is using LED lights for notification, but Nothing gives you lights, sounds, and a composer to make your own rings.

You love the price
For everything you get – the versatile cameras, unique design, great battery and charging – this phone is a steal, and worth a look over phones that cost much more.

Don't buy it if...

You play a lot of mobile games
This is not a powerhouse phone; its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor could sputter at times. Skip it if you need real smartphone power.

You don’t like the look or the lights
There’s not much else going for the Nothing Phone 3a Pro that is unique, besides the design and the low price. But that’s enough for many folks.

You plan on keeping your phone for years
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will get three years of Android updates, but after that this phone will be far behind even mid-range performers and you may have problems.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: also consider

Google Pixel 8a
The Pixel a-series phones are a great value, offering many of the features you’ll find on the flagship Pixel phones, with very similar camera image quality as well.
Read our full review of the Google Pixel 8a

Samsung Galaxy A56
The brand-new Galaxy A56 gives you tons of Samsung AI features and great specs for a price that is comparable to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Read our hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy A56

How I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro

I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for a week before this review was published. In that time, I tested the phone extensively, alongside the Nothing Phone 3a, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.

I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.

I connected the Nothing Phone 3a Pro to a Pixel Watch 3 and Nothing Buds. I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the Phone 3a Pro to my car for multimedia and to other Bluetooth speakers for audio.

I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro on my personal AT&T Wireless account in the New York City area, including Connecticut, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, with no trouble.

Why you can trust TechRadar

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First reviewed March 2025

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: add a little bit of spice
5:00 pm | September 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Nothing Phones Phones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Nothing Phone 2a Plus: Two-minute review

Nothing has already confirmed that its next flagship smartphone – the Nothing Phone 3 – won't be making its debut until 2025, but that doesn't mean fans of the brand aren't without new phones to get excited about in the meantime.

In March, we were introduced to the Nothing Phone 2a: a device with all the sensibilities of the current top-tier Nothing Phone 2, but with more modest hardware and a price tag to match. It did well – very well in fact, becoming the brand's best-selling smartphone to date, and proving that a market exists for the company's distinct design aesthetics and forward-looking user experience in a more affordable package.

It's this success (and the long wait for another flagship phone from the company) that likely led to the creation of the Nothing Phone 2a Plus: a new variant of the 2a, announced only four months after the original's arrival.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review front angled

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The 2a Plus is much the same phone as its namesake, but rather than being a larger-screened version of the 2a, the 'Plus' in this instance actually refers to the slight uplift in performance, camera hardware, and battery tech boasted by this refreshed model over the standard iteration; although it does also come with a price increase to match.

On sale from September 10 for $50 / £50 / AU$40 more than the equivalent storage capacity Phone 2a, the 2a Plus remains mostly unchanged; with the same transparent polycarbonate-backed design (this time with extra metallic detailing), the same strong 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, the same rear cameras, same battery capacity, and same software promise.

The higher asking price buys you, among other things, a beefier Dimensity 7350 Pro chip, which delivers on the promised benchmarks of 10% better CPU performance and 30% greater graphical performance, compared to the more modest MediaTek chip powering the standard Phone 2a. You also get 50W charging, compared to 45W on the 2a that's – as you might expect – fractionally quicker (a full charge takes just under, compared to just over, an hour), and a new higher-resolution 50MP front camera (compared to a 32MP snapper on the 2a), which serves up more detail; not to mention the Plus boasts a richer shooting experience, thanks to a new AI-supported 'Vivid' mode.

All in all, the question is not whether Phone 2a users have been short-changed and if there's any point in upgrading (there isn't). Instead, the Nothing Phone 2a Plus edges the needle closer to the performance of the company's current flagship (especially graphically) for a lot less, whereas we saw the standard model as more of an improvement on the original Nothing Phone 1, as you'll read in our original Nothing Phone 2a review.

You still pay a premium for that Nothing aesthetic and unique Glyph lighting, though, meaning similarly-priced rivals offer more in areas like software support, faster charging, or a superior viewing experience, but at the expense of the sense of style that Nothing has cultivated with its products.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Price and availability

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back handheld

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Priced at $399 / £399 / AU$639
  • On sale from September 10, 2024
  • US availability via Nothing Beta Program

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus comes in a sole 12GB RAM / 256GB storage variant, which means, in most markets, it comes in at a single price (you can get it with 8GB or 12GB of RAM in India). In Nothing's homeland of the UK, the phone costs £399 (direct from Nothing), £50 more than the original asking price of an equivalent 256GB standard Phone 2a.

Even in the short months since the standard 2a debuted, however, the company has already officially cut its price in key markets. A 256GB 2a costs £329 at the time of writing, meaning you actually pay £70 more for the Plus today.

