Nothing Phone (2a) Review // One Month Later!

Summary

The Nothing Phone 2A is praised for its budget-friendly price, sleek design, and impressive 120Hz display, despite being made mostly of plastic. It offers a smooth software experience with a large battery life, but compromises include mediocre performance with a MediaTek chipset, lack of wireless charging, and subpar camera quality. The review suggests the 2A is a great choice for those prioritizing design, display, and battery over high-performance photography and wireless charging.

Takeaways

• 📱 The Nothing Phone 2A is a budget smartphone with a lower price point than previous Nothing models.
• 🔄 The phone uses more plastic in its construction compared to its predecessors, but the overall design is considered the best in the lineup.
• 🎨 The design features a new center camera module, giving the phone a unique look and reducing wobbles when placed on a flat surface.
• 📲 The front of the phone has the thinnest bezels of any Nothing phone to date, with a symmetrical design.
• 🔋 The Phone 2A has the largest battery capacity of any Nothing phone, offering impressive battery life with 25-35% left after a day of use.
• 🖥 The device comes with a 120 Hz fluid display, which is considered top-notch for its price range.
• 🤖 The software experience mirrors that of the higher-end Nothing phones, with the same features and optimizations.
• 🔧 Performance-wise, the Phone 2A is on par with the nearly two-year-old Phone 1, using a MediaTek Dimensity chipset.
• 🔌 A notable compromise is the lack of wireless charging, a feature present in the original Nothing phone.
• 📷 The camera quality is a significant compromise, struggling with motion blur and less-than-ideal performance in various lighting conditions.
• 💰 Despite its shortcomings, the Phone 2A offers great value for the price, especially for those who prioritize design, display, and battery life over camera capabilities.

Q & A

What is the Nothing Phone 2A's position in the Nothing phone lineup in terms of pricing?

The Nothing Phone 2A is the new budget smartphone in the Nothing lineup, undercutting all of their previous releases.

What material changes were made in the Nothing Phone 2A's design compared to its predecessors?

The Nothing Phone 2A uses more plastic than its predecessors, with the entire back panel and side rails being made out of plastic instead of metal.

How does the Nothing Phone 2A's design compare to the previous Nothing phones?

The Nothing Phone 2A is considered to have the best design in the lineup, with slightly rounded edges for comfort and a new center camera module that gives it a distinct look.

What are the standout features of the Nothing Phone 2A's display?

The Nothing Phone 2A has a 120 Hz fluid display that is brighter than the Phone 1's display, reaching up to 1100 nits in high brightness mode and 1300 nits for HDR content.

How does the software experience on the Nothing Phone 2A compare to other Nothing phones?

The software experience on the Nothing Phone 2A is identical to that on the Phone 1 and Phone 2, including the Nothing OS widgets, lock screen animations, and Quick Settings panel.

What is the battery life like on the Nothing Phone 2A?

The Nothing Phone 2A has the largest battery capacity of any Nothing phone to date, and most users can expect to end the day with 25 to 35% battery left after around 5 hours of screen-on time.

What are the compromises made in the Nothing Phone 2A's performance?

The Nothing Phone 2A uses a MediaTek Dimensity chipset, which results in performance similar to the Phone 1, but with occasional lags in booting up, using the camera app, and handling animations under heavy load.

Why was the lack of wireless charging on the Nothing Phone 2A a significant compromise?

The lack of wireless charging is a compromise because previous Nothing phones, even at lower price points, included this feature, and its absence may indicate a shift in Nothing's future phone offerings.

How do the camera capabilities of the Nothing Phone 2A compare to its price?

While the camera capabilities may not be outstanding for $350, they may not meet the needs of users who require high-quality photos, especially in less than optimal conditions or of moving subjects.

What alternative did the reviewer consider to improve the Nothing Phone 2A's camera performance?

The reviewer resorted to using a GCam port to improve image quality, but noted the lack of support for the ultra-wide camera and the inconvenience of needing to unlock the phone to use it.

What is the reviewer's final verdict on the Nothing Phone 2A for users who prioritize camera quality?

