Key Takeaways
- The Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus is obtainable with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for an asking value of $399.
- The distinctive and reasonably enjoyable glyph interface is included right here, and the cellphone is well-constructed general.
- The handset comes with a clear and bloat-free Android expertise and snappy efficiency, however its digicam output is just simply okay.
After making waves within the tech scene with its glyph-powered Phone lineup of gadgets, the London-based Nothing producer is again at it with a brand new mannequin — the Cellphone 2a Plus.
The Cellphone 2a Plus builds upon the foundations laid by the present Phone 2a, an reasonably priced mid-ranger that gave even the likes of the Google Pixel 7a a stable run for its cash.
Beneficial
Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus
The Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus brings the now-iconic Glyph Interface, a refreshingly clear Android expertise, and surprisingly skinny show bezels to a package deal that prices a cool $399.
- Glorious match and end
- Contains the enjoyable glyph interface
- Clear and slick software program
- No wi-fi charging
- Digital camera high quality is nothing particular
- Will not get Android 15 as fast as a Pixel machine
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Value, availability, and specs
Beginning off with the specs, the Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus crams stable tech into its smooth chassis. $399 nets you a beneficiant 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is the one configuration at the moment on supply. General dimensions are available at 6.37 x 3.00 x 0.33-inches (161.7 x 76.32 x 8.55mm) and a weight of 6.70oz (190g).
The machine itself ships with a roomy 6.7-inch AMOLED show, operating at FHD+ decision (1080 x 2412). Its peak show brightness reaches a modest 1300 nits, which is way from class-leading, however I discovered it to be appropriate sufficient for out of doors use underneath sunny circumstances.
Refreshingly, the Cellphone 2a Plus contains an adaptive 120Hz refresh fee show, which may ramp all the way down to 30Hz to protect battery life throughout occasions of idle. Contemplating the iPhone 15 nonetheless ships with a 60Hz show in 2024, I contemplate this a giant win on the a part of Nothing.
Talking of battery, the cellphone is outfitted with a 5,000 mAh cell, which is coupled with speedy 50W quick charging capabilities. Sadly, as anticipated, there is no charging brick included within the field itself — you will should shell out extra money to unlock the privilege of fast top-up speeds. Powering the unit itself is the MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Professional 5G processor, which Nothing proudly touts as a world exlusive for the corporate. The chip is an octa-core resolution that is constructed on 4nm expertise.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are each on board, as is NFC. Sadly, wireless charging just isn’t included right here, which is disappointing for these like myself that use the tech frequently. There’s additionally no microSD card slot or headphone jack, that are generally nonetheless included on different mid-range telephones.
As talked about, the Cellphone 2a Plus is obtainable at an asking value of $399 in the US. In case you spring for the machine, it will arrive in Nothing’s new metallic gray shade. A black shade can be obtainable, however at the moment it is not on supply in the US.
The handset is now up for buy by Nothing’s U.S. Beta Program. “To hitch the US Beta Program, customers within the US ought to head to the product web page and add a qualifying machine to their cart,” says Nothing. The corporate supplies extra info referring to this system on the FAQ section of its product page.
Construct and design
The Cellphone 2a Plus is a superbly mid-range machine
Pocket-lint
Nothing has accomplished a bang-up job relating to the match and end of the Cellphone 2a Plus. The mid-range cellphone market is flooded with generic and uninspired design languages, however the distinctive translucent rear and LED glyph association supplies a pop of character right here.
Nothing talks up the bezels on the Cellphone 2a Plus, describing them because the thinnest the corporate has shipped on a smartphone up to now. They arrive in at 0.8-inches (2.1mm), which definitely is not as skinny as higher-end telephones, however the massive deal right here is that they are completely symmetrical. This creates the impression that the machine is extra high-end than it truly is, as bezel symmetry is often reserved for premium flagships.
The cellphone’s sides are made out of plastic versus steel, nevertheless it feels nicely constructed with tight tolerances and clicky buttons which are satisfying to press.
The pretty massive 6.7-inch show naturally signifies that this handset is on the bigger aspect, which could make one-handed usability considerably tough relying on the dimensions of your palms.
The Cellphone 2a Plus is pretty sturdy, as nicely. The show and selfie digicam are lined by Gorilla Glass 5, and the unit itself is IP54 licensed. This score signifies that the cellphone is protected towards mud and splashes of contemporary water, however hasn’t been licensed for whole submersion. For the odd time while you get caught out within the rain, the Cellphone 2a Plus ought to maintain up and not using a hitch.
The pretty massive 6.7-inch show naturally signifies that this handset is on the bigger aspect, which could make one-handed usability considerably tough relying on the dimensions of your palms. I are inclined to desire extra compact gadgets, however it is a private desire, and plenty of will recognize the additional display actual property for watching multimedia content material.