The assumption is that the Phone 2a will remain on sale until Nothing runs out of stock, at which point the 2a Plus will be the company's sole mid-ranger (the newer phone should also come with a price reduction of its own by that point).

In the US, as with the Phone 2a, the 2a Plus is currently only available through the company's Beta Program. Despite being competitively priced in the market, there are caveats to purchasing this phone in the region; namely a significantly shorter 14-day return period and – as the devices being sold are international models – incomplete support for US carrier bands (i.e. spotty cellular connectivity with major US networks).

If, like the Phone 2, Nothing decides to launch the 2a Plus Stateside officially, the model sold will feature more complete US carrier support, but the company hasn't announced any such plans at the time of writing.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Specs

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Design

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review circuit macro

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Iconic Nothing aesthetic
  • IP54-certified polycarbonate body
  • Repels scuffs well but back attracts smudges

While the Phone 2a marked a slight departure from the company's previous smartphones, with its main dual camera placed transversely along the center line of the phone's back, rather than being offset in the corner, it otherwise carried across all the hallmarks of the Nothing's now-established design language.

The Phone 2a Plus echoes the standard model's dimensions, weight, and aesthetic identically; there's a transparent polycarbonate back, under which you'll find tracks of faux circuitry, a cluster of diffused LEDs around the camera, which make up the phone's Glyph Interface, and a matte plastic frame, with a power button set into the right side and large volume up and down keys along the left edge.

It's in the color department where Nothing has set the 2a and 2a Plus apart visually. While the standard phone arrived in black or Milk (white) – both variants also sported a red accent – the 2a Plus can be bought in either Black or Grey, with that circuitry no longer color-matching the bodywork, and instead sporting a more eye-catching reflective silver finish.

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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back handheld depth

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back angled shelf

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

It's a simple and effective way to distinguish the Plus from the standard 2a, and it feels a little more premium, too. However, I do miss the cleaner look of both launch finishes of the standard 2a (especially Milk).

In the hand, the proportions and weight of the 2a Plus make it a surprisingly comfortable phone to use one-handed. For its size, it feels beautifully put together, especially for a device that is, externally, mostly polycarbonate. Scuffs and scrapes are repelled surprisingly well; I just wish it didn't hold onto smudges so readily.

Nothing goes into some detail on the stress testing the 2a line is subjected to, for peace of mind, but the build is also independently certified against dust and water ingress with an IP54 rating; not quite as advanced as high-end devices, but perfectly at home for use in wet weather and the like.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Display

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review front angled

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 6.7-inch 120Hz Full HD+ OLED
  • Protected by Gorilla Glass 5
  • Sluggish in-display optical fingerprint sensor

Sticking with aesthetics, Nothing's love for flexible OLED panels grants the Phone 2a Plus balanced bezels around its flat 6.7-inch Full HD+ (1084 x 2412) screen; framing things neatly with a 91.65% screen-to-body ratio (for comparison, the pricier Galaxy A55 sports a 86.9% ratio).

The display is protected by both a factory-fitted screen protector and Gorilla Glass 5 (i.e. not Corning's latest and greatest, but respectable in terms of both impact and scratch protection), and after several weeks of use, my device only picked up one or two superficial abrasions.

That upgraded front-facing camera sits neatly at the center of the panel's top edge, while an optical under-display fingerprint sensor hangs down near the bottom bezel. Practically, I think the sensor placement is a little too low, and, surprisingly, the response time of this particular fingerprint reader is well behind what I've come to expect from the technology. We're talking milliseconds here, but I hope Nothing works to improve read speed via subsequent updates, as it lags behind the quality of the rest of the experience served up by the 2a Plus.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review 2a vs 2a Plus vs Phone 2 front angled

The Phone 2a (left), Phone 2a Plus (center) and Phone 2 (right) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

As for the panel itself, it's the same screen found on the standard 2a, with nice colors, contrast, and a respectable 1,100-nit average maximum brightness (with a 1,300-nit peak). Other reviewers have reported fractionally better brightness scores from the panel on the 2a Plus, compared to the 2a, but anecdotally I never saw a noticeable difference while testing them side by side; both are visible in bright conditions, even if there is plenty of room for improvement.

While the use of OLED tech ensures nice vibrant colors and deep blacks, the 2a Plus doesn't pack LTPO tech, meaning the 120Hz refresh can step down to 30Hz, but no lower, and in fairly sizable increments, too. In practice, the OS tends to err on the side of fluidity, even if that means higher power consumption (you do have the ability to cap it at 60Hz manually, if you prefer).

Nothing doesn't grant a huge amount of control over customizing the viewing experience, beyond including always-on display (AoD) support and Night Light (which warms display color temperature when it's dark or late). You have Alive or Standard color profiles to choose between, with a warm-to-cool slider, too, but again, while appreciated, this is a comparatively bare-bones take on display personalization, compared to what you'd find on equivalent Xiaomi.

