Nothing Phone (2a) Plus review: What the Phone (2a) should’ve been

I used to be excited to get my arms on the Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus, a sibling to the favored Cellphone (2a). This was principally right down to the design, to be completely sincere. 

With lower than six months available on the market (on the time of writing), Cellphone (2a) now will get a extra premium companion aimed toward avid gamers and efficiency fanatics. 

Nothing needs to make it clear that this isn’t a successor however a complementary mannequin with a refreshed design and upgraded internals.

However with simply an £80 value distinction within the UK, can each telephones co-exist within the aggressive mid-range market? I spent per week testing the Cellphone (2a) Plus to search out out simply how good it’s.

Design & Construct

• Enticing metallic end
• Distinctive ‘Glyph’ back lights
• Semi-transparent again

The Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus stands out with its new metallic design scheme, that includes see-through components enhanced with a shiny silver remedy on the mannequin I examined. There’s additionally a black model, which retains the metallic end. 

Personally, I’m a giant fan of this design. It seems tremendous premium, and much costlier than this gadget prices. In a bizarre manner, it jogs my memory of the Pure Titanium color on the iPhone 15 Professional, which I exploit daily. So for my style, this was an ideal match. 

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

I’ve additionally not likely seen the metallic highlights earlier than, particularly with a clear again. That is one other really distinctive design, in typical Nothing trend. The metallic end actually comes alive when held underneath completely different angles, as the sunshine bounces off the surfaces.

The Cellphone (2a) Plus retains the scaled-back Glyph Interface lighting system and polycarbonate case from the Cellphone (2a). 

I don’t suppose you lose an excessive amount of from having the smaller part of glyph lighting. They’ll fade out and in or solely partly gentle as much as present quantity or charging progress. The twin rear cameras, harking back to eyes (which was finished on objective, I’m instructed), stay a particular function.

Display & Audio system

• 6.7-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display screen
• Irritating in-display fingerprint sensor
• First rate twin stereo audio system

The Cellphone (2a) Plus’s 6.7-inch AMOLED show presents Full HD+ decision, a 120Hz refresh charge, and 1300 nits of claimed peak brightness. 

These specs are equivalent to the Cellphone (2a) – nothing has modified right here. The AMOLED panel rivals high-end telephones, even when its 2.4K (2412×1084) decision isn’t fairly top-tier. Content material is sharp and clear, and except you’ve obtained eagle eyes, you gained’t spot the distinction from a 1440p or 4K display screen. 

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Due to the 120Hz refresh charge, every thing feels silky clean. It’s good for searching, emailing, binge-watching, or doomscrolling. The default ‘Dynamic’ mode cleverly adjusts between 30-120Hz to avoid wasting battery, nevertheless it doesn’t drop to 1Hz because it’s not an LTPO show. You possibly can nonetheless manually set it to 60- or 120Hz for those who fancy.

From the entrance, the Cellphone (2a) Plus is a stunner, with its flat show and slim, symmetrical bezels. I feel the symmetrical bezels and rounded corners present a barely extra immersive viewing expertise, because the black border is much less noticeable. 

Nevertheless, visibility nonetheless isn’t its sturdy go well with; at slightly below 700 nits of brightness on the common, it struggles in vibrant daylight. That is similar to what we stated in regards to the common Cellphone (2a).

Contained in the display screen, there’s an optical fingerprint sensor, that you just’ll discover on most Android smartphones as of late. On Cellphone (2a), we discovered that it was quick and dependable, unlocking the cellphone 95% of the time. However on this new Cellphone (2a) Plus, I’ve been having some issues. The gadget didn’t appear to recognise my fingerprint after first setting it up. 

After some resets and an replace, all appears to be fastened, so this will likely have been a software program bug. Observe that face unlock can also be out there via Android, nevertheless it’s much less safe because it simply works utilizing an image of your face. It can also’t be used to authenticate purchases or log in to banking apps.

