The highly anticipated and frequently leaked Nothing Phone (2a) has finally been officially released, just days after its limited premiere at the company’s extravagant after party at MWC. This marks Nothing’s third phone release, and the first to target the mid-range/budget market with a starting price of $349.
Preorders for the phone are now open, but there is a catch for those in the United States. Currently, the phone is only available for developers seeking to integrate third-party apps with the “Glyphs” that light up on the back of the device.
“The Glyph Developer Kit for Nothing devices is now available,” Nothing announced. “This is your chance to create your own integration with the Glyph Interface. You can begin development and request an API key starting on March 5, 2024.”
However, the handset will be more widely available in the United Kingdom and India through traditional channels. In the company’s home market of London, it is offered in both 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB models priced at £319 and £319, respectively. In India, these models are priced at ₹23,999 and ₹27,099. India, being the largest smartphone market in the world, is a prime target for budget-friendly phones. It will also be the only market to receive a third configuration of 12GB/256GB priced at ₹25,999.
The Nothing Phone (2a) deviates from its premium counterparts by omitting the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs and instead featuring a customized MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chip. Nothing claims that this collaboration with MediaTek has resulted in optimizations such as Smart Clean, which boasts a 200% increase in UFS read/write speed over prolonged usage, and Adaptive NTFS, which offers a 100% increase in file transfer speeds with Windows computers. The phone also boasts a 10% reduction in power consumption for specific components.
While performance may not match up to the flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor found in the Nothing Phone (2), certain workflows may see a speed boost compared to the original Phone (1). The (2a) retains the (2)’s 50-megapixel dual rear-facing cameras, but they have been relocated to the center of the back panel. Other design features, such as the trademark transparent design and light-up Glyphs, have been reduced to three and are now located only at the top of the device.
With a battery capacity of 5,000 mAh, the (2a) boasts a larger battery than both the Phone (1) (4,500 mAh) and the Phone (2) (4,700 mAh). It also maintains the 6.7-inch screen size and 120Hz refresh rate from its more premium counterpart.
All in all, the Nothing Phone (2a) seems to be a solid option for its price point. With so many flagships topping out at over $1,000, the $639 Nothing Phone (2) could definitely be classified as a mid-range price point.