  • Display score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Software

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Weather app

Nothing OS' stylized weather app (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 3 years of OS & 4 years security updates
  • Launches with Nothing OS 2.6 atop Android 14
  • Nothing AI news widget is novel but has provenance issues

Nothing OS fast found a home among fans, thanks to its distinct, minimalist aesthetic, monochrome icon and widget theming, and as the means of interaction with the defining functional design feature of the brand's phones: the Glyph Interface.

Since the original Nothing Phone, the company has continued to build out this experience with new functionality, without straying from the path; ensuring a consistent experience across all its devices at all price points (from the top-tier Phone 2, down to the recently released affordable CMF Phone 1).

Like the standard Phone 2a, the 2a Plus arrives on Android 14 but sports the latest (at the time of writing) Nothing OS 2.6. The experience is as great as every other Nothing Phone, with the look and feel being one of its major draws. It's really nice to use, slick, and responsive on the 2a Plus thanks to that high refresh rate display. The ability to have supersized folders and app icons is a nice, unique bit of personalization and the native widgets are oozing with the dot matrix charm that embodies Nothing OS' visual style.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review News widget

The new News widget, introduced in Nothing OS 2.6 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

One of the most interesting additions in Nothing OS 2.6 is a new news widget. Add it to your home screen and select as many topics as you like from a shortlist of seven during the initial setup screen (these include business, entertainment, sports, technology, and more).

Once set up, tap the widget each day to hear an impressively convincing AI-generated version of Nothing's CFO Tim Holbrow read out various stories, covering your chosen topics. It's a novel and convenient way to digest current affairs, and a meaningful implementation of free AI functionality that few other mid-rangers come close to offering. There are, however, some obvious drawbacks.

For one, you have no idea about the provenance of the stories being read out. Even during setup, the widget never cites its sources, and there's no way to dive deeper or access the source material on a story Tim just read to you. There's the obvious risk of AI hallucination to consider with a tool like this, too, not to mention the ethical quandary of fair attribution to the journalists whose work this widget has scraped for content.

While I like the method of delivery, here's hoping subsequent updates iron out at least some of the pitfalls with this otherwise capable news widget.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Glyph Interface

The 2a Plus' Glyph Interface lit up in darkness (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Despite its lower standing in Nothing's smartphone portfolio, the 2a Plus doesn't lose out on the brand's signature Glyph Interface – the diffused LED segments around the phone's rear camera.

There are far fewer than on the Phone 2, but the trio that are present still fulfill all the same functions: as visual indicators for incoming calls and notifications when the phone is face down, to represent timers and ETAs on supported apps, and as a softer fill light when shooting video. You can also create your own Glyph patterns by downloading Nothing's Glyph Composer app, which is a fun bonus.

While not everyone will appreciate a phone that flashes (you can disable it if you don't like the Glyphs at all), it's another novel and aesthetic-defining characteristic of Nothing's phones and I appreciate its presence; although I wish more third-party developers put it to use, as it doesn't feel like it's being utilized to its full potential.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review 2a vs 2a Plus vs Phone 2 back straight Glyph

The Glyph Interfaces on the Nothing Phone 2a (left), Phone 2a Plus (center) and Phone 2 (right) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

When it comes to software updates, Nothing is great at constantly pushing fixes and features to its devices; it's far more prolific than bigger brands like Motorola or Sony, and they should take note, as it constantly feels like your phone is improving. Nothing's also great at granting its users early access to Android betas, ahead of each OS' full release, which right now means you can technically already get your hands on Android 15, if you're willing to hazard its unfinished state.

The flip side is that software promises have become increasingly competitive in the market, with Apple and, more recently, the likes of OnePlus, Samsung and Google pushing for five, six or even seven years of support on its latest devices.

In the case of the Phone 2a Plus, the promise of three years of OS updates and four years of security updates seems acceptable for the phone's mid-range standing, but looks like a much weaker proposition on the more expensive Phone 2. If Nothing has the resources, being able to up those numbers would keep it competitive.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Camera

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review camera

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Same dual 50MP rear sensors as Phone 2a
  • Upgraded 50MP front camera
  • New Vivid Mode with real time analysis

The Phone 2a's distinct rear dual 50MP sensors (a Samsung GN9 for the main sensor and a Samsung JN1 for the ultra-wide) remain unchanged from the standard Phone 2a, as does the Imagiq 765 ISP (image signal processor) handling things behind the scenes; despite the change in silicon between the two phones.

