Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1): What’s new?

Nothing just launched the Nothing Phone (2a), the brand’s third phone. Being a successor to the Phone (1), the Phone (2a) is a similar upper mid-range device in many aspects, yet very different. With both phones now up for grabs, here’s a quick head-on between the devices that should help you understand which one’s for you.

Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1): Design and display

The Nothing Phone (2a) features a completely redesigned back panel compared to the Phone (1). Yes, you still get a black and a white variant, both of which feature red accents. However, while the Phone (1) has more Glyph lights scattered through the rear panel, the Phone (2a) has fewer lights, meaning you cannot get some visual indicators, like the charging indicator.

The rear glass panel is also different here, with the Nothing Phone (2a) opting for curved edges while the Phone (1) features sharper edges. The Phone (2a) also packs matte finish sides instead of the metallic sides on the Phone (1). While which one looks better is subjective, the matte finish sides do feel a little more grippy.

ALSO READ: Nothing Phone (2a): First impressions

Coming to the display, the Phone (2a) features a 120Hz AMOLED panel, which can refresh faster than the 90Hz AMOLED panel on the Phone (1). The Phone (2a) also has a brighter 1,300nits panel compared to the 700 nits panel on the Phone (1).

While both panels offer uniform bezels and an in-display fingerprint sensor, note that the Phone (2a) has a centre-aligned punch hole cutout for the front camera, while the Phone (1) had it on the top-left corner.

Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1): Camera

The Nothing Phone (2a) features a similar camera setup to the Phone (1), including two 50MP cameras, one main sensor and one ultrawide. There is a 32MP front camera on both phones for selfies and video calls too. While both phones take 12MP photos by default, you can ramp it up to 50MP when you want higher resolution images.

Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1): Performance and battery

The Nothing Phone (2a) comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, which is more powerful than the Snapdragon 768G chip that powers the Nothing Phone (1). The Phone (1) was no slouch, but expect the Phone (2a) to be better at multitasking. The new phone should also be better at gaming performance, especially with higher-end titles.

ALSO READ: Nothing Phone (2a) top features

The Nothing Phone (2a) also features a bigger 5,000mAh battery compared to the 4,500mAh battery on the Nothing Phone (1). This should mean a longer-lasting battery on heavy usage days. Also, while the Phone (2a) has faster charging (45W vs 33W), it lacks wireless charging support, which the Phone (1) had.

Nothing Phone (2a) vs Nothing Phone (1): Pricing

The Nothing Phone (1) currently sells for Rs 29,999, but may not be available immediately on all platforms. The new Nothing Phone (2a) is priced starting at Rs 23,999.

The Nothing Phone (2a) offers better hardware compared to the two-year old Nothing Phone (1) at a small difference in price. However, if you can stretch your budget a little more, you can also opt for the Nothing Phone (2), which is available for Rs 36,999.