The reviewer suggests that the Nothing Phone 2A may not be the best choice for users who value high-quality photos and videos, given its camera limitations.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Nothing Phone 2A: Budget Design & Display

The Nothing Phone 2A is praised for its design and display, despite being made mostly of plastic. It features a more affordable price point compared to previous Nothing phone models, with a design that is considered the best in the lineup. The phone has slightly rounded edges for comfort, color contrast volume and power buttons, and a sleek look that differentiates it from previous models. The display is a fluid 120 Hz screen, brighter than the Phone 1's, reaching up to 1300 nits for HDR content. The software experience is consistent across all Nothing phones, providing a clean and minimal interface with unique Nothing OS widgets and animations.

05:02

🔋 Impressive Battery Life & Performance Trade-offs

The Nothing Phone 2A boasts the largest battery capacity of any Nothing phone to date, offering impressive battery life that lasts through a full day with significant screen-on time. However, there are trade-offs in performance due to the use of a MediaTek Dimensity chipset instead of a Qualcomm option. While the phone performs similarly to the Phone 1, it may not meet expectations for a 2024 release, showing occasional lags and glitches. The lack of wireless charging is also noted as a disappointment, especially after it was included in the Phone 1. Despite these compromises, the phone's core features such as design, display, and battery life remain strong.

10:03

📷 Compromises in Camera Quality & Overall Value

The Nothing Phone 2A makes significant compromises in camera quality, which may not satisfy users looking for high-quality photos and videos. While the camera performs adequately in good lighting conditions, it struggles with motion and low light, leading to blurry images. The need to use a GCam port for better image quality highlights the phone's limitations. Additionally, the lack of wireless charging and slightly subpar performance are noted as drawbacks. However, for users who do not prioritize these features, the Phone 2A offers great value for its price, with a sleek design, excellent display, and long battery life.

Keywords

💡Nothing Phone 2A

The 'Nothing Phone 2A' is the central subject of the video, referring to a new budget smartphone from the company 'Nothing'. It is positioned as an affordable option in their lineup, which is significant because the company's previous releases were mid-range devices. The video discusses the design, display, software experience, and battery life of the Phone 2A, highlighting how it maintains core features despite its lower price point.

💡Budget Smartphone

A 'budget smartphone' is a term used to describe a mobile device that is priced affordably, typically with a lower cost than flagship models. In the context of the video, the Nothing Phone 2A is a budget offering that undercuts the company's previous releases, aiming to attract consumers looking for a cost-effective device without compromising on essential features.

💡Design

In the video, 'design' refers to the physical appearance and construction of the Nothing Phone 2A. The reviewer notes the use of plastic in the back panel and side rails, contrasting it with the metal feel of previous models. Despite this, the design is praised for its comfort and aesthetics, especially with the color contrast volume and power buttons, and the center-aligned camera module.

💡Display

The 'display' is a critical feature of the Nothing Phone 2A, which boasts a 120 Hz fluid screen. The video emphasizes the brightness levels, which are impressive for a budget device, and the high brightness mode capable of reaching up to 1300 nits for HDR content. The display's quality is a standout feature, contributing to the phone's appeal at its price point.

💡Software Experience

'Software experience' encompasses the user interface and additional features provided by the Nothing Phone 2A. The video mentions the consistent experience across Nothing's devices, including OS widgets, lock screen animations, and the Quick Settings panel. This uniformity is highlighted as a positive aspect, showing the company's commitment to a premium experience regardless of the device's price.

💡Battery Life

The 'battery life' of the Nothing Phone 2A is discussed as one of its strong points, with the device having the largest battery capacity of any Nothing phone to date. The reviewer notes that despite not having the efficiency of high-end chipsets, the phone offers impressive battery performance, lasting through a day with significant screen-on time.

💡Compromises

'Compromises' in the video refer to the trade-offs made by Nothing in order to achieve a lower price for the Phone 2A. These include the use of plastic materials, performance limitations, the lack of wireless charging, and camera quality. The reviewer discusses these compromises in detail, explaining how they affect the overall value proposition of the device.