The more prominent difference is the upgraded front camera, which sees the 2a's 32MP snapper traded for another 50MP JN1 (yes, the same sensor used by the ultra-wide). The result is higher-resolution selfies with a different capture profile and the ability to shoot 4K video on the phone's front, too.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus camera samples

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample peddle cab

Low light (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London ultra-wide

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 1x

1x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 2x

2x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample London 10x

10x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA ultra-wide

0.6x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 1x

1x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 2x

2x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample Young VandA 10x

10x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds ultra-wide

0.6x (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds 1x

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample clouds 2x

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample portrait mode

Portrait mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample selfie comparison

Front camera (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample moss comparison

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample beach comparison

HDR (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample National Gallery low light

Low light (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample National Gallery Night Mode

Night mode (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample sunflower main

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Nothing 2a Plus camera sample sunflower ultra-wide

Ultra-wide (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Side by side, selfies taken on the 2a Plus display greater detail and dynamic range in well-lit scenes. However, the fact that shots are captured at 50MP natively, and not pixel-binned, means blurring and detail loss in low light conditions is prevalent.

Portrait shooting across the front and back sensors can be hit and miss, too, with edge detection from the Portrait Optimizer within Nothing's TrueLens Engine (i.e. its camera software) tripping up from time to time. Otherwise, results are good.

Another camera addition that remains unique to the Phone 2a Plus is Vivid Mode; not even the Phone 2 running the same version of Nothing OS has this feature, at the time of writing. Not only does Vivid Mode change the color science employed to achieve more saturated shots, but it also uses AI to analyze what's in-frame and serves up real-time insight into what it's actually doing.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Vivid Mode screenshots

Within Vivid Mode, the 'result' section grants real-time AI-generated insight into how the camera is processing whatever's in frame. (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

It's another novel use of AI, but one that shows Nothing is thinking about new ways to enhance the mobile photography experience and also give the user more insight into how to compose shots and what to consider. Vivid Mode lends itself well to further improving low-light shots, too.

  • Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Performance

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review Game Mode

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset
  • 8GB / 12GB RAM w/ RAM Booster up to 20GB
  • Sole 256GB storage variant (non-expandable)

One of the three tentpole upgrades – and perhaps the most significant – that the 2a Plus lords over the standard 2a is a new chipset. MediaTek has once again supplied Nothing with an exclusive variant of its mobile silicon variant, which promises a 10% CPU uptick and up to a 30% graphical performance boost, compared to the Dimensity 7200 Pro that powers the vanilla Phone 2a.

In practice, my benchmark results suggest more modest improvements (about 3.5% better in CPU, 6% in AI, and 12% in GPU performance). That said, this doesn't detract from the fact that this Dimensity 7350 Pro-powered phone is more capable outright; scoring closely to the original Phone 1, as well as more recent rivals, like Samsung's Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A54, along with the Tensor G2-powered Google's Pixel 7 line.

By default, high-fidelity 3D titles like Zenless Zone Zero default to 'low' graphical settings at 30fps and deliver perfectly consistent performance at that level. If you want to dial things up to 'high' at 60fps, though, the 7350 Pro seems happy to be pushed in short bursts; you'll just start to notice heat build-up (there is a vapor chamber to help internal cooling) and the occasional dropped frame after about 20 to 30-minutes of play time, as I did.

Nothing is keeping things simple with a single 256GB (non-expandable) storage option in all markets, with most of the world getting 12GB of RAM. You can also use the RAM Booster tech in Nothing OS to allocate some of that storage as additional memory to give you up to an additional 8GB of virtual RAM), if desired, allowing more apps to remain in suspension in the background.

Beyond the engine of the phone, the performance of its asymmetrical stereo speaker setup also surprised and impressed, with a much fuller and clearer sound than you'd expect for a mid-ranger such as the Plus, not to mention some usable bass, too.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Battery

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review USB-C

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • 5,000mAh battery
  • Fastest-charging Nothing Phone yet, at 50W
  • 7 hours of screen-on time per charge

The 2a Plus is tied for the largest battery capacity on a Nothing Phone, at 5,000mAh, but it trumps the rest of the range – including the Phone 2 and 2a – when it comes to fast charging; with an elevated top speed of 50W.

While we're not approaching OnePlus or Xiaomi numbers here, 50W is decently fast against key competitors; so fast, in fact, that Nothing's own-brand charger 45W can't refill the Phone 2a Plus at full speed. For that, the $39 / £39 CMF Power 65W GaN charger is the next-best thing; especially as Nothing doesn't include a power adapter in-box, just its iconic transparent-ended USB-C cable.

In testing, the Phone 2a Plus reached 40% charge in 15 minutes, over 70% in 30, and a full charge took just under an hour (55 minutes). As you might expect, with only a 5W uptick compared to the standard Phone 2a, the gains in fast-charging are limited; the base 2a hit 30% charge in 15 minutes, just over 60% in 30, and recharged completely in just over an hour, under the same conditions as the Plus.