The speaker setup stays unchanged, delivering clear and balanced audio that makes it well-suited for media consumption. Cellphone (2a) Plus comes with twin stereo audio system, that includes a downward-firing grille and earpiece combo. 

It delivers punchy sound with out distortion at excessive volumes. Nevertheless, the bass is missing, so it’s not perfect for films or for those who actually like your music. Nevertheless it’s tremendous for social media and YouTube.

Specs & Efficiency

• Customized MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Professional chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB of non-expandable storage

Beneath the hood, the Cellphone (2a) Plus is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Professional chipset. This was designed particularly for the gadget, so it really works fairly properly. 

It guarantees superior efficiency for apps and video games in comparison with the Dimensity 7200 Professional within the Cellphone (2a). Most scores place it forward of rivals just like the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and Samsung Galaxy A55. And, in fact, it scores above Cellphone (2a).

Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus benchmarks

I’ll say that efficiency isn’t leaps and bounds higher. Once you’re scrolling via apps or switching from one app to a different, you may’t really feel a lot distinction. 

However if you begin to multitask with a number of apps or play some video games, you may really feel that issues are snappier, body charges look higher, and every thing is only a bit smoother. You’ll simply get via a day of standard use with this cellphone.

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

This was with the Cellphone (2a) Plus mannequin with 12GB of RAM. Whereas that’s the one spec out there in Europe, there may be an 8GB RAM variant in India. I can’t think about there’s a giant drop-off on the entry-level 8GB model. 

Efficiency is undoubtedly a energy of the Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus at this value level. However, and I’ll say it once more, that is the place Cellphone (2a) ought to have landed the primary time.

Cameras

• 50Mp principal rear lens
• 50Mp ultrawide
• New 50Mp selfie digital camera

The Cellphone (2a) Plus retains the twin 50MP rear cameras from its predecessor, making certain constant picture high quality. 

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

You gained’t discover a telephoto digital camera, macro lens or devoted depth sensor, although. Whereas this doesn’t sound all that spectacular, it’s fairly on par for different handsets at this value level. And it means the Cellphone (2a) Plus is on a par with Cellphone (2) and Cellphone (2a).

In good lighting, the Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus produces first rate pictures with sturdy element and dynamic vary. Nevertheless, its picture processing makes photographs overly vibrant and contrasty, missing true-to-life accuracy. It will be nice for those who might swap this off or dial it down within the settings, however no such luck. 

Publicity might be inconsistent, notably with the sky, although it performs higher in lower-light circumstances. The long-exposure night time mode brightens darkish pictures successfully with minimal noise.

Portrait mode delivers well-exposed topics with a pleasant background blur, although edge detection might be hit or miss. The ultrawide lens maintains high quality with a 114° subject of view however has extra washed-out colors. There’s no optical zoom, and digital zoom past 2x turns into very grainy in a short time.

For video, it shoots as much as 4K at 30fps, however 1080p at 30fps is the default and may suffice for many customers. Footage is first rate, with OIS on the primary lens offering stability. However I’d stick with utilizing one other gadget with a greater digital camera setup for those who’re planning on watching your movies on a bigger display screen.

In a shock improve, the front-facing digital camera additionally turns into a 50MP sensor, enhancing selfie high quality. The selfie digital camera can take vibrant, detailed pictures, even in portrait mode, regardless of cropping in additional than most smartphones.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 50W wired charging
• No wi-fi charging

Regardless of the efficiency enhance from the brand new chipset, Nothing claims the 5000mAh battery will nonetheless final all day. 

When the time involves cost, the Cellphone (2a) Plus helps 50W wired charging, an enchancment over the 45W within the Cellphone (2a). This fees the newer cellphone to 100% in slightly below two hours. Whereas each include a cable, neither features a charging brick within the field.

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

I have to say that the charging cable is considered one of my favourites, due to matching metallic ends. Wi-fi charging is absent once more. Whereas it’s most certainly to maintain prices down, it’s closely missed.