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Show
The display is completely serviceable
Nothing has outfitted the Cellphone 2a Plus with a pleasing AMOLED panel, which options the right black ranges and punchy distinction typical to OLED expertise. The 120Hz quick refresh fee and HDR10+ assist are welcome additions, as is the inclusion of an always-on show (AOD).
At FHD+ decision, the machine has a pixel density of 395 pixels per inch (PPI). It’s miles from best-in-class, however I imagine this sacrifice was nicely value it — it is subsequent to unattainable to inform aside particular person pixels on the display from a traditional viewing distance.
Hidden beneath the show is an optical fingerprint sensor, which I discovered to be fairly correct in my time with the machine. I discovered the position of the sensor to be somewhat bit decrease on the display than I’d have preferred, however in any other case, it gave me no bother in any respect.
9:51
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Digital camera
A superbly okay shooter that is most likely the weakest hyperlink
The Cellphone 2a Plus ships with a twin rear digicam setup, with each a 50-megapixel predominant digicam and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens. The primary shooter contains optical picture stabilization for regular photographs and photographs, and the setup can document video at as much as 4K decision at 30 frames per second or full HD at 60 frames per second.
I discovered each photographs and movies shot with the Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus to be fairly common. Mid-range telephones today are able to some unimaginable photographs, although very like different handsets within the value bracket, issues begin to break down and change into noisy when there’s much less mild obtainable to the sensor.
I discovered shutter pace to be constantly fast, and I recognize the inclusion of different taking pictures modes like time-lapse, panorama, sluggish movement, and even a full-blown ‘skilled’ mode. Switching this mode on provides you entry to publicity worth, ISO, shutter pace, white steadiness, and handbook focus.
As for the selfie shooter, it additionally is available in at 50-megapixels, which is excessive for a mid-range machine, and may shoot in 4K at 30 frames per second. Regardless of the higher-than-average decision, I discovered it to take comparable photographs to the competitors, primarily Pixel A collection gadgets.
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Efficiency
The cellphone is not at all a gaming powerhouse, however the interface is clean
Nothing has opted to go for a MediaTek Dimensity processor on the Cellphone 2a Plus, versus the extra generally discovered Qualcomm Snapdragon chips utilized in a variety of different gadgets. The particular chip mannequin right here is the Dimensity 7350 Professional, which incorporates state-of-the-art 4nm structure for effectivity, in addition to the Mali-G610 MC4 graphics processing unit on board.
The processor benchmarks with a Geekbench 6 single-core rating of roughly 1,119 and a multi-score of about 2,206. When it comes to uncooked energy, it may’t maintain a candle to the processors present in higher-end flagship telephones. That being mentioned, outdoors of gaming, you will not discover an considerable distinction in on a regular basis efficiency. I discovered navigating by the working system to be each fluid and conscious of the contact, and apps launching felt snappy.
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Software program
A beautiful tackle Android
My favourite side of the Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus is the dealing with of software program. Out of the field, you are greeted with a inventory Android-like interface, however infused with somewhat little bit of Nothing character. I am keen on the dot-matrix aesthetic constantly upheld all through the system, which is refined however distinctive.
I am completely satisfied to report that the cellphone ships and not using a barrage of bloatware, coming preloaded solely with the necessities, and leaving the downloading of apps at your individual discretion.
The one ‘worth added’ software program included within the package deal pertains to the glyph interface talked about earlier. Nothing provides you quite a lot of settings to mess around with right here, similar to LED brightness, a enjoyable music visualizer possibility, and the flexibility to create your individual glyph sequence to be used as a ringtone. None of it’s significantly groundbreaking, nevertheless it’s additionally removed from offensive, and serves as a intelligent and distinctive gimmick that is enjoyable to experiment with.
The cellphone arrives with Nothing OS 2.6 operating atop Android 14. The next major version of Android is predicted to reach in a matter of weeks, and I am hopeful that the Cellphone 2a Plus will obtain the replace with out a lot delay. The corporate guarantees three years of main OS updates, along with 4 years of safety patches.
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Do you have to purchase the Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus?
In case you’re in search of a mid-range machine, that is nice possibility
In brief, sure, however provided that you are available in the market for a mid-range handset. Nothing has crafted a sexy and performant package deal that punches above its weight. The glyph interface is a enjoyable, however superfluous addition that does a stand-up job of injecting some character into the machine.
“You will not be getting the latest-and-greatest digicam setup or highest decision show available on the market, however when you mood your expectations, Nothing’s newest providing is fairly nice.”
Followers of unpolluted and bloat-free Android interfaces will really feel proper at residence with the Cellphone 2a Plus, and the {hardware} operating the present is fairly cheap for the asking value of $399.
You will not be getting the latest-and-greatest digicam setup or highest decision show available on the market, however when you mood your expectations, Nothing’s newest providing is fairly nice.
Nothing Cellphone 2a Plus
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