Screen-on time for the 2a Plus is respectable at 7 hours per charge, which should see most users through a day and a half of use without worry (the Phone 2a offered on average 6 hours and 45 minutes of screen-on time). For added peace of mind, Nothing also states that even after 1,000 charge cycles, the 2a Plus' battery will retain 90% of its original capacity, which is well above the kinds of figures rivals promise; perhaps even an industry-leading claim.

  •  Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2a Plus?

Buy it if...

You want a great-value Nothing experience
The Phone 2a Plus distills the full-fat Nothing experience down in all the right ways; from design to user experience.

You want a phone that turns heads
Nothing's hardware and software are already eye-catching in a market of black rectangles, but the shiny silver circuitry and Glyph Interface mean the Phone 2a Plus makes a real statement.

Don't buy it if...

You want a meaningful upgrade over the Phone 2a
It's hard to reconcile why the Phone 2a Plus exists alongside the Phone 2a, when the upgrades, while appreciated, don't move the needle all that much.

You want a top performing mid-ranger
The Phone 2a Plus puts more points into style than many of its direct competitors but, as a result, lags behind on performance; even with a beefier chipset than the standard Phone 2a.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review: Also consider

The specific blend of style and features that make up the Nothing Phone 2a Plus might not be for you after all. If that's the case, what about one of these alternatives?

Samsung Galaxy A35
A more boring design than the Phone 2a Plus conceals comparable performance, better dust and water resistance, an extra camera, and longer software support, all for a little less money.

Xiaomi Poco F6
Faster charging and better water resistance are nice, but the Poco F6 really outshines the 2a Plus on performance. Its near-flagship Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip serves up way more power and even ray tracing support for the same price.

How I tested the Nothing Phone 2a Plus

Nothing Phone 2a Plus review back angled table

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
  • Review test period: one month
  • Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench AI, GFXBench, native Android stats, Samsung 65W trio charger

On receiving the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, I also picked up the Phone 2 and Phone 2a, to make constant comparisons between the three devices. I lived and worked with the Phone 2a Plus for a month, using it as my main phone for everything from social media use to photography and gaming.

I kept track of battery usage each day and ran several benchmark apps to help compare performance against rival devices I did and didn't have to hand.

As a reviewer with 13 years of experience, and having reviewed previous Nothing phones, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Nothing Phone 2a Plus, both relative to other mid-rangers, and in the context of the wider smartphone market.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Nothing Phone 2a review: Distinctive design meets mid-range magic
4:05 pm | March 13, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Nothing Phones Phones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Nothing Phone 2a: Two-minute review

The Nothing Phone 2a aims to shake up the mid-range market, by taking some of the DNA of the Nothing Phone 2, but swapping out select higher-end components for scaled-back parts. The result is a phone that’s aimed at those who want a reliable device for day-to-day use in Nothing’s style but aren’t interested in higher performance and flagship features, that the higher price of the Phone 2 affords.

Back of Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James ide)

Although the Nothing Phone 2a has been scaled back versus the company's flagship, it’s still very much a Nothing phone. It provides a spacious and vibrant display, steeped in vivid colors and deep blacks; great for watching media and gaming.

Phone 2a’s custom MediaTek chip further enhances the experience, providing snappy performance that can handle any day-to-day tasks. The chip is also efficient enough to give you days of standard use, helped by the phone’s large 5,000mAh battery.

I still can’t get on board with the Glyph lighting system offered up by Nothing’s existing handsets, so the fact that it’s been cut-down on the Phone 2a didn’t bother me, although I missed the fill light it offered for portrait photography and its signature lighting design.

Front of Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )

The Nothing Phone 2a has a dual-camera setup, comprising a 50MP primary camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. It offers mostly true-to-life colors and a decent amount of detail, and I was left impressed by how it managed in low-light conditions; keeping pictures bright while also stopping them from looking overprocessed.

It provides decent performance for its price range, however, it faces tough competition from the Google Pixel 7a, which offers superior image quality and editing tools. Although the camera may not match competitors in a slightly higher price range, it still delivers decent results for everyday use.

While I preferred the design of the original Phone 1, the Phone 2a’s enhancements are hard to ignore. It gets the fundamentals right – such as a great display, long battery life, and a clean and fast user experience – making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers.

Overall, the Nothing Phone 2a is a breath of fresh air in a market saturated with mundane cheap smartphones. Behind its unconventional glossy plastic design, it’s one of the most solid and sensible affordable phones on the market.

Nothing Phone 2a review: Price and availability

  •  Announced March 5, on sale March 12 
  •  Priced from $349 / £319 /AU$675 
  •  Cheaper than Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy A54 
  •  Limited US availability at launch 

The Nothing Phone 2a launched on March 5 and is now available in Nothing's homeland of the UK (as well as many other markets across Europe), while US availability is limited. This means Stateside buyers will need to sign up for Nothing's developer program if they want to be in with a chance of getting the phone for themselves.

