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Journalism of Courage
Nothing has just unleashed its new budget beast, the Phone 2a, the third smartphone in its arsenal. A year ago, comparing it to the brand’s second smartphone – the Phone 2 – would’ve been a stretch, considering the Phone 2’s Rs 44,999 launch price. But now, with the Phone 2 selling for a more palatable Rs 36,999, the game has changed. It’s still not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it’s enough to make you ponder whether you should snag one over the other.
That’s especially tempting since, on paper, these handsets seem to offer similar features. Both rock 50MP camera systems, the same front camera sensors, and very similar displays. But there’s more to the story than meets the eye. In this comparison article, we’ll dive into the differences between these two devices.
While the Nothing Phone 2 and Phone 1 sported very iPhone-esque builds, the Nothing Phone 2a takes a different (and refreshing) path. This phone features a distinct camera island aligned in the center, and we’re hoping Nothing sticks with this design for future phones, as it could make Nothing devices even more recognisable than before.
However, being significantly more affordable means the Nothing Phone 2a had to make some compromises in the materials department. Gone are the super-premium aluminum frame and glass back from the Nothing Phone 2 – the Phone 2a gets plastic in their place. But here’s the kicker: the difference in hand-feel isn’t as drastic as you’d expect. The Phone 2a’s plastic frame has a nice texture that you might even prefer over the Phone 2’s metal frame – it’s just so satisfying.
Still, it’s hard to beat the durability offered by a Gorilla Glass back and aluminum frame. The Phone 2a is likely to scratch more easily without a case – that’s just the nature of plastic. The Nothing Phone 2 also has a superior Glyph Interface with more LED lights that cover much of its backside, unlike the Nothing Phone 2a, which only has 3 of those.
Both phones rock a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, but the Nothing Phone 2a has slightly slimmer bezels at just 2.1mm thick – 0.2mm trimmer than its sibling. It’s also brighter for general use at 700 nits compared to the Phone 2’s 500 nits. We also noticed that the Nothing Phone 2a has an unusually round corner radius. It does look cool, but it eats into the screen real estate a tiny bit, though you’d have to squint to really notice.
The good news is that the Nothing Phone 2a doesn’t skimp on any software features – you get the full-fledged Nothing OS 2.5 experience even at this price point. Plus, the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro is a capable chip that should handle everyday tasks like a champ. You’ll barely notice any performance difference here. Gaming will be a different story, though, where you’ll feel the gap both in graphics settings and overall performance. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Phone 2 packs a far beefier GPU.
The Nothing Phone 2a has a slightly larger 5,000mAh battery versus the Phone 2’s 4,700mAh unit. But the difference is too small to matter much. Meanwhile, charging is the same on both phones at 45W, although the 2a misses out on wireless charging.
Just like the screen tech, the Nothing Phone 2a and Nothing Phone 2 share impressively similar camera specs despite their price gap. Both phones have a 50MP primary + 50MP ultrawide + 32MP front camera setup. Even the sensors are the same, except for the primary camera – the Nothing Phone 2a gets a Samsung GN9 sensor while the Phone 2 sports the superior Sony IMX890 sensor. Expect the Phone 2 to shoot crisper photos, especially in low light.
The Nothing Phone 2a and Nothing Phone 2 end up being two very different affairs because of their price points. Where the Phone 2 received some flak for being a tad overpriced at launch (Rs 44,999), the Phone 2a is getting praise for being one of the best value propositions on the market right now.
If build quality matters to you, the Nothing Phone 2 is the one for you – although you’d probably end up with a similar experience since you’d be using a case anyway. Gaming performance and primary camera performance also make a stronger case for the Phone 2.
However, it’s hard to beat the value proposition of the Phone 2a. At Rs 13,000 less, you’re getting nearly everything the Phone 2 offers, and if you don’t consider yourself a ‘power’ user, you’ll barely notice the difference between the two handsets.