In my utilization, the battery comfortably lasted via a day of heavy use, and the fast charging function was a lifesaver throughout busy days. On one event, I used to be caught and not using a charger for the night time. It managed to offer me an hour of battery within the morning earlier than lastly giving up, after I switched on ‘Energy Saver’ mode.

In my utilization, the battery comfortably lasted via a day of heavy use, and the fast charging function was a lifesaver throughout busy days

Software program & Apps

• Nothing OS 2.6 over Android 14
• Customisable design and ‘Glyph’ lights
• Three main OS updates, 4 years of safety patches

Working Nothing OS 2.6 on Android 14, the Phone (2a) Plus offers a minimalistic, widget-based UI that’s free from bloatware. 

If you’ve never used a Nothing handset before, the software experience is quite different to what you’ll find on any other Android phone. Nothing says it wants to “reduce distractions and encourage intentional smartphone use”, with its Glyph Interface at the forefront. 

The Phone (2a) Plus offers a minimalistic, widget-based UI that’s free from bloatware

The software also features a monochrome theme and icon pack, steering clear of the usual bright colours. Personally, I’m a big fan of this aesthetic, and Nothing is clearly going for a more retro vibe, though it might not appeal to everyone. 

You can switch to the stock Pixel look if you’d like during set-up. While new apps often appear in their original colours, the Nothing Icon Pack can fix this. Additionally, Nothing has created 22 custom widgets for the home and lock screens.

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Connor Jewiss / Foundry

Elsewhere, there’s also a new News Reporter widget, which uses AI to aggregate daily news across various categories. While convenient, the AI-generated voice can sound monotonous. But ChatGPT integration is a standout feature, providing quick answers and seamless interaction directly from the home screen.

Just like the Phone (2a), Nothing is offering three major OS updates and four years of security updates on the Phone (2a) Plus. That’s a decent commitment, and it’s unlikely many people are planning to use the phone beyond 2028.

Price & Availability

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is attractively priced at £399 in the UK, making it a competitive option.

It’ll initially available in the UK with a limited drop at Nothing’s London Soho store on August 3rd, a US developer program will also launch, with global pricing and availability to follow in September.

When it goes go on sale, you’ll be able to buy one from the Nothing website and potentially via Amazon.

If the Cellphone (2a) is something to go by, the cellphone gained’t be in the stores on contract, so that you’ll must get it outright and pair with a SIM deal. Use the widget beneath to search out an possibility that fits you.

Nevertheless, there’s loads of sturdy mid-range competitors, and never simply from the common Cellphone (2a) (from £319). The Samsung Galaxy A55 (from £439), Redmi Observe 13 Professional+ (£449), OnePlus Nord 4 (from £429) and Poco F6 (from £399) are all compelling options.

Do you have to purchase the Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus?

The Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus presents a compelling mixture of distinctive design, sturdy efficiency and wonderful worth. 

It stands out with its silver accents and highly effective chipset, making it a perfect alternative for avid gamers and on a regular basis customers alike. The bump in efficiency in comparison with the common Cellphone (2a) is noticeable, too.

Nevertheless, I nonetheless keep that this handset didn’t must exist. This chipset and upgraded selfie digital camera ought to have been within the unique Cellphone (2a), even when it meant the marginally greater value level. Now, there’s an additional gadget that makes Cellphone (2a) tougher to justify.

Whereas the dearth of wi-fi charging is a disadvantage, the general package deal is spectacular for its value level. 

For those who’re on the lookout for a trendy cellphone with nice efficiency and an inexpensive value, the Cellphone (2a) Plus is unquestionably value contemplating. It’s actually the gadget I’d choose at this value level, even when only for seems alone.

Specs

• Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.6
• 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh charge, 1300 nit peak brightness
• MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Professional processor
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB inner storage
• Twin 50MP rear cameras (Samsung sensors)
• 50MP entrance digital camera (Samsung sensor)
• 5000mAh battery
• 50W wired charging
• 160.8 x 76.4 x 8.1 mm
• 195g
• Launch color: Gray with silver accents