If you can get hold of it, the Phone 2a is very affordable for what it offers; priced from £319 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and$349 / £349 /AU$675 for 12GB with 256GB storage, which puts it in the same price range as the Samsung Galaxy A54 and Honor Magic 6 Lite.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Specs

Nothing phone 2a review: Design

Nothing Phone 2a back of device with Glyph lights on

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  • Modern, minimal design
  • Glyph lighting system
  • IP53-certified 

One of the most significant changes of the Phone 2a is its new design, which is a slight but irrefutable departure from the look established by both previous Nothing Phones. The stripped-back glyph lighting, plastic build, and moved camera all make it clear the Nothing Phone 2a is a very different device from its predecessors.

It retains the flat-edged aesthetic, curved frame, and semi-transparent back that Nothing phones are known for.

The unique Glyph system is still present – albeit in a more cut-down form that only takes up the top third of the phone, comprising three LED elements surrounding the rear camera module. It still provides soft, fill lighting when using the camera but is considerably weaker than the more comprehensive Glyph systems on past models.

Despite this more modest Glyph lighting, the Phone 2a’s back can still offer visual cues for notifications and ringtones without you needing to look at the screen, while the Glyph timer returns to tick down on that perfect soft boiled egg. One of my favorite Glyph features is third-party integration with apps like Uber, and this works seamlessly on the Phone 2a, just as it does on Nothing’s other phones. It works much like the timer function and provides a visual time, with one LED slowly lighting up as your car gets closer, however, it only works if your phone is face down on the table.

The lower half of the phone’s back, meanwhile, looks like an asymmetrical ribbon cable; only there to serve the Phone 2a’s distinct aesthetic. It’s harder to appreciate the details on our review device as, unlike the Phone 2’s gray finish, Nothing has once again opted for a true black color, rendering fine design details a little too dark, but these visual tidbits are at least more visible on the white and Milk finishes.

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Nothing Phone 1 Nothing Phone 2a Nothing Phone 2 Glyph lighting on

(Image credit: Future | James Ide)

Nothing Phone 1 (left), Nothing Phone 2a (center), Nothing Phone 2 (right)

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Nothing Phone 1 Nothing Phone 2a Nothing Phone 2 Glyph lighting on closeup

(Image credit: Future | James Ide)

Nothing Phone 1 (left), Nothing Phone 2a (center), Nothing Phone 2 (right)

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Nothing Phone 1 Nothing Phone 2a Nothing Phone 2 Glyph lighting on

(Image credit: Future | James Ide)

Nothing Phone 1 (left), Nothing Phone 2a (center), Nothing Phone 2 (right)

The other most prominent change from Nothing’s existing phones is the 2a’s camera module, which has ditched the vertical layout and moved from the top left, as on Phone 1 and 2. The Phone 2a places the camera module in the center of the upper third of the phone’s back, as part of a slightly raised pill-shaped bump, which looks like a pair of eyes, giving the phone a retro robot look.

The mostly-polycarbonate build of Phone 2a renders it lightweight for its size and more shatter resistant than its glass-backed siblings, but plastic is plastic and is more prone to scratching in everyday use. It isn’t as slippery or likely to slide off surfaces as the Phone 2’s pillowed glass back is either. Nothing claims that the 2a is more scratch-resistant than the glass used on the previous models, and I didn’t notice any nicks or scratches in my time with it, however, it does pick up fingerprints, dust, and smudges easily, which could be annoying for some. The frame is made of recycled aluminum coated in the same polycarbonate used elsewhere across the body, providing more texture and an easier grip than some glasses back phones I’ve used in the past.

Like the full-fat Phone 2, the 2a comes IP54 certified, meaning it can handle some dust ingress and splashes but you won’t want it to get completely submerged. It does, however, mark an improvement on the original Phone 1’s IP53 protection. While different from both Phone 1 and Phone 2, Nothing’s strong design aesthetic – influenced by architecture and graphic design, with its bold shapes and lines – is on full display here. While I like its new retro–technological design, I still prefer the cleaner finish of Phones 1 and 2.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Display

Spider-man playing on the Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )
  • 6.78-inch 1.5K 120Hz AMOLED display
  • Peak brightness up to 1,300nits
  • 91.65% screen-to-body ratio

As with Phone 1 and Phone 2, the display is one of the Phone 2a's best features and stands out within its price range. The large panel provides an impressive 91.65% screen-to-body ratio (pricier rivals like the Galaxy A54 top out at just 82.9%), and offers strong contrast and sharp image quality, making it a joy to use. The 6.7-inch flexible AMOLED screen supports an adaptive refresh rate of between 30 and 120Hz; preserving battery life when needed, and then ramping up to higher refresh rates when playing supported games. It doesn’t rely on LTPO technology – like the Phone 2 – so can’t drop down as low (for even greater power saving), but it isn’t bad for its price range.