💡Performance

The 'performance' of the Nothing Phone 2A is a key point of discussion, with the device using a MediaTek Dimensity chipset instead of a Qualcomm option. The reviewer finds the performance to be similar to the older Phone 1, which may be a concern given the time gap. Performance issues are noted, such as longer boot times and lagging camera app, which are significant for users expecting a seamless experience.

💡Wireless Charging

'Wireless charging' is a feature that is notably absent from the Nothing Phone 2A, which is a compromise the company made to lower the cost. The reviewer expresses disappointment, as previous Nothing phones included this feature, suggesting it could be a trend for future models to reserve wireless charging for flagship devices only.

💡Cameras

The 'cameras' on the Nothing Phone 2A are identified as a significant compromise, with the reviewer stating that they may not meet the expectations of users who value high-quality photography. The video describes the struggles with capturing sharp images, especially in less than ideal lighting conditions or with moving subjects, and the need for third-party camera apps to improve photo quality.

💡Price Point

The 'price point' is a recurring theme in the video, referring to the affordability of the Nothing Phone 2A. The reviewer consistently relates the device's features and compromises back to its price, noting that for $350, the phone offers a surprising amount of value, but also setting realistic expectations for potential buyers regarding what can be expected at this price level.

Highlights

The Nothing Phone 2A is a budget smartphone that undercuts previous Nothing releases.

Design is a strong point, with a mostly plastic construction but a premium feel.

Despite using more plastic, the 2A's back panel feels similar to previous Nothing phones.

The 2A features a new center camera module, giving it a distinct design.

The phone has the thinnest bezels of any Nothing phone to date.

Software experience is consistent across all Nothing phones, including the 2A.

The 2A has the largest battery capacity of any Nothing phone released.

Battery life is impressive, with most days ending with 25-35% battery left.

The 2A lacks wireless charging, a feature present in previous Nothing models.

Performance is similar to the Nothing Phone 1, using a MediaTek Dimensity chipset.

The phone may show occasional performance lags and glitches.

Camera quality is a compromise, struggling in less than optimal conditions.

The 2A may not be suitable for those valuing high-quality mobile photography.

For $350, the 2A offers a good balance of design, display, software, and battery life.

The lack of wireless charging and slightly subpar performance are notable compromises.

The 2A stands out for its price-to-value ratio, especially for those not prioritizing top camera performance.

Transcripts

[Music]

