The mobile device landscape constantly changes, with new products continually on the horizon. Though many fans on the Android side are now focused on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, another device will likely get a launch date early in the new year. We’re talking about the Nothing Phone 2a.
For the first time, Nothing is expected to launch a budget phone to accompany its flagship offerings. That’s what the Nothing Phone 2a is expected to be, and the rumor mill for it is quickly picking up steam.
Here’s everything we know (so far) about the Nothing Phone 2a!
Nothing Phone 2a: release date
Nothing has released two phones to date. The first phone, the Nothing Phone 1, was released in July 2022 and was followed by the Nothing Phone 2 in July 2023.
Nothing has confirmed that it’s holding an event at MWC on February 27. There’s no official mention from the company that it’s using this event to announce the Nothing Phone 2a, but there’s a strong possibility this is where we’ll first see it.
SmartPrix says the Nothing 2a will be available in four regions. These include PacmanIND (India), PacmanJPN (Japan), PacmanEEA (Europe), and Pacman (global).
Nothing Phone 2a: price
Nothing is already known for launching relatively low-cost smartphones compared to the market leaders. The Nothing Phone 2, for example, starts at $599. By contrast, the entry-level Samsung Galaxy S24 and Apple iPhone 15 cost $800. Not surprisingly, a Nothing Phone 2a would be priced slightly lower than the Nothing Phone 2.
On X (formerly Twitter), leaker Yogesh Brar said the new phone would start at around $400. This is below the price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE ($500) and the OnePlus 12R (also $500).
Nothing Phone 2a: design
There have been conflicting reports about what the Nothing Phone 2a will look like. It’s hard to say with any certainty which ones are true and which are false, so here’s a recap of everything we’ve heard.
According to leaker Dylan Roussel, the upcoming Nothing Phone 2a will feature a redesigned back with three Glyph lights, significantly fewer than the Nothing Phone 2, which has 33 Glyphs. However, the Glyph controls are expected to remain similar to those on the Nothing Phone 2.
The camera placement on the new model will differ from previous models. It is expected to have a horizontal dual-camera setup that is center-aligned. Many, including TechRadar, have suggested the Nothing Phone 2a takes some design cues from the Google Pixel A-series and Samsung Galaxy S10.
Meet the Nothing Phone (2a)!
Model: A142.
Codenames: Pacman / Aero(dactyl?).Nothing's next phone comes with a Mediatek SoC for the first time. The Mediatek Dimensity 7200. It has 3 Glyph parts, and a brand new design.
Launch event at MWC? pic.twitter.com/UTwk2bUjjA
— Dylan Roussel (@evowizz) December 15, 2023
The Nothing Phone 2a should still very much look like a proper Nothing smartphone, but it should also have a unique identity compared to the Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2. Considering how safe the Nothing Phone 2’s design was compared to its predecessor, that’s really encouraging to see.
In terms of colors, SmartPrix says the Nothing Phone 2a will eventually be available in black and white. However, it’s possible that only one of the colors will be available at launch.
Here’s where things get particularly interesting. According to another leak from @OnLeaks and SmartPrix, the Nothing Phone 2a could ditch the Glyph lights altogether. The above render shows a reported official render of the phone; as you can see, there’s not a light in sight. It still has a quirky design, but you won’t find any flashing lights.
It’s certainly interesting to think about a Nothing Phone without one of the company’s most iconic design features. This other rendition of the Nothing Phone 2a still looks good, but we imagine big Nothing fans may not love it.
Nothing Phone 2a: specs
According to reports, the Nothing Phone 2a is expected to feature a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset. The processor is built on a 4nm process and has an 8-core CPU with two Cortex-A78 cores clocked at up to 2.8GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores. Smart devices from Vivo and Xiaomi, among others, are already using the chip. The Dimensity 7200 chipset was introduced in early 2023. This would be the first Nothing phone to include a MediaTek chipset. For context, the Nothing Phone 2 has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset from Qualcomm.
Tipster Sanju Choudhary and others have said the new Nothing Phone 2a will feature a 120Hz 6.7-inch AMOLED display. The new phone will likely include a hole-punch at the top center of the display. SmartPrix concurs, saying the phone will likely sport a 120Hz AMOLED panel boasting a resolution of 1084×2412 pixels.
Regarding onboard storage, the Nothing Phone 2a could offer options starting at 128GB, with a minimum of 8GB of RAM.
Nothing Phone 2a: cameras
Limited information is available about the cameras on the Nothing Phone 2a, but the phone will likely have dual cameras on the back. Brar has suggested that the rear camera system of the phone will be 50MP. For context, the Nothing Phone 2 offers a 50MP dual rear camera with a 32MP front camera.
Smartprix, working with Kamila, offers more details about the new phone’s camera system. According to the sources, the Nothing Phone 2a has a dual-camera setup that will be arranged horizontally. The primary camera is claimed to be a 50MP Samsung S5KGN9 shooter with a 1/1.5-inch sensor size and 1.0-micron pixel size. This is the same camera as the one found on the Moto G84. The secondary camera is reportedly a 50MP Samsung S5KJN1 ultrawide camera with a 1/2.76-inch sensor size and a 0.64-micron pixel size.
Nothing Phone 2a: software and updates
The Nothing Phone 2a is expected to come with Android 14 and Nothing OS 2.5. Nothing OS 2.5 is currently only available for the Nothing Phone 2 and offers several upgrades compared to Nothing OS 2.0. These upgrades include enhanced customization options, changes to the glyph interface, and more. The Nothing Phone 2 comes with three years of Android OS updates and four years of security patches.
SmartPrix has published what it says are the official wallpapers of the Nothing Phone 2a. They’re even downloadable online.
There are still many unknowns about the Nothing Phone 2a. As we wait for the official launch, we will update this post with more details. Stay tuned.
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