It also supports a resolution of 2412 x 1080 (that’s 394ppi), HDR10+ compatibility and 10-bit color depth, which delivers sharp, high-contrast images; making it great for watching films or gaming.

The screen is framed by small and evenly sized 2.1mm bezels on all sides that look clean and aren’t too distracting, while the panel itself is also protected by Gorilla Glass 5 (the same as Nothing’s other phones). The front-facing camera has moved from the top, left-hand corner to the top-center of the screen, while an optical in-display fingerprint sensor sits low and close to the bottom edge of the panel. The sensor also seemed faster and more reliable than the sensor used on Phone 1. It also used Face unlock but that wasn’t as consistent at unlocking the phone quickly.

Peak brightness is cited at 1,300 nits (trumping the Phone 1), however, most of the time you’ll experience a peak of 1,100 nits in sunny conditions, where the phone jumps to high brightness mode to remain comfortably visible. In testing, when using my phone at night, it dimmed down enough to avoid hurting my eyes too.

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Software

Nothing Phone 2a in the hand showing Nothing OS 2.5

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  •  Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.5 on top 
  •  A few pre-installed apps 
  •  Strong visual identity

The Phone 2a comes running Nothing OS 2.5 out the box, which is based on Android 14. The company’s user experience stands out from the crowd due to its strong visual identity and otherwise near-stock Android 14 qualities, making for a stylish and well-featured interface that doesn’t feel overwhelming.

The distinctive graphic, dot matrix-inspired look – with unique widgets, stylized app icons, and near-monochrome palette, all make a return, as do retro notification sounds that take me back to the nineties.

There are a few included apps, like Nothing X – which lets you configure your Nothing Ear 2 buds, and the Glyph Composer – which lets you put your own Glyph animations to music, but unlike many other devices, the Phone 2a isn’t riddled with pre-installed bloatware.

It’s supported by three years of software and four years of security updates, which is lower than Samsung's four major OS upgrades on the Galaxy A54 but better than the Honor Magic 6 Lite, which provides only two updates. The Phone 2a also includes some unique features not included on either Phone 1 or 2. The first of these is Smart Clean, which automatically removes duplicate and temporary fragments of files. This feature uses AI prediction and becomes active in the background when the device is charging, with the intention of staving off the minor slowdowns that happen over time, ensuring the 2a runs at peak performance for longer.

Nothing has introduced a RAM Booster feature as well, which augments the existing RAM with internal storage to act as virtual RAM. This results in the ability to open more apps and reopen them quicker when still active in the background. Although standard on mid-range and even some flagship devices – as a way to enhance their RAM capabilities – it’s worth noting it’s not currently available on Phone 1 or Phone 2. Whether a subsequent update will change that remains to be seen.

NTFS optimization is another new feature, providing faster transfer speeds when moving files from a Windows PC to the Nothing Phone 2a. This is a pretty niche feature that most won’t notice or care about, but if you’re old school like me and still keep a lot of your music as MP3 files, you’ll appreciate those faster transfers.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Cameras

The back of the Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  •  50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide 
  •  32MP selfie camera 
  •  Redesigned camera module compared to Phone 1 & 2

For photography, the Nothing Phone 2a offers a dual camera setup on the back: a 50MP primary sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor. In a nutshell, these cameras are ‘okay’ but aren’t especially bright or sharp, and save for the occasional hiccup when opening the camera app, focusing and capturing feels fast enough.

By default, the rear cameras capture 12MP stills, which are serviceable for the likes of social media, if unremarkable. You can set the phone to shoot in 50MP, increasing the amount of detail captured, but this locks your focal length, leaving you unable to zoom in a similar trade-off from the previous model; making it less versatile.

Details were okay at 12MP a distance but couldn’t hold up to close inspection. Some photos showed the camera struggling to capture a deeper dynamic range, leaving some elements of photos too dark or blown out.

Nothing Phone 2a camera samples

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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )
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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )
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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )
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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )
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Sample photos from Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide )

Like most phone cameras without a telephoto sensor, image quality drops significantly when zooming in all the way, with the phone’s attempts at sharpening in post only making resultant images look worse.

Colors appear saturated and strong, but sometimes shots come out woefully underexposed. This was especially apparent in one particular shot I took, with bright greens and yellows, that appeared dark and moody.

Low-light performance makes for a pleasant surprise, especially with the 2a’s primary camera. It’s aided by OIS (optical image stabilization) to help mitigate and prevent too much motion blur, so w. While I could tell my night images had been enhanced in camera, they still looked relatively natural.

The front camera looks to be an upgrade from the Phone 1’s 16MP snapper to a 32MP sensor, which helps capture greater detail when chatting on video calls and taking selfies.

  • Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Performance

Call of duty mobile running on Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  • Good performance for a mid-range phone
  •  Very power efficient
  •  RAM Booster 

Nothing has moved away from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets for the Phone 2a; instead turning to the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro. This custom chip offers a modest jump in performance from the previous Snapdragon 778G used in Phone 1.

Nothing claims the Phone 2a offers an 18% improvement in performance compared to its predecessor, built on a more efficient 4-nanometer process. The company accounts for this uptick through better software and hardware integration, but I didn’t see any dramatic improvements in normal use, save for gaming performance and battery life.

Day-to-day use was generally swift, with most apps snappy and responsive, however, the camera app sometimes took a few seconds to open up, which could be frustrating for those moments when all you have is a split-second to grab that perfect shot.

Benchmarks put its performance just behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, which is used in the comparable Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G; that said, I didn’t notice much difference between the two in regular use.

Gaming with the Nothing Phone 2a proved better than expected, considering the price point. Genshin Impact ran well at ‘medium’ to ‘high’ settings but did stutter when there was a lot of action and particle effects on screen. I also noticed the phone got warmer when playing the likes of Genshin and COD Mobile with ‘high’ settings enabled, but not nearly enough to feel uncomfortable or hinder performance.

I was surprised to see that Nothing didn’t include a microSD expansion slot, which still appears in some mid-range phones. This slot provides extra storage space and makes some budget phones even better value, but sadly in the case of the Phone 2a, you’re stuck with the onboard 128GB or 256GB of storage.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Nothing Phone 2a review: Battery

Close up of battery settings on the Nothing Phone 2a

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  •  5,000mAh battery
  •  USB-C cable, but no power adapter included
  •  45W wired fast charging

The 2a comes equipped with Nothing's largest battery so far, a 5,000mAh unit that beats the Phone 1’s 4,500mAh cell and trumps the 2’s 4,700mAh power pack too. Nothing claims it provides around two days of use, and in my testing, I got an impressive 11 hours of screen-on time, which included browsing, gaming, and streaming video.

Fast charging up to 45W is also supported, which is an improvement over the Phone 1’s 33W however, no wireless features on the Phone 2a. It’s also worth noting that no charging brick is provided with the phone, so you’ll need to buy that separately (Nothing sells its own for $35 / £35 / AU$35).

The battery's longevity shouldn’t be a problem either; Nothing claims the Phone 2a’s cell is designed to weather 1,000 cycles while maintaining 90% of its original capacity, which is around three years of use; meaning this phone is in it for the long haul.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 2a?

Buy it if...

You want a taste of Nothing for less
You want to try out the Nothing ecosystem without committing to a flagship device like Phone 2 or an older device that's about to be phased out, like the Phone 1.

You want an affordable all-rounder
If you're after an option that's cheaper than some of the better-known brands, like Samsung, but still offers great performance and features.

You want a phone that stands out
The 2a offers a unique design and OS that is eye-catching, to say the least. If you want something different and unique, designed to stand out amongst the crowd, while still offering high-quality performance, the 2a fits the bill.

Don't buy it if...

You need a phone that's durable and tough
The plastic body, while lightweight, is as resistant as the glass and metal of some phones. Water and dust resistance is also only IP54-certified, which isn't as protected as a lot of modern phones.

You want the full Nothing Phone experience
If you're after the full Glyph system, an even more eye-catching design and solid build, you'll have to pay more for something like the Phone 2, instead. 

You want a performance-focused phone
The new MediaTek chip inside the 2a is only marginally faster than the Snapdragon that powers the Nothing Phone 1 and it can't handle heavy workloads or intensive gaming.

Nothing phone 2a review: Also consider

The Nothing Phone 2a is a compelling budget choice, however, it's not for everyone. Here are some alternatives:

How I tested the Nothing Phone 2a

Nothing Phone 2a box

(Image credit: Future / James Ide)
  • Review test period: 10 days
  • Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, My Device Pro

I used the Nothing Phone 2a for ten days for this review, adding my own Google, video streaming, and social media accounts.

The phone was used to take photos and record videos, these were then analyzed on a PC. I watched both local and streamed video content from various streaming services too. Although performance was tested using publicly available benchmarking apps to meter the CPU and GPU, along with real-world use, though we don't always publish the results, we do take them into consideration and keep them on file for comparison with other devices.

Interestingly my Geekbench 6 scores show the older Nothing Phone 1 slightly outperforming the Phone 2a in multicore processing, but again, this didn’t really translate to any delay in real-world performance.

Battery usage was measured from fully charged down to zero in 15-minute increments. The Nothing 45W charger was used as no adapter is provided with this phone. The camera was tested in several different situations and conditions as part of the review process.

I have previously reviewed several smartphones including the Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2, with the latter serving as my main phone since its release.

Read more about how we test