Nothing Phone (2a) First Impressions

It’s safe to say that Nothing’s two-year run in the smartphone market so far has been nothing less than influential. Giving rise to countless transparent product rip-offs across categories, the brand has managed to solidify itself in a crowded tech space like India. However, innovation doesn’t stop at recognition, and that is why we already have the brand’s next phone – the Nothing Phone (2a).  

With a new design, and a return to the upper mid-range segment, there is plenty to talk about the Nothing Phone (2a). We spent a day with the phone, and here’s what we think about it.  

Nothing Phone (2a) Design

We feel it would be a crime to speak about a Nothing product and not start with the design of the phone. The new Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a fresh design that looks unlike the Phone (1) or Phone (2). The new design feels fresh, but retains its edgy ‘Nothing’ look, complete with a transparent back panel, layered internal components and the black-white-red colour scheme.  

ALSO READ: Nothing Phone (2) gets its biggest price cut ever

The Phone (2a) doesn’t look very different from the front, where a centre-aligned punch-hole camera cutout now replaces the cornered one of the Phone (1). Thankfully, you still get the even bezels on all four sides, even if they’re not the thinnest ones around.  

On the back, the Phone (2a) borrows the curved edges for the glass panel from the Phone (2), which we believe is a welcome addition since it makes the phone much more comfortable to hold. The camera island – still comprising two sensors, is now in the middle, with a slightly offset flash module on the right. Unfortunately, there is a camera bump here, so the phone will wobble on a desk. 

What we did like was the switch from metallic sides to a new matte finish which not only looks unique, but also feels a tad more grippy than the previous phones. We’ve still not made up our minds on the new Glyph interface, which now comprises just three light strips. However, despite the fewer lights, you still get support for progressive illumination here, allowing you to use the lights as a visual indicator for volume controls or your food delivery ETA.  

The Phone (2a) is available in both black and white, but it is the latter which takes the cake this time around. Not only does it look more regal, but it also throws in black accents on the buttons on the side to further add to the look.   

Nothing Phone (2a) Display

The Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a nice AMOLED display, and it now refreshes at 120Hz, making it smoother than the 90Hz panel on the Phone (1). This smoothness is felt across the UI, thanks to Nothing OS 2.5 and everything from Nothing’s own monochrome widgets to colourful games and videos look stunning here. At 1,300nits, it is also brighter.

Nothing Phone (2a) Cameras

The Phone (2a) packs a dual-camera setup like the devices before it, except this time the cameras are in the middle. You still get a 50MP main camera with OIS and a 50MP ultrawide camera, both of which click 12MP photos by default.  

While the main camera performed well under good lighting in our brief testing, it is the 32MP front camera that surprised us with the amount of detail it captured. We will test the camera more in our full review.  

Nothing Phone (2a) Software

The Nothing Phone (2a) comes with Android 14-powered Nothing OS 2.5 out of the box, which is great, because we do love ourselves some sweet monochrome customisation. The setup also allows you to choose between the signature monochrome look or a simpler stock-like look for your icons, which is awesome for those who don’t vibe with the monochrome aesthetic. 

The rest of the phone is pretty much stock still, so you will not see any pre-installed bloatware in the app drawer, or any ads in disguise across the UI. All the settings for the new Glyph lights are also neatly tucked into a dedicated section in the settings from where you can control everything from Glyph ringtones to the actual brightness levels of the lights.  

Nothing Phone (2a) Performance

While we’re yet to test out the performance of the Phone (2a) and put it against the Phone (1) to see how much it improves on its predecessor, our first impressions here are good. The new phone felt snappy across the setup process and after. Even the dreaded first few minutes of an Android phone (which are known to be resource-heavy because of several updates and a lot of syncing) were handled smoothly on the phone. 

The phone is also powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, which makes it 5G compatible, but also powerful enough to multitask with some heavy apps and games. While we haven’t had the chance to put the device through its paces just yet, this chip should be able to handle casual games and most apps with ease.  

ALSO READ: Nothing users can now access ChatGPT’s voice assistant with a quick shortcut

Those are our first impressions of the Nothing Phone (2a). We will be putting the phone through its paces over the next few days, so do stay tuned for our full review on Unboxed by Croma. Meanwhile, you can catch yourself up with the top features of the Nothing Phone (2a), or read our comparison between the Phone (1) and Phone (2a).