this is the nothing phone 2A a brand new

device from nothing that perhaps

somewhat surprisingly undercuts all of

their previous releases making it the

new outright budget smartphone in their

phone lineup and given that their

previous two smartphone releases already

fell in or around that mid-range pricing

category the question I found myself

asking was what did nothing have to

sacrifice to get the price of this phone

even lower than those and I got to say

after using this phone as my main

everyday device for about a month I feel

like I have a really good grasp on

exactly that and some of the compromises

they made make a heap of sense and will

leave you tipping your hat to the

company but there are some compromises

that might actually make you think twice

before picking one up yourself and so

with that being said let's dive

in okay let's start with the great Parts

about this phone the first of which

without a question has to be the design

now admittedly this phone does use a

heck of a lot more plastic than the two

previous phones from nothing in fact the

entire back panel and the side rails are

completely made out of plastic but to be

honest the only really noticeable

difference in the hand if you're

comparing this phone with nothing's

previous offerings are those side rails

on the phone one and phone two the side

rails have that sort of cool to the

touch metal feeling whereas you can

definitely feel that they are plastic on

the phone 2A but in terms of the

backpack panel honestly it feels very

very similar to The Back panels on both

the phone 1 and phone 2 I always felt

like there were a bit plasticky feeling

with those phones anyway so to me it

hardly feels any different here with the

2A and so aside from the plastic I

actually think that the design of this

phone is the best of the entire linup we

still have those slightly rounded edges

on the back similar to those found on

the phone 2 which makes the phone just

that little bit more comfortable in the

hand compared to the phone 1 but then if

you get the white or milk variants in

particular then you actually get these

really cool color contrast volume and

power buttons which I think look super

slick and then on top of that I actually

just prefer the look of the phone 2A

compared to the first two now that's not

to say that I didn't rate the designs of

the first two phones in fact quite the

opposite but if we're being honest one

could definitely argue that despite the

transparent design language they both

still somehow had a bit of an iphony

look about them well thanks to that new

center camera module the phone 2 now

definitely stands on its own 2 feet in

the design Department oh and those

Center align cameras also help in

reducing side to side wobbles when the

phone is lying flat which I personally

really appreciate now on the front of

the phone we actually now technically

have the thinnest bezels of any nothing

phone to date and they're still

symmetrical which is amazing

particularly on a phone at this price

but I will say the plastic frame is ever

so slightly thicker than the metal frame

on the phone 2 so technically the bezels

are pretty much the same size oh and by

the way you may have noticed that I

haven't mentioned anything regarding the

glyphs and yeah that's intentional cuz I

literally do not use them at all and in

fact I spoke at length about them in my

review of the nothing phone 2 so if you

want some more detailed thoughts on the

matter then I'll just link that video up

in the cut but yeah in terms of the

design Department nothing has absolutely

nailed every single Choice with the

phone 2A and the fact that we have a

phone at this price point with this

design that is seriously

amazing all right the next great thing

about this phone is the display much

like the phone 1 and phone 2 the 2A

still rocks a beautifully fluid 120 HZ

display and for me at this price point I

don't think you're going to find a

better display it's actually quite a bit

brighter than the phone On's display to

where it can now reach a peak of 1100

nits when high brightness mode is

activated and 1300 nits for viewing HDR

content and although it's not quite as

bright as the phone 2's display it's

still really impressive that we've got

this combination of fluidity and

brightness on a phone at this price real

quick one other fantastic aspect of this

phone that I truly appreciate is that

the software experience is the exact

same as what you'll find on the phone 2

and phone one so all of those fancy

nothing OS widgets the lock screen

animations the neat Quick Settings panel

with these big toggles up the top here

all of that stuff is here on the phone

2way and that's one of the great Parts

about nothing phones right now is that

unless there are some sort of Hardware

limitations nothing appears to have an

overarching goal of providing all of its

phones with the exact same software

experience regardless of price which is

a very Apple thing to do and is not

something a lot of other phone

manufacturers do like I know for a fact

that Samsung does not place the same

version of one UI on its lower end

phones that it gives to its Flagship

phones and even Google have been guilty

of this recently where the pixel8 pro

had features not available on the

regular pixel 8 simply due to Google

just blocking them and just to keep the

praise train moving along the battery on

this phone has been another standout

feature in fact it's actually got the

largest battery capacity out of any of

the nothing phones released to dat which

is really cool now the phone certainly

doesn't have Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or gen 3

levels of efficiency so it's not a

battery champ by any means but I have

not been able to kill it in a single day

in the entire month that I've been using

it in fact most days I'm ending with

roughly 25 to 35% battery left with

around 5 hours of screen on time and as

far as I'm concerned that is pretty

great going and so for me if you're

looking for a phone with a slick and

eye-catching design a really great

display clean and minimal software and

really great battery life then this

phone ticks every single one of those

categories in Spades and I've got to tip

my hat to the nothing team for how they

haven't compromised any of these core

features despite the price drop but of

course when a phone is as cheap as the

phone 2A is there has to be some

compromises right well yes and after

