There is no arguing that Nothing has made innovative phones till now.
Nothing Phone 2(a) has arrived. With a lot of hype. Probably, more than even company’s first phone – the Nothing Phone (1). For now, the Nothing Phone 2(a) was showcased at a side event during the recently concluded Mobile World Congress or MWC 2024 but it will also be launched in India on March 5. I got a chance to see the Phone 2(a) and it seems like a step in the right direction.
There is no arguing that Nothing has made innovative phones till now. Both Nothing Phone (1) and Phone (2) were unique in their own way. But, it also felt like (especially with the Phone (2)) that the company was struggling to find a balance between innovation and practicality. The Phone 2(a) gets that part right.
Nothing Phone 2(a): The New Cool Phone
I really like the fact that it has retained the Glyph interface from the earlier Nothing phones, even though the leaks suggested otherwise. The Glyph interface or those LED lights at the back are the soul of Nothing phones and their true identity. I also liked how Nothing has tweaked the whole experience for a mid-range device.
Now, you don’t get a completely glittering back panel. Instead, Nothing has equipped the rear with just 3 LED lights. They still blink with ringtones, they shine when you get a notification and they can also be used as a timer. I kind of like this implementation better than what I have seen from Nothing in the past.
The other cool thing about the Nothing Phone 2(a) is the new camera module. The module is at the centre of the phone with lenses placed next to each other, giving them a look of human eyes. Again, it’s unique and gives the phone an instant recall value.
The rest of the package is very similar to the Nothing Phone 2. It has round edges and a matte-finish frame. Now, I didn’t get a chance to see the front of the phone but it seems like the Phone 2(a) will also have a flat display. Also, it looks fairly compact.
Nothing has used the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset on the Phone 2(a). This makes the Phone 2(a) company’s first device to ditch a Qualcomm processor. We will have to wait to find out how many RAM and storage variants will be available in India. The phone should have an AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate.
Nothing Phone 2(a): Initial Thoughts
I have always loved what Nothing has been trying to do with its smartphones. The only challenge for it, especially in India, has been the pricing of these phones. It has been uncomfortably high for a lot of users. The Nothing Phone 2(a), if priced right, which it should be, might provide the brand with the much-needed push. It could be a big moment in their journey and will help make Nothing more mainstream than before.
As for the Nothing Phone 2(a), it gets a lot of things right including the new design approach, the software experience and hopefully, the price as well.