using this phone for a full month I

reckon there are two mediumsized

compromises and one pretty large

compromise so buckle up and let's unpack

them so the first mediumsized compromise

is the phone's performance now firstly

when I saw that nothing had opted for a

mediate Tech dimensity chipset for this

phone as opposed to the tried and true

options from Qualcomm I was very

intrigued as to how that would impact

things but as far as I'm concerned this

phone performs pretty much identically

to the phone one now I always raved

about how solid the phone one was in

terms of performance despite it using a

mid-range chip and so for a lot of

people the phone 2a's performance is

going to be more than adequate enough

that being said the phone 1 is now

nearly 2 years old and so for a phone

released in 20124 to perform like a

nearly 2-year-old phone that may be

cause for some concern now I will say it

handles most things I personally throw

at it without issue and again the OS

itself is so clean and so well optimized

that you probably won't notice any

significant issues with performance in

day-to-day tasks but you know things

like the phone taking longer than usual

to boot up or the camera app lagging a

bit when taking lots of photos and even

some videos showing signs of lagginess

after they've been captured which I

can't go back and fix or check out this

weird glitch that happens when I try and

open a timer via the lock screen those

are the sorts of things that you'll

notice in terms of performance suffering

a bit with the phone 2A there have also

been some other little occasional

glitches in animation when I've been

pushing the phone just that little bit

too hard so that is also something to

keep in mind but my Counterpoint to this

specific compromise is that anyone

buying a phone in this pricing category

probably won't be able to find a phone

that performs much better and again I

largely think that this is thanks to the

phone's beautiful software experience

but with that being said it is important

to highlight that if you were hoping

that somehow nothing had pulled off some

sort of miracle in terms of performance

with this phone yeah that ain't quite

the

case all right the second medium-sized

compromise in my opinion which actually

some people might not see as much of a

compromise at all but it is the lack of

wireless charging and I got to be honest

during my briefing calls before this

phone was announced this one probably

hit me the hardest for some reason given

that the nothing team chose to include

wireless charging on the phone one

despite its ridiculously low price point

I thought that this was always going to

be a non-negotiable with nothing phones

forever

into the future but alas that has

obviously been proven not to be the case

and I think my disappointment doesn't

necessarily relate to the phone 2way

itself but more to the fact that now

nothing has made the call to remove

wireless charging from their Baseline

phone it means they're probably going to

be more willing to get rid of it in

future phones as well like who knows

maybe they'll eventually only Reserve

wireless charging for their Flagship

phones in the future now obviously don't

know if this is going to be the case at

all but as far as I'm concerned I

actually really hope that this is the

first and last nothing phone without

wireless

charging okay and so then we come to the

last pretty large compromise that this

phone makes which is as you might have

guessed the cameras now again for $350

can I really complain about the cameras

not being that great no not really but I

think the point needs to be made that if

you're the sort of person who loves

having at least one great camera on your

phone then I don't think that this is

the phone for you now to be clear in

very good lighting conditions with

subjects that are unnerving such as you

know pictures of architecture or

Landscapes even pictures of adults who

know how to stand still for more than

half a second then with the mainlands

you can capture okay to decent photos

but if like me you're someone who has

kids and you want to take some quality

pictures of them playing and having fun

or perhaps you have pets and you take

lots of photos of them even in decent

lighting you'll struggle to capture

photos without an emotion blow and then

in less than optimal conditions yeah

probably not even worth your time in

fact to paint a bit of a picture I was

struggling so much with the cameras on

this phone that for the first time in

about 2 years I had to resort to using a

gcam port which did help a bit with

producing better looking images but I

couldn't find one that supported the

ultra wide Camera Plus although you can

remap a double press of the power button

to open the gcam mod your phone needs to

be unlocked to use it which can be a

little bit annoying depending on the

scenario on top of that I also had a

recent overseas trip during which time I

was using the nothing phone 2ay and

whilst I was away I wanted to be able to

capture some quality photos and videos

with my phone and whilst I did capture

some photos and videos with the 2-way as

you're seeing on screen right now I was

not at all confident to take it as my

only camera so I actually ended up

taking the iPhone 15 Pro as well just so

that I could guarantee that I was going

to be able to get some quality shots an

iPhone for goodness sake I am an Android

user and if I was using any other

Android phone like my pixel 8 Pro or the

Galaxy s24 or s24 Ultra there's no way I

would have felt the need to pack an

iPhone for shooting photos and videos

now again it's 350 bucks so can I really

complain particularly given how many

good things there are about this phone

no not really that being said I think

this is where Google and Apple's

impressive computational photography

truly shines because no matter how much

you spend on a pixel or iPhone whether

it's 1,000 bucks or 500 you know you're

going to be able to produce fantastic

images and I think that's really the

best place to end this video because

ultimately if you are someone who holds

a lot of value in being able to capture

quality photos and videos using your

phone then the phone 2A is probably not

the phone to get but if not and you also

don't care about the lack of wireless

charging and the slightly subpar

performance then as far as I'm concerned

you are not going to find a better phone

for the

[Music]

